When we are attached to someone, we don’t care much for them; we care much more for what they think about us
Suppose a doctor needs to give an injection to a sick child. But the child starts crying and complaining about the doctor: “You are so [...]
Use introspection as a confession by the self to the self
Confession is a religious practice wherein confessants, people who have done something wrong, admit those wrongs to an authority figure, a confessor. As admitting our [...]
Pleasure is too fragile a purpose to sustain us through life’s troubles
We all seek pleasure. Yet life can put us in such dilemmas and traumas that pleasure can become utterly unavailable. In such situations, if we [...]
No matter how bad things are, we can always make them worse – we are never powerless
Sometimes, life puts us in so many difficulties that we feel utterly powerless. That feeling can drown us in despair, self-pity, resentment and even suicidal [...]
We may have to fight against others, but we don’t have to be against others
When we strive to lead a principle-centered life, those who feel that their interests are threatened by our principles will oppose us. If they attack [...]
Focus on life, not on the mind’s commentary about life
Suppose a cricket match is accompanied by a special kind of commentary that is heard not just by the spectators, but also by the players. [...]
The environment is not ours to take or leave, it is ours to make
We are living in an age of considerable climate change. For the past several centuries, the mainstream cultural ethos was that the environment is ours [...]
Don’t try to be someone better, try to be an example of something better
When we strive to lead a principle-centered life by adopting spiritual practices, we start becoming more disciplined and self-controlled. As we become more virtuous than [...]
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way
Our culture often glamorizes go-getters who achieve great goals without letting anything come in their way. Captivated by such portrayals, we may resolve to rigidly [...]
Praying to get our need fulfilled isn’t our need – praying is our need
When we pray to God for something, we may fear, “What if my prayer is not answered? Won’t my faith in God weaken? If God [...]
Don’t reduce people to their group identity – differences within groups often exceed differences across groups
We often have certain preconceptions about certain groups of people. Driven by such preconceptions, when we come to know a person’s group identity, we presume [...]
Hold your plans lightly, not tightly
Suppose we catch a beautiful butterfly and hold it in our fingers. If we hold it too tightly, fearing that it may slip away, we [...]
To decrease unhealthy reactions, increase healthy reminders
Suppose we have some unhealthy habit such as impulsive overeating. Once some behavior becomes ingrained as a habit, we often react without thinking. If some [...]
Living for the moment is a prescription for chaos at best and calamity at worst
While driving along an expressway, suppose we see something attractive nearby and suddenly take a turn toward it. Other drivers will have to brake forcefully [...]
Never lose faith in your potential to improve, or you will court cowardice and malice
Suppose a patient loses faith in the potential of any treatment to cure them. They will become sicker, suffer more and soon die. What applies [...]
Between naiveté and cynicism is the courage to trust
When we are inexperienced, we may naïvely believe that everyone is entirely trustworthy. Exploiting our naiveté, self-interested people will sooner or later take us for [...]
Where we are doesn’t determine who we are
We might sometimes be at a terrible place in life — we may be addicted to something harmful. What could make us feel worse is [...]
Words are not just vehicles of thought, but also engines of thought
We often think of words as tools for expressing our thoughts. When we expand our vocabulary by memorizing new words, we usually desire to express [...]
Respect the dark within you, to keep it within you
Suppose we had a serious enemy out to destroy us. We couldn’t afford to take them lightly; we would need to treat them with respect. [...]
Gita 5.24 explained
Now Sri Krishna talks about turning inwards once again Bg 5.24 yo ’ntaḥ-sukho ’ntar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṁ brahma-bhūto ’dhigacchati Word for word: [...]
Gita 5.15 explained
Bg 5.15 nādatte kasyacit pāpaṁ na caiva sukṛtaṁ vibhuḥ ajñānenāvṛtaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ Word for word: na — never; ādatte — accepts; kasyacit — [...]