The feelings that emerge from the mind can’t be evaluated by the mind
When things go wrong repeatedly, our mind may become filled with negative feelings such as worthlessness, powerlessness, hopelessness. To check such feelings, we can compare [...]
When our desires change suddenly from spiritual to sensual, know that the lasso of illusory desires has fallen on us
Suppose a kidnapped person is running away from their abductors. If suddenly they feel themselves being pulled backwards, they will look sharply to discern what [...]
The mind’s triggering may be uncontrollable, but our triggering can be controllable
When a mother and a child are going out for some work, the child may become fearful on seeing something. But the mother needs to [...]
We need the eyes to see what our eyes need to see
When we are sick and in pain, a doctor may immediately see some symptoms that indicate the presence of disease. If during the course of [...]
The more things spin out of control, the more we need to get our thoughts in control
When a fire breaks out in a crowded place, casualties are caused not so much by the fire itself as by the stampede when panicky [...]
The world is not the benchmark of reality – Krishna is
When we want to evaluate things, especially things that seem unbelievable, we often ask: “Is this for real?” For discerning what is real, we need [...]
Thwart the desires that titillate initially but torment eventually
When worldly desires tempt us, they promise us a lot of pleasure. And contemplating attractive worldly objects does titillate. However, no matter how intoxicating this [...]
The mind issues checks that the body can’t cash
Suppose someone gives us a check that bounces. If that person issues checks again, we wouldn’t accept. Similarly, our mind often issues checks, but the [...]
The best way to control our thoughts is to direct them towards the one who is always in control
If we are say attacked by thieves, we may try to fight off them ourselves, but if we can quickly call the police and the [...]
The ego can misappropriate everything, even humility
The Bhagavad-gita (13.08) lists humility as the first among twenty items of knowledge. The opposite of humility, ego, is extremely dangerous because not only does [...]
Our journey needs to begin where we are, not where we ought to be
Suppose while driving to a destination, we take some wrong turns and end up far away from our goal. We may feel irritated, and understandably [...]
Small victories are not big victories, but they are stepping stones to big victories
When we fight against our lower desires, we sometimes succeed. But our mind frequently undermines our success: “What’s the big deal? You resisted temptation today, [...]