Thought of the Month Archive

Who could have foreseen that these minute specks of life (amoebae) could hold out against the gigantic onslaught of molten lava and earth-shaking upheaval?  That speck of chaitanya, or life-consciousness, won through, nevertheless. Undeterred

The contemplation of the Godhead as ‘above and beyond all attributes’ is necessary for the attainment of jivanmukti (attainment of liberation while in the body). If that is difficult and beyond your capacity, you

Heart must understand heart; heart must be drawn to heart, if friendship must last. Friendship must bind two hearts and affect both of them beneficially, whatever may happen to loss or gain, pain or

What is mala? Man commits many offences, knowingly or unknowingly, not only in this life but also in previous lives. The imprint of these actions is carried by the chitta (memory), life after life,

What is the cause for man’s sorrow, delight, and infatuation? The cause can be traced to the different kleshas (sorrows) that afflict man from time to time. The first sorrow that afflicts man is

There is a marked difference between satisfaction, which is called trupti, and true joy, which is santrupti. To understand this, consider the distinction between kirtan and sankirtan. Kirtan, which is vocal music, comes only

Swami says that it is not possible to give up the objects of this world, but if we can give up our sense of possessiveness we can be happy. He explains ‘detachment’ as follows:

So long as there remains a separate river distant from the ocean, which is its source and its goal, then the river will retain a separate name and have an individual identity. But once

There is one cause of all your sorrows as well as your joy and happiness. That is your mind. Many people have an adverse view of the mind; they call it monkey mind. But

Whoever is fully awake and has developed his powers of discrimination will not suffer from sorrow nor be subject to fear. Only a person who has attachment to the body and attachment to objects

This New Year day is an opportunity to contemplate on the vastness of time, of its speed, of the short span of time that we share and which has to be put to the

The Gita does not intend that you should pluck a leaf or flower or a fruit from some plant or tree and place it before God. Nor does it ask you to bring water