Our greatest power is not the power we have over others, but the power we have over ourselves
Many people hunger for power. Such power-hungry people usually define power in terms of externals, in terms of how much they can control others and [...]
Spiritualism is the shadow of spirituality
Spiritualism is the study of spirits, wherein spirits refer to disembodied beings such as ghosts. Spirituality, on the other hand, is the exploration of the [...]
Dedicate your external to the eternal internal, not the ephemeral internal
When authors write books, they often dedicate their book to some person – that person may not be much mentioned in the book itself, but [...]
Purity is not just a function of intention – it is also a fruit of devotion
Bhakti-yoga seekers are often encouraged to strive for purity, to connect with Krishna simply for loving him, not for getting some material things from him. [...]
We need Krishna’s experience more than Krishna’s explanation
Krishna’s experience refers to our experience of the peace and bliss that comes when we connect with Krishna and relish a spiritual experience. Krishna’s explanation [...]
Those who obsess over what is wrong overlook what is right
Some people are industrious faultfinders. Whoever they are with, they zero in on the faults of that person. Such people who obsess on the wrong [...]
Go to the temple to take darshan, not to give darshan
Some celebrities such as politicians or movie stars often visit temples on special holy days such as Janmashtami. If they see such visits merely as good photo-ops [...]
Those who commit to nothing are distracted by everything
Distraction has been an ever-present bane for humanity. However, the present age is one of mass distraction. With technology and social media, news, updates and [...]
The mind changes the surface we are playing on – beware
In cricket, the playing strategy depends a lot on the nature of the playing surface. For example, some pitches are ideal for aggressive batting, while [...]
Those who boast that they can do anything can do nothing as they should
Some people are versatile. With their multifarious talents, they feel they can do whatever they put their mind on. Even if they can, their actions [...]
Set it and forget it approach won’t work because the mind will reset it
Suppose in our home we have a fire alarm that can be set to go off whenever any danger signs arise. Some devices are advertised [...]
Learn to avoid the stimuli that cause mental diarrhea
If we eat some food that causes us diarrhea, we learn to avoid that food in future. Even if other people enjoy that food, we [...]
Watch what you talk when you talk to yourself
When we are talking, especially in an important meeting, we watch what we talk, lest we speak inappropriately. Just as we watch what we talk [...]
Outreach is not just about expression of the truth, but also about impression with the truth
The Bhagavad-gita features Krishna, the Absolute Truth, speaking the Absolute Truth. Krishna’s speaking the Gita could be said to be the paradigmatic outreach initiative. It [...]
Sense control will make us not deprived, but relieved
Consider an alcoholic who has understood the gravity of their addiction and is struggling to break free from it. For such a recovering alcoholic, the [...]
The mind makes us serious about the frivolous and frivolous about the serious
Our mind often skews our sense of perspective – it makes us serious about the frivolous and frivolous about the serious. Serious about the frivolous: [...]
We are always directed, but we can choose our director
We often feel that we are free to act in whichever way we choose. Yet all of us are impelled by forces beyond our own [...]
We don’t need as much to collect as to be collected
Today’s culture and media goad us through aggressive ads to collecting – buy this, exhibit this, enjoy this. Goaded thus, millions become shopaholics, compulsive shoppers [...]
When we resent others, we drink poison and expect them to suffer
Suppose a person becomes furious with someone and decides to hurt them. So, they drink poison themselves. Ridiculous, we would say: Who would do anything [...]
Don’t just fight the mind – fight to get the mind to fight for you
Suppose a part of a country is afflicted by insurgency. To gain control, that country needs to not just crush the insurgents but to also [...]
Compare yourself only with the person you were yesterday
A common human pastime is comparison: “My car is better than theirs; their house is better than mine; my phone is smarter than theirs.” Through [...]