Author: Taranand Naik
Taranand Naik is a community leader practicing monastic discipline in International Society for Krishna Consciousness since 30 years. He travels extensively worldwide engaging in thoughtful discussions on Vedic literatures.
Criticizing and being criticized are part of our daily life. We are surrounded by it all the times and it forms a significant part of who we are and how we function. Criticism could be seen as a threat or a very essential part of one’s growth depending on how it is being received. Objections are raised whenever there is evidence or experience contrary to that of what has been proposed or believed. We all perform differently on different things at different times. The ‘actual’ part of a person generally oscillates between the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’. And a genuine…
In one of the most widely read novels of recent times, Harry Potter, in truth the most villainous character in the series of novels by J.K. Rowling is portrayed to be innocent and a hero by the author. The reality is that the author has failed to see how the stated villain, Lord Voldemort, actually became so because he was deprived of certain needs, whereas Harry Potter got all the help he required, whenever he wanted. Society must declare Harry Potter as the villain! Imagine such a line of thought. How ridiculous it sounds! This is precisely how Karna is…
Today is Gita Jayanti, the day when Sri Krishna spoke to a painfully afflicted Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The concepts that can be churned from the oceanic wisdom of the Gita are very much needed in our present world condition. Below are some essential principals we can derive from this divine conversation between the Lord and Arjuna. Gita is about vyavaharasastra (how to live practically) with adhytama (spirituality) in that vyavahara (practicality). Therefore, Sri Krishna does not condemn any work, including the work of a warrior who may be on the verge of a surgical strike. Terrorists know…
Neutrality has two distinct features. First, it is often meant to not take any sides in a conflict and second, expected to make judgments independent of any bias. When someone is looking for endorsement, approval for his or her behavior or protection, the former neutrality is despised! Someone famously commented, “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality!”When India was overrun by invaders, the unaffected people refused to stand up and fight for the oppressed fellow human beings. Since they were not being attacked, their logic was ‘why create…