How to improve our relationships
A major challenge in relationships is dealing with differences of opinion: “When do we stick to our stand? When do we listen to others?” To [...]
How can we differentiate between lust and love?
Lust manifests grossly as the craving for sexual gratification. It also manifests in a subtler form as the craving to control others so that they [...]
Begin each day by putting on our armor
If we were fighting a war, we would begin each day by putting on our armor. Actually, we all are at war internally against negative [...]
Recognizing our most dangerous enemy and our essential protector
If we have an enemy who wants to destroy us, then we will be alert to the danger and try to protect ourselves. However, if [...]
How does humility differ from low self-esteem?
Humility differs from low self-esteem because the two lead us to value different, even opposite, things. When we suffer from low self-esteem, we start thinking [...]
Treasure the treasure of time
Treasure the treasure of time Suppose we get a huge inheritance, but with a peculiar stipulation: an inescapable expiry date. If we squander it, it [...]
Why science’s quest for reality misses consciousness
Suppose someone who has lived in darkness suddenly encounters light. They may naturally ask, “How did the darkness give rise to light?” Actually, darkness did [...]
Why can’t some people see the obvious?
Why can’t some people see the obvious? When we try to explain something to someone and they just don’t get it, we may wonder, “What’s [...]
Disliking ourselves is not humility
Every culture glamorizes certain models of beauty, wealth, ability. Many people compare themselves negatively with those models, deem themselves inferior and inadequate, and even start [...]
When skepticism is healthy — and when it becomes unhealthy
In today's world, skepticism is often considered an intellectual virtue; skeptical people proudly say, “I'm not gullible. I don't believe the religious mumbo-jumbo that so [...]
How appreciating other spiritual paths can distract us — and inspire us
We live today in a multicultural world where people from many different faith-traditions interact at the workplace as well as in cyberspace. In order to [...]
How following tradition literally may defeat the essential purpose of following tradition
Suppose somebody had sanctified their consciousness by bathing in a sacred river regularly at a particular place. This practice may have been going on for [...]
Opening our mouth and opening our Gita
Everyday, we open our mouth hundreds of times to speak something. Much of this speech is pointless chit chat. Even if it is functionally useful [...]
Beyond feel-good spirituality — and beyond feel-bad spirituality
Many people nowadays present spirituality as a tool for helping us feel good about ourselves. Such a presentation serves a vital human need because today’s [...]
The importance of complexifying things
The importance of complexifying things When we want to understand things, we often want them to be explained simply. Indeed, effective education centers on [...]
Why do good people do bad things
When people do bad things, especially if they are normally good people, then their bad actions can shock us. If we had trusted them and [...]
Have we earned the right to criticize?
When we see someone doing something that seems wrong to us, we often feel the urge to criticize and correct them. We may feel we [...]
When pride masks itself as humility
Suppose we get an opportunity to serve Krishna, say, by speaking about him. We may think, “I am too fallen and impure. I'm not qualified [...]
Is progress just replacing the problems of poverty with the problems of prosperity?
Today’s world usually equates progress with economic development and prides itself on the number of people raised above the poverty line. Undoubtedly, efforts to help [...]
How inner bridges and inner barricades can empower us
Our mind is sometimes a source of creative ideas and sometimes a source of destructive desires. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (06.05) urges us to elevate ourselves [...]
Are we rude to the crude?
Suppose we come from an urbane background and behave in ways that our culture considers well-mannered. Suppose we meet someone from a rustic background with [...]