Recently someone asked me, “ What causes a husband and wife who once seemed so happy together to become one another’s worst enemy”. While I could have given a very elaborate answer, I replied, “Our material conditioning.” The questioner then asked, “Is there anything one can do to change their material conditioning?” Conditioning is indeed […]
Humble & Feeling Good
On the path of spiritual progress, is humility compatible with a healthy self-esteem? As a family therapist, I counsel people both within and outside the Hare Krishna movement. I recently received an e-mail from a young woman devotee who was unhappy in her relationship with her abusive husband but was conflicted about leaving him. “Maybe […]
Let Go & Let Krishna
Because the origin of all fear and anxiety is separation from Krishna, the cure is to take shelter of Him. I remember as a child climbing up the metal ladder of what seemed like a towering playground slide. With each step up, my legs quivered uncontrollably and my heart beat rapidly. When I reached the […]
Why Do We Criticize Others?
A look at the causes and cures for faultfinding, a major obstacle to spiritual progress. CONDUCTING A SUMMER therapy group with middle-school boys is always a challenge. Donte calls Michael a retard, and Michael calls Donte’s mother a crackhead. I intervene, sitting the boys down to cool off. This age group (11-14) is notorious for […]
Viagra or Vairagya—Where’s the Bliss?
Sensual pleasures pale in comparison to the higher taste of devotion to Lord Krishna. I SIT AT THE lunch table with some of my colleagues as we say goodbye to one of our co-workers. I’m soon reminded of why I tend to stay away from such gatherings: As usual, the conversation eventually turns to the […]
What is Love?
Our relationships in this world can leave us wondering whether true love really exists. I remember sitting with my boyfriend in his fraternity house, studying for a history exam, struggling to stay focused on pages of notes. “You know,” Tim nonchalantly said, “I really don’t know what love is.” Rather than applaud his astute query, […]
Dealing with Depression
“Within days of chanting the mantra regularly on beads, I felt a lifting of my depressed feelings. Light entered the darkness I was so accustomed to living in.” IN THE EVENING of November 14, 1975, I received a phone call in my dorm room at college. Absorbed in studying for exams, I answered nonchalantly, expecting […]
A Wrinkle in Time: Why old age is a gift from God
WHENEVER I WENT to my best friend’s house, her great-grandmother, Mrs. Werble, would be perched in the same spot, staring at the television. Delighted to have a visitor, Mrs. Werble would insist I sit with her, and she’d ramble on about her past. I was her captive audience, and I would feel sad on seeing […]
You Bet Your Life
For anyone interested in spiritual progress, gambling is more than just a harmless amusement. High’s convenience store is bustling with last-minute shoppers picking up odds and ends for a holiday dinner. Having run out of milk, I find myself in the crowded store, standing in a line that wraps around the food aisle. I resign […]
Tragedy Calls…Am I Next?
The teachings of the Bhagavad-gita help us see beyond the apparent randomness of tragedy. I had Just Turned eleven when our small island town was gripped with terror. Mary Kelly had disappeared three days earlier, and now her mutilated body had been found in the woods just a mile from where I lived. The intensive, […]
