Proponents of contraception claim it solves many social problems. Are they right? Thirteen-year-old Jenny broke the silence. “Rhoda, I was a birth-control baby.” “Birth-control baby? I never heard of that.” “The birth control my mother and father used didn’t work, and the result was me.” “You mean you weren’t wanted.” Jenny didn’t answer. She hunched […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
The Root of Anger
A therapist draws on Lord Krishna’s teachings to help a child control his rage. THE HOSPITAL ROOM SMELLS strongly of antiseptic as I walk in. Chris sits on his bed, immersed in rapidly pushing buttons with his thumbs. “Nintendo?” I ask nonchalantly, breaking his concentration. “Play Station,” he replies, continuing to madly push buttons. I […]
