Our mind is influential, but it is also influenceable
Our mind has an enormous influence on us – when we are thinking of one thing, it can take our thoughts in an entirely different [...]
Those who rail at destiny derail themselves
When we face reversals, we may rail at destiny, “Why is destiny so unfair to me?” It’s natural to feel bad when bad things happen. [...]
Don’t let the quest for perfection become the tomb of progression
When we try to grow spiritually, we may seek perfect self-control. But just as a child falls before learning to walk, so too do we [...]
Forgiveness means relinquishing our right to get even
When people hurt us, we often feel the urge to get even. And when they hurt us grievously, we feel we have a right to [...]
Devotion is a dexterous dance between dependence and determination
Some people feel, “As devotion requires becoming dependent on God, it makes the devoted passive, abandoning their initiative and energy.” However, devotional dependence is empowering, [...]
Majestic loneliness is still loneliness
People often want to rise to the top in their fields and to delight in being high above everyone else. Even if they attain a [...]
Our intelligence needs to be wakened, not weakened
If a guard is protecting a bank vulnerable to thieves, he needs to be vigilant. If he happens to be asleep when thieves attack, he [...]
Devotion is not just an emotion we feel – it is an action we do
Some people equate devotion with emotion – the emotion they feel on, say, sensing sublime vibes at a sacred place, hearing sweet devotional songs or [...]
Tolerance towards the mind’s intolerance imprisons us in impotence
Suppose a tolerant group is interacting with an intolerant group. The tolerant may say, “You can do what you want; I won’t impose my way [...]
Unthinking words reflect an uncaring heart
Our words are like a mirror that give others peeks into our hearts. If the mirror is unclean, it distorts whatever it reflects. Similarly, if [...]
To mistake attention to be affection is delusion
When we enter a room, we often note how many people notice us. If no one notices us, we feel bad. If many heads turn [...]
Using our ears better helps us better use the thing between our ears
The thing between our ears is our brain, which idiomatically refers to our intelligence. Though we all have intelligence, we don’t always act intelligently; we [...]
Morality may be relativized, but the consequences of immoral indulgence can’t be relativized
Today’s culture revels in moral relativism. People reject the existence of objective moral principles; they argue that whatever makes them feel good is good, and [...]
Our resoluteness rests on the readiness of our answer to the mind’s “Why not?”
When we make resolutions to stop doing something negative, we often relapse. Why is that? Because we usually don’t have a ready answer to the [...]
Nature’s regularity is not an intrinsic necessity; it points to an overseeing divinity
Suppose a poultry farmer puts food in the poultry enclosure every morning at 6 am. On observing this happening repeatedly, a cock declares, “Food comes [...]
Our satisfaction is determined more by the location of our consciousness than the location of our house
When people want to buy a house, they often long to get one in an expensive locality, hoping that the prestige thereof will make them [...]
Know when to be hard with yourself and when gentle
When we resolve to lead a principle-centered life, abstaining from indulgence, we sometimes relapse. Irritated, we may beat ourselves up: “Why was I so stupid [...]
Gita 11.39 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan First there is glorification going [...]
Choosing Krishna is the one choice that empowers us to make better choices
Our life is determined largely by our choices. The choices we make are like the turns we take while driving; those turns determine whether we [...]
Direct the whole heart towards the heart of the Whole
We all long to love and be loved. Where does this longing come from? And how can it be best fulfilled? This longing can’t come [...]
For changing internals, changing externals is almost always necessary and almost never sufficient
Consider an alcoholic who wishes to give up alcoholism. Breaking free from the addiction is ultimately an inner resolution that they need to make and [...]