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Why Do We Hide Things In Relationships?
Why Do We Hide Things In Relationships?
6 min
Cultures place too much value on conforming to relationship stereotypes. These dogmas and rigid opinions do not easily accept reality. And so, to please them, you become a habitual liar. But good relationships are founded on freedom; they are not based on obligations, and they are not afraid of reality. In good company, the other might frown, but less on what you did, and more on what you hid.
The SECRET About Life, Art, and Beauty That Changes Everything
The SECRET About Life, Art, and Beauty That Changes Everything
11 min
Have you seen an ant hill? Have you seen an ant hill? Now, an ant hill—for an ant—is Taj Mahal. And what is your Taj Mahal for an ant? Nothing. A heap of white rubbish. Think of what pigeons and crows do to the Eiffel Tower, for example. But we look at it, as I said, from the human ego point of view—an anthropomorphic view. We say, "Wow!" We don't appreciate an ant hill. Now, tell me, why don't you appreciate an ant hill? An ant would appreciate an ant hill; we don't appreciate it.
Are We Revering the Right Voices? A Look at True Wisdom
Are We Revering the Right Voices? A Look at True Wisdom
14 min
That's the wrong relationship that the world is choosing to have with an unwise man. If you are to respect, you have to respect someone who is wise and who can bring his wisdom to your use. Instead, if you choose to have a relationship of respect with someone who is himself unwise, obviously, he can be of no use to you. So again, it's a failure of relationship—something is misplaced. Respect is something that has to be placed at the right point.
भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 9
भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 9
53 min

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धन: | तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्ग: समाचर ||3. 9||

अन्वय: यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र (यज्ञ के लिए किए कर्म के अलावा अन्य कर्म में) लोकोऽयं (लगा हुआ) कर्मबन्धनः (कर्मों के बन्धन में फँसता है) कौन्तेय (हे अर्जुन) मुक्तसङ्गः (आसक्ति छोड़कर) तत्-अर्थ (यज्ञ के लिए) कर्म (कर्म) समाचर (करो)

काव्यात्मक अर्थ: बाँधते

भगवान निर्दयी से क्यों लगते हैं?
भगवान निर्दयी से क्यों लगते हैं?
24 min
भगवान किसी और को सूली पर कहाँ चढ़ा रहे हैं? वो ही हैं, अपने आप को ही सूली दे रहे हैं। खुद ही जाते हैं सिपाही बनकर; खुद ही पकड़ लाते हैं किसी संत को, फिर खुद ही न्यायलय में न्यायाधीश बन बैठते हैं, खुद को ही झूठी सज़ा सुना देते हैं, फिर खुद ही जल्लाद हो जाते हैं; फिर खुद ही सूली हो जाते हैं, फिर खुद को ही सूली पर चढ़ा देते हैं। और किसको मार रहे हैं वो? दया इत्यादि तो दूसरों पर की जाती है। जहाँ द्वैत ही नहीं, वहाँ दया कैसी। किस पर दया करनी है?
Krishna's Grace vs. Arjuna's Willingness—Which Matters More?
Krishna's Grace vs. Arjuna's Willingness—Which Matters More?
8 min
The question should be which one is relevant to you? What will you do by enquiring about Shri Krishna’s grace? That’s Shri Krishna’s prerogative, right? Shri Krishna will take care of his grace if he has to offer grace. Whatever he has to do, we do not know what grace is. We do not know who Shri Krishna is. How does it concern us to go into matters of his grace? What is it that’s in your control? Your own preparation, your own willingness. So, you take care of that.
Rejecting Illusions: The True Meaning of Shiv and Mahashivratri
Rejecting Illusions: The True Meaning of Shiv and Mahashivratri
6 min

With Mahashivratri around the corner, many of us find ourselves struggling to discover the actual and deeper meaning of the festival. We wonder: surely there has to be something beyond the rituals and performances. More importantly, it strikes us when we are contemplative: who is Shiv?

Mahashivaratri is the only

How to Abide in The Shiva Truth? On Ribhu Gita
How to Abide in The Shiva Truth? On Ribhu Gita
11 min
So 'know', don’t try to know about Shiva. Shiva is not furniture. Shiva is not a tree. Shiva is not a cloud, not even the sky. How will you know Shiva? Do you know of anything that has no shape, no form, and is eternal? How will you know Shiva? But know, do know. What can you know? This world and yourself. Know that. That knowing is Shiva-ness. Shivatva.
How Is The Bhagavad Gita Relevant Today?
How Is The Bhagavad Gita Relevant Today?
44 min
The Gita is useful because its setting is extremely relatable. Just like us, Arjuna does not know himself—he's a victim of multiple identities and all kinds of conditioning. Therefore, the Gita is about letting Arjuna know who he is, and this illumination enables him to do what he must. So, first of all, see that you are Arjuna. Then, step by step, verse by verse, there will be some resolution.
Breaking through the cycle of exploitation in relationships
Breaking through the cycle of exploitation in relationships
7 min

Our society embodies a stark contrast between its proclaimed life-affirmative ideals and the underlying suffering that prevails. Relationships, especially marriage, are often transactional and materialistic arrangements rather than expressions of love and understanding.

While marriages in developed countries witness high divorce rates but less systemic exploitation, India boasts of low

Why Words Fail to Capture Life’s Truth?
Why Words Fail to Capture Life’s Truth?
9 min
And you can extend this observation to all the things in the world in the sense of our relationship with them. If we are highlighting something in this world, chances are we are going to destroy and distort it. We do not highlight things because they are virtuous or truthful. The ego does not want virtue. The ego has nothing for the truth. For the ego, its own security and preservation come first.
God, Allah, Ram: One Truth, Many Names
God, Allah, Ram: One Truth, Many Names
23 min
Some say 'God', others say 'Allah', and some say 'Ram'; all three refer to the same entity. If a name or sound reminds you of the nameless one, it's wonderful. The problem arises with self-appointed meanings. The purpose of religion is to convey the truth, not obstruct it. You have a variety of flutes, but there is one music. Religion is that music.
Reclaiming Authenticity in a World of Impressions
Reclaiming Authenticity in a World of Impressions
7 min

Right since our birth, we are trained to conduct ourselves according to others’ expectations. Everything about us seems to come from outside; every single identity is social. We write in prescribed ways, speak in acceptable tones, worship in traditional patterns, hold sanctioned beliefs about life, and shape our responses to

भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 11
भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 11
25 min

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः। परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ।।

~ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, अध्याय 3, श्लोक 11

अर्थ: यज्ञ से देवताओं को आगे बढ़ाओ, तो वो दैवत्य तुम्हारी उन्नति करेंगे। इस तरह परस्पर (आपस में) उन्नति करते हुए तुम परम श्रेय प्राप्त करते हो।

काव्यात्मक अर्थ: *यज्ञ से देवत्व बढ़े देवत्व से

How Our Fear of Death Reflects Our Attachment to Life’s Pleasures
How Our Fear of Death Reflects Our Attachment to Life’s Pleasures
9 min
Death scares the ego because there was something that the ego wanted from its existence that has not yet been achieved. The technical problem there is that what the ego wants from its existence can only be attained from its non-existence. Therefore, the only way to avoid death is by dying before death.
Meditation: A Simple Honesty Beyond Methods and Routines
Meditation: A Simple Honesty Beyond Methods and Routines
7 min

Meditation is the submergence of the ego in its essential nature. It is at the root of all self-knowledge and wisdom. However, most often, what we call meditation is just escapism—using some ‘method of meditation’ to superficially soothe our restlessness or gain temporary and deceptive relief from stress.

True meditation

भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 10
भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 10
70 min

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः । अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेषः योऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥ १० ॥

अर्थ: सृष्टि के आरंभ में ही ब्रह्मा ने कहा था कि यज्ञ के द्वारा ही वृद्धि को प्राप्त करोगे। यह यज्ञ ही तुम लोगों को अभीष्ट फल देगा और कामधेनुतुल्य सर्वाभीष्टप्रद होगा।

काव्यात्मक अर्थ:

सगुण हो बंधन चुना

ऐसे देखो अपनी हस्ती का सच
ऐसे देखो अपनी हस्ती का सच
18 min
कह रहे हैं कि ये तुमने जो तमाम तरह की कहानियाँ गढ़ ली हैं, ये कहानियाँ तुम्हारे अंजन का ही विस्तार हैं, निरंजन की कोई कथा नहीं हो सकती। सारी समस्या तब होती है जब धर्म में कथाएँ घुस जाती हैं। जितनी तुमने किस्से बाज़ियाँ और कहानियाँ ये खड़ी की हैं, इन्होंने ही तुम्हारे धर्म को चौपट कर दिया है। श्रीराम को निरंजन ही रहने दो, श्रीकृष्ण को भी निरंजन ही रहने दो। जैसे ही तुमने गोपी संग गोविंद बना दिया, वैसे ही मामला अंजन का हो गया। गोविंद को गोविंद रहने दो, गोपियाँ मत लेकर के आओ।
Meditation: A Simple Honesty Beyond Methods and Routines
Meditation: A Simple Honesty Beyond Methods and Routines
7 min

Meditation is the submergence of the ego in its essential nature. It is at the root of all self-knowledge and wisdom. However, most often, what we call meditation is just escapism—using some ‘method of meditation’ to superficially soothe our restlessness or gain temporary and deceptive relief from stress.

True meditation

(Gita-8) The Self and the Joy of Immortality
(Gita-8) The Self and the Joy of Immortality
37 min
If all that the Ego wants is liberation from itself, which means coming to see its own non-existence, then the only way to see its non-existence is by paying attention to itself. The more the Ego pays attention to itself, it sees that it does not exist. The more the Ego remains attached to this and that, all the sensory inputs, the Ego feels that is real and this is real.
भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 8
भगवद गीता - कर्मयोग: अध्याय 3, श्लोक 8
52 min

श्लोक: नियतं कुरु कर्म, त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः। शरीरयात्रापि च ते न, प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः॥3.8॥

काव्यात्मक अर्थ:

कर्म के परि त्याग से, श्रेष्ठ है नि यत कर्म । कर्मयात्रा पर चल पड़े, जि स क्षण लि या जीव जन्म॥

आचार्य जी: श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता गीता, तीसरा अध्याय कर्म का विषय है, पिछले सत्र में

External Challenges, Internal Solutions
External Challenges, Internal Solutions
7 min

The kind of challenges we face as we approach another new year are unprecedented. Given the novel and cataclysmic nature of these challenges, old approaches are not going to succeed. These challenges come from almost all areas of human activity, and therefore their origin has to do with something in

Is Sartre’s Existentialism Contradicting Gita?
Is Sartre’s Existentialism Contradicting Gita?
7 min
They don't contradict each other. Existentialists like Sartre argue that humans cannot suppress consciousness and are 'condemned to be free.' We are born without a predetermined purpose—existence precedes essence. You exist first and must then discover your essence. In the spirit of 'Neti Neti' (neither this nor that), no external force can define your essence; it is your freedom to consciously determine what life is for.
Loneliness: The 21st century pandemic
Loneliness: The 21st century pandemic
7 min

According to the recent Global State of Connections report, a quarter of the world’s population, around 1.92 billion, felt ‘lonely’ or ‘very lonely’. Research indicates that loneliness is closely linked to depression, anxiety, substance abuse , heart disease, and a shortened lifespan. Loneliness has become a worldwide epidemic. Despite technological

How India Pays the Price for America’s Climate Negligence
How India Pays the Price for America’s Climate Negligence
8 min

As wildfires rage, glaciers melt, cities drown, and farmlands crack under unrelenting drought, climate change is no longer a distant catastrophe—it is here, unfolding before our eyes. Every season brings fresh devastation, yet we continue down a path of environmental neglect. The signs are clear, the science is irrefutable, and

मौत झूठ है
मौत झूठ है
9 min
आपको लगता है कि अब आपकी चीज आपसे छिन गई, वो छिनी नहीं है, वो कहीं और पहुँची है, बिखर गई है, हजार जगह पहुँच गई है, लेकिन वो जहाँ भी पहुँची है, वहाँ पर, तो आप भी मौजूद हो। तो आपसे भिन्न कहाँ हुआ वो आपसे अलग कहाँ हुआ आपसे बिछड़ा कहाँ, वो? जो आपको दिखाई देता है कि वो जहाँ भी जायेगा वो आपको ही पायेगा। तो फिर आपको दुख थोड़े ही होगा।
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता दूसरा अध्याय २, श्लोक 15-24
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता दूसरा अध्याय २, श्लोक 15-24
45 min
मनुष्य की देह होने भर से आपको कोई विशेषाधिकार नहीं मिल जाता, यहाँ तक कि आपको जीवित कहलाने का अधिकार भी नहीं मिल जाता। सम्मान इत्यादि का अधिकार तो बहुत दूर की बात है, ये अधिकार भी नहीं मिलेगा कि कहा जाए कि ज़िन्दा हो।
Kumbh in the Light of Vedanta: Truth Beyond Tradition
Kumbh in the Light of Vedanta: Truth Beyond Tradition
13 min

Immortality, and the meaning of life, is the theme of Kumbh. Seen with clarity, everything in the Kumbh narrative revolves around escaping death.

Another Kumbh festival is here. There are several ancient stories behind Kumbh. If the stories are taken merely as tales or folklore, then religion risks becoming merely

भगवद गीता – अध्याय 2 (सांख्य योग), श्लोक 5-11
भगवद गीता – अध्याय 2 (सांख्य योग), श्लोक 5-11
22 min

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके। हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान्तधिरप्रदिग्धान् ।।५।।

“मैं तो महानुभाव गुरुओं को न मारकर, इस लोक में भिक्षान्न भोजन करना कल्याणकर मानता हूँ, क्योंकि गुरुओं का वध करके मैं रक्त से सने हुए अर्थ और काम रूपी भोगों को ही तो भोगूँगा।“

~ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, श्लोक

Break Free from the Ego’s Trap
Break Free from the Ego’s Trap
9 min
The ego does not need an entire purpose of life. It's so much in pain and so full of immediate distress that it's enough for it to pay attention to its immediate surroundings. And the most immediate to the ego is itself. So words like ultimate mean nothing to the ego. The ego is like a patient on a ventilator. That fellow is looking forward to the next hour. Will I see the next day? Will I survive the next hour? That's the ego so much in distress that even the next one hour is difficult to to predict or see through or navigate.
(Gita-6) The Mind's Battle: Arjuna's Search for Liberation
(Gita-6) The Mind's Battle: Arjuna's Search for Liberation
27 min
The word for a Guru does not really exist in the English language. So, they have borrowed Guru itself, Guru. But they have borrowed the word Guru and rather misunderstood it and misapplied it. So, anybody who seems to be an expert at anything, can be justifiably called a Guru in the English language. Now that's not the proper usage in spirituality or in Sanskrit.
Can Thought Truly Be Selfless?
Can Thought Truly Be Selfless?
13 min
Thought is a servant; thought is a shadow. The shadow cannot betray its owner, its master. So, what changes is the nature of the ego itself, not the nature of thought. So when we say, for example, selfless thought, that primarily implies that the ego has improved, loosely put. Since I have become better, so have my thoughts. Now, I cannot remain the same and say my thoughts have become selfless, and if I do that, then I'm being pretentious and just fooling myself.
Why Do We Insult Our Scriptures?
Why Do We Insult Our Scriptures?
27 min
In modern times, reading and respecting the Shastras is often seen in a derogatory light. An Asura disregards the scriptures, saying, “What I know is right. My own experience determines the Truth,” rejecting them because they will not allow him to do what he wants. We have come to a point where we are not merely ignoring but actually insulting the scriptures. If you're sincere about knowing life, why avoid a document with deep insights into it?
वृत्ति नहीं, विवेक || महाभारत पर
वृत्ति नहीं, विवेक || महाभारत पर
7 min

प्रश्नकर्ता: आचार्य जी, प्रणाम। एकलव्य की कहानी सुनकर बड़ा दुःख होता है कि द्रोणाचार्य जैसा स्वाभिमानी और श्रेष्ठ गुरु भी अपने स्वार्थ और पक्षपात के चलते श्रद्धावान एकलव्य से अन्याय करता है। एकलव्य इस अन्याय के प्रति आदर प्रकट करते हुए अपना अँगूठा देकर भी गुरु के प्रति श्रद्धा से

J. Krishnamurti's 'The Observer Is the Observed' Explained by Acharya Prashant
J. Krishnamurti's 'The Observer Is the Observed' Explained by Acharya Prashant
8 min
'The observer is the observed; an honest observation dissolves them both.' Or, 'The observer is the observed, and both are false.' We lay a lot of emphasis on the world, assuming it to be the Truth. If the world is an entity independent of everything, then it has to be the Truth, right? Truth is that which is independent of everything.
Advait or Dvait?
Advait or Dvait?
4 min
It doesn’t matter whether you talk of *Advait* or *Dvait*. Do you finally admit that you cannot proceed any further with words? If your *Advait* says that I have come to the final truth, then your *Advait* is bogus. If your *Dvait* says that this is the ultimate expression, then your *Dvait,* too, is a fallacy. You may say *Advait,* you may say *Dvait,* you may even say *Trait,* or you may say anything of your choice. You are free to say whatever you want to, but all of that must surrender.
Prakriti, Attention and Truth
Prakriti, Attention and Truth
5 min
You rather have to be relaxed and just receptive. It comes to you. You don't have to chase it. You simply have to unlock your door, and these two are very different approaches. What does the devotee do? He just opens his doors and waits, calmly waits. He doesn't want to enforce his will. Non-resistance. Active pursual would all be within yourself. You are actively pursuing the beyond within yourself.
The Joy of Being Drenched in Love
The Joy of Being Drenched in Love
13 min
Usually our love is about one special thing or person. But Kabir Sahab is saying, "Hari bhai ban rai—the entire jungle has turned green. I see greenery not merely in one tree, but in the entire jungle.” That’s the difference between common love and Kabir Sahab’s love. In your love, there is just one green tree; in Kabir Sahab’s love, the entire world has turned green: there is nothing dry anywhere anymore.
The Multitasking Debate: Efficiency vs. Presence
The Multitasking Debate: Efficiency vs. Presence
12 min
Even when you think you are not multitasking, you are actually multitasking. Multitasking is an imperative, but don’t be a multiple-divided person. Multiple selves are not welcome; multitasking is alright. We live lives of multiple selves. One self, other self, and all those selves are all fake, borrowed.
I Am Either Absolutely Everything, or Nothing at All
I Am Either Absolutely Everything, or Nothing at All
11 min
I alone am! Nothing else. One could either have consciousness that is related to just these three states, a gross consciousness for which the material is supreme, an emotional mind, a thinker, analytical person who lives in ideas, or somebody who has been able to go beyond these two but is yet restless with this ‘I am'. One’s consciousness could rest in these three states or it could find a peaceful and relaxed home in just nothing. Call it either just nothing or call it absolutely everything — An all pervasive ‘I am', all pervasive ‘I am'.
Who Created the World?
Who Created the World?
14 min
Brahm is not the creator. When you desperately want to invent a creator, then you come up with īśvára. But Vedanta is not very enamored of īśvára. So, Vedanta says, "Īśvara is just Maya, just Maya.” Because you experience the universe, therefore, you feel the need to justify the origin of the universe. Therefore, you must have an īśvára. But how can the creator of a false universe be real? If the universe is false, what do you say about its creator?
Why Are You Scared of Truth?
Why Are You Scared of Truth?
8 min
There is nothing more scary than the Truth. The primary function of Truth is to negate all your falseness, to show you that you are living in lies. Truth supports you in the sense that, without its help, you cannot even see falseness. Truth cannot be pleasant to what we are. Truth can only be pleasant to the Truth. Before the Real can come, this false one must disappear.
Overpopulation and Greed: Is There Any Future for Mankind?
Overpopulation and Greed: Is There Any Future for Mankind?
4 min
We are looking at a scenario where nations have the population of India and the per capita consumption of the U.S. Multiply these two, and what do you get? Utter tragedy. Unless there is this basic recognition, which you can call a spiritual awakening, that the good life doesn’t consist of conspicuous consumption, we are hurtling towards a great disaster. It is already upon us.
Sad and Depressing: Living Without Knowing The Self
Sad and Depressing: Living Without Knowing The Self
8 min
Ours is the situation of a man who trades everything away and gets nothing in return; double depression, double debit. Without realizing that Truth must be the number one priority, we very easily dispense it away. Depression means – the height is unknown to you. The only height is the Core, the Essence, the Self. The one who is not connected to the One Truth will always feel depressed, will always feel down.
To Understand the Mind, Observe Without Concluding
To Understand the Mind, Observe Without Concluding
17 min
Just know that this is what is there in the mind. And that is the appropriate mental activity. The mind is the machine, well tuned, nicely designed for both analysis and observation. Use it for observation. You use it only for analysis and comparisons. Use it for observation. And if the observation is honest, then the object of observation will drop.
ज़्यादा सोचने की समस्या कैसे दूर हो?
ज़्यादा सोचने की समस्या कैसे दूर हो?
9 min
ज़्यादा सोचने की समस्या ही तब होती है जब आप कर्म का स्थान विचार को दे देते हैं। जो कर्म में डूबा हुआ है, उसको सोचने का अवकाश कहाँ? जितनी ऊर्जा, जितना समय सोच को दे रहे हैं, यदि आप उस काम को दें, जो करणीय है, जो उचित है, तो आपको फ़ुरसत ही नहीं मिलेगी सोचने की! आप जीवन के जिस भी मुक़ाम पर खड़े हैं, जितनी भी रौशनी है, उस पर आगे बढ़िए। व्यर्थ सोचना-विचारना अपने आप ख़त्म हो जाएगा।
How to Be Happy Everyday?
How to Be Happy Everyday?
7 min
Happiness is just a glimpse of the absence of suffering. Real happiness comes when you cultivate it, just like a gardener cultivates his flowers. Our normal happiness is ephemeral, preceded and succeeded by sorrow, whereas Ananda (Joy) is freedom from both. Real happiness is freedom not merely from sadness, but also from superficial happiness.
Who Is Today’s Ravana? What Evil Does Man Needs to Fight Today?
Who Is Today’s Ravana? What Evil Does Man Needs to Fight Today?
35 min
If somebody would declare himself as an enemy of God, as Ravana did, as Kamsa did, oh they were very innocent fellows, they did, then you could fight him. But today's Ravanas do not declare themselves as enemies of god, they declare themselves to be surrendered to god. Today's Ravana would probably be found in Rishikesh teaching Hatha Yoga. And saying, “This is yoga. This is yoga.” Now whom are you going to fight? They’ve all assumed the name of God. Man is god.
How to Wake-Up Early?
How to Wake-Up Early?
7 min
Don’t sleep at all, and there would be no problem waking up at the right time. See, you cannot be trained in these things. It’s a matter of love. If waking up feels beautiful and full of love, you can bulldoze your habits. If you truly know something is right, you just do it. Keep knowing it deeply until your understanding transforms into loving action.
Does Self-Help Really Help?
Does Self-Help Really Help?
7 min
Self-help doesn't help. Its approach is, “I am sad as my desires are not fulfilled, so the way to help myself is to fulfill desires.” They never realize their lives are driven by biological, social, and cultural forces outside of themselves. Spirituality offers the only real solution: “Before helping the self, one must know what the self really is."