How discipline in meditation helps in discipline in all areas of life
Whenever we try to do anything worthwhile, we need to discipline ourselves, especially in terms of giving up something that seems enjoyable initially, even though [...]
When our mind weakens our connection with reality
Whenever our mind weakens our connection with reality, we need to stop, not rush forward. Suppose we are talking with someone on phone and say [...]
Intelligence means to see beyond the things that glitter
Intelligence means to see beyond the things that glitter to the things that matter. The world is filled with shiny trinkets and toys and these [...]
The higher taste is not smaller it is subtler
When we strive to practice spirituality and gain the higher taste of spiritual happiness, we sometimes feel that this happiness is much smaller than the [...]
Why self-discipline is essential nowadays …
Our society offers us many avenues for self-destruction. Multiple technological developments have made the exercise of individual freedom much easier. Unfortunately, they have also made [...]
Gita 02.59 explained
In next verse He says but this alone is not enough. BG 2.59 vishaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinah rasa-varjam raso 'py asya param drishtva nivartate [...]
Dealing with temptation — a positive approach
When dealing with temptation, we often focus on saying no to it; we may even define our self-worth by our success in resisting it. Thereafter, [...]
Wanting our wants or valuing our values?
When we try to improve ourselves, we often need to fight against our wants, especially those that are unhealthy or disproportionate. Yet we seem to [...]
Saying no to temptation doesn’t mean much if we don’t mean no
Suppose someone we know succumbs to an unworthy temptation. On being confronted about their wrongdoings, they may apologize and promise to never repeat that lapse. [...]
Resisting temptation while holding on to attachments is like fighting an enemy while staying shackled
Suppose a warrior has been shackled by their enemy. If they want to fight back, they need to first break free from the ropes. Otherwise, [...]
The weighing scale does not lie
[one_half_last]Some excessively obese people may be told, almost forced, by their doctors and relatives to adopt a regulated diet to lose some extra fat. They [...]
Better than to beware is to be aware
To beware is to be cautious about danger. To be aware is to be conscious of oneself and one’s surroundings. Both of these can help in our spiritual life, but to be aware is more positive and productive. The Bhagavad-gita (02.54-72) describes the characteristics ...
Don’t look over temptation – overlook it
Our eyes hunger for alluring sense objects. On seeing such objects, we look over them, sometimes again and again. Wanting to extract as much pleasure [...]
Biological hunger is need, but sensual hunger is greed
Biological hunger refers to the body’s call for food, whereas sensual hunger refers to the senses’ craving for sense objects. The Bhagavad-gita (02.59: niraaharasya) uses [...]
The bird may be encaged, but its desires stay engaged in the field
A bird may be physically restrained by a cage, but it can’t be mentally restrained from dreaming and craving about the grains it could have [...]
Don’t try to empty the heart of selfish desires; crowd them out
We all are prone to bouts of selfish indulgence, wherein the urge for pleasure overwhelms our spiritual devotion and our moral principles. After such lapses, [...]
When we give up sense enjoyment for Krishna’s sake, Krishna gives us the best enjoyment through the senses
Some people question: “If I give up sense enjoyment, as serious spiritual life requires, then what enjoyment will be left in my life? This hesitation [...]
Let self-mastery be devotion’s fruit, not determination’s feat
Bending our impulses to our principles and thereby attaining self-mastery is vital for us to make tangible spiritual progress. At the same time, it is [...]
A game that we can’t win and can’t quit
We may get the question: “Why do we need to give up material desires like lust and greed?” Because of their two deadly characteristics: insatiability [...]