Three meanings of spring as applied to bhakti
Bhakti is a spring: Just as an object kept on a coil is sprung by the energy of that coil, we too are sprung by [...]
Intelligence vs intellect
Intelligence vs intellect Intelligence and intellect are sometimes considered synonyms. However, they differ significantly. Before going into their specific meanings, let’s consider the underlying concepts. [...]
Contemplating death — life-denying or life-affirming?
We, as a society, live largely in denial of death. Those who contemplate death are often deemed life-denying and hope-sapping pessimists. In marked contrast, the [...]
If your mind says you are a quitter …
We all start more things than we complete. When something becomes too demanding or boring or unproductive, or when it seems to require more self-mastery [...]
Why some fears are healthy …
We are often constrained and sometimes crippled by our fears. Consequently, we may think of fear as something undesirable. While some fears can certainly be [...]
Screen your inner screen
Our mind is like an inner screen. On it appear sensory stimuli from the outer world as well as recollections arising from past impressions in [...]
Humility empowers when certainty doesn’t
We live in an uncertain world where perplexities and adversities can befall us at any moment. Naturally, we seek certainty, sometimes by turning to God [...]
Conflict resolution – Right or Rightly Directed?
When we disagree with someone, we often seek to prove not just that we are right, but also that they are wrong. Actually however, their [...]
Some people use yoga to stretch their bodies; others to stretch the truth
Some people use yoga to stretch their bodies; others to stretch the truth Yoga has become immensely popular in today's world. Millions practice yoga as [...]
We may be scarred but we don’t have to be scared
Suppose someone has had an accident while taking a sharp turn on a hilly road. Though they survive that accident, they get scarred — not [...]
Things that are worth doing are worth doing well — and worth doing badly too
“If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well.” This saying is helpful if it inspires us to be wholehearted in doing whatever [...]
The more we watch the mind’s movie the more we make our life a horror movie
Suppose a friend takes us to a movie theater and then gets us so engrossed in watching the movie that we become oblivious to everything [...]
Even if we can’t flatten the pandemic curve we can flatten the panic curve
When the world is caught in a pandemic, the government may impose social distancing or even lockdown. We can and should do our part in [...]
Even though we have more enemies than we realize we also have more friends than we realize
Suppose we are confronting someone. To face them effectively, we need to know our friends and our enemies. If someone we had overlooked turns out [...]
The more we consider others’ need the more we can free ourselves from our greed
Suppose we come to our home and are starving. We see some food in our fridge and devour it all, even though it is more [...]
Even if we can’t elevate our consciousness we can still expand our consciousness
Suppose we are looking at the ground level of a skyscraper building. If we look up, we may be either impressed or intimidated to see [...]
As long as we lack purity we live in poverty no matter how much money we have
As long as we lack purity we live in poverty no matter how much money we have We often equate poverty with a lack of [...]
Appreciating our spiritual identity can anchor us amid the turbulence of contemporary society
Appreciating our spiritual identity can anchor us amid the turbulence of contemporary society In today's world, people grow up bereft of many of the supports [...]
Respond to moral failure not by mental punishment but by spiritual reinstatement
Respond to moral failure not by mental punishment but by spiritual reinstatement Life can be a constant moral struggle. We are prone to hundreds and [...]
By overemphasizing identity identity politics ends up obscuring identity
By overemphasizing identity identity politics ends up obscuring identity The word identity politics can have two distinct meanings. One is that it is a politics [...]
Without spiritual direction religious regulation seems like pointless restriction or even painful repression
Without spiritual direction religious regulation seems like pointless restriction or even painful repression Suppose we're walking along a road through mountainous territory toward a beautiful [...]