Doing things efficiently is good, but doing unnecessary things efficiently isn’t
Suppose we are traveling by a flight that allows us 50 pounds luggage. We meticulously organize the things that we need to carry, placing them [...]
Tolerance is meant to be the preventer of imbalance, not its perpetuator
Some people feel that tolerance perpetuates the imbalance of power – tolerating powerful wrongdoers simply makes them more brazen. Actually however, tolerance prevents imbalance in [...]
To see the big picture, ask the big questions
When life’s problems start overwhelming us, seeing the big picture can help us put first things first. However, we can’t even seek the big picture [...]
A timely pull can save us from a deadly fall
Suppose a horse carrying a rider spots a juicy vegetable in the rocky terrain alongside the road. If the rider is not vigilant, the horse [...]
Learn to use the mind’s laziness for spiritual growth
Our mind often chooses the path of least resistance. This tendency impedes us whenever we need to do something effortful for our spiritual growth. But [...]
Whatever doesn’t challenge us doesn’t change us
Suppose a person can lift 20 kg, but they go to a gym and lift 5 kg. Such weight lifting won’t strengthen them. To become [...]
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 [...]
Information doesn’t have to be new to be helpful – it just has to be timely
We live in a culture where the new is incessantly glamorized – new gadgets, new fashions, new data, new news. But we don’t always need new information – what we need is timely access to the known. If students have prepared for an exam, they don’t need any new information at the time of the exam – they just need to recollect what they already know.
Problems are like leeches – don’t overreact
When a leech bites us, we may be panic-struck to sense its tentacles sucking our blood. If we impulsively try to pull it out, it may have such a strong grip that we will end up pulling out a sizeable part of our own skin. If, however, we just stay calm and let the leech do its work, its tubules are not infinite; it can’t suck all our blood. Once its tubule is filled, it will itself let go and we can flick it off.
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 ...
Scripture is not a repeater of the world’s feel-good message
Some people think that scripture teaches the same feel-good message of motivation and inspiration that they hear from worldly sources such as self-help teachers and life coaches. Undoubtedly, the Bhagavad-gita does motivate and inspire, but not by reiterating the world’s feel-good message.
Give yourself the freedom to hear about the wounds caused by freedom
In today’s world, almost anything gets accepted if it is portrayed as a right to freedom. Especially in the sensual arena, much obscenity is legitimized, even glamorized, by calling it free love. However, when indiscriminate sensuality is rationalized in the name of freedom, people become shackled by their lower desires.
We learn and grow not just by exploring but also by adapting
Sometimes, we find ourselves in restrictive situations where we can’t do anything new. Such constriction may make us feel that we can’t learn or grow. However, we grow not just by exploring new things, but also by adapting ourselves to unchangeable old things.
Some things never change – and some things change us forever
We all have an innate urge to change things for the better. Knowing where to direct this urge so that we can really improve things [...]
In the spiritual journey, surrender is the starter, sustainer and summit
The Bhagavad-gita recommends surrender in its beginning, middle and end. This consistent stress conveys that in our spiritual journey, surrender is the starter, sustainer and [...]
If we let our imagination toy with temptation, we become toys of temptation
Few temptations are as tempting as the temptation to toy with temptation. When we encounter a temptation, we are often held back from physical indulgence [...]
Spirituality empowers us to reclaim our destiny
Suppose a person had got a huge legacy that they could claim by traveling by ship to a distant place. They wouldn’t get their destined [...]
The soul can’t be dried up, but our soul can be
A defining characteristic of the soul is its indestructibility. The Bhagavad-gita, while listing the ways in which the soul is beyond destruction, states specifically that [...]
Just because something is persistent doesn’t make it pertinent
Advertising blitzes that repeatedly expose us to particular products exploit an innate weakness in human psychology: familiarity is the gateway to credibility. That is, when [...]
To tap your potential, expand your awareness
What we are aware of determines what we can do or can’t do. If we become aware that some attacker is sneaking in on us, [...]
Don’t overthink yourself into paralysis
Our mind often makes us go to extremes in whatever we do, even in the basic activity of thinking. Sometimes, it makes us impulsive, whereby [...]