Don’t try to be someone better try to be an example of something better
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 [...]
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way
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 [...]
Praying to get our need fulfilled isn’t our need – praying is our need
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 [...]
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
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 [...]
To decrease unhealthy reactions increase healthy reminders
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, [...]
Living for the moment is a prescription for chaos at best and calamity at worst
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 [...]
Never lose faith in your potential to improve or you will court cowardice and malice
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 [...]
Between naiveté and cynicism is the courage to trust
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, [...]
Where we are doesn’t determine who we are
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 [...]
Words are not just vehicles of thought but also engines of thought
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 [...]
Respect the dark within you to keep it within you
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 [...]
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 — [...]
Gita 5.12 explained
Bg 5.12 yuktaḥ karma-phalaṁ tyaktvā śāntim āpnoti naiṣṭhikīm ayuktaḥ kāma-kāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate Word for word: yuktaḥ — one who is engaged in devotional service; [...]
Gita 5.11 explained
Now what is the motivation for such a person to work? If one is not involved, one should not be having emotional desire for the [...]
Even if we can’t control our emotions we can control the attention we give to our emotions
Even if we can’t control our emotions we can control the attention we give to our emotions Suppose some hawker comes near our property and [...]
Regulate emotion with reason animate reason with emotion
Regulate emotion with reason animate reason with emotion Reason and emotion are two of our fundamental human faculties. By reason, we can be orderly, logical, [...]
Fulfilling our every desire won’t make us happy focusing on our most important desire will
Fulfilling our every desire won’t make us happy focusing on our most important desire will We all have many desires that remain unfulfilled because we [...]
Look up and things will look up
Look up and things will look up When things start going downhill, the more we think about the things around us, the more we feel [...]
Never make irreversible decisions based on reversible emotions
Never make irreversible decisions based on reversible emotions Our emotions can easily mislead us. When we become strongly emotional, we tend to make snap decisions. [...]