Pure consciousness is an oft-used term in spiritual circles, but impersonalists interpret it as content-less consciousness. To understand the problem with such an interpretation, consider [...]
In today’s materialistic culture, being well-off is enthroned as life’s primary, if not only, goal. The pressure on us to accumulate the trappings of success [...]
Alcoholics, for a few moments of pleasure, undergo the indignity of slurred speech, incoherent behavior and overall foolishness that takes a heavy toll on time, [...]
“Waterproof!” Declares the ad of a trendy gadget. Ads like these tap our apprehension that such gadgets may get inadvertently damaged. These apprehensions stem from [...]
Material existence is like a prison, for it subjects us to multiple miseries, especially the ultimate agony of death. What imprisons us eternal spiritual beings [...]
Some people claim, “The Bhagavad-gita teaches that killing is ok because the body is anyway going to die. Such a teaching licenses indiscriminate violence.” This [...]
An oxymoron is a literary device in which contradictory words are placed together to convey a deeper meaning. The usage ‘the spirit of matter’ is [...]
we feel frustrated when things go wrong. While such frustrations are unavoidable for everyone, they become accentuated to the level of hopeless frustrations for those [...]
BG 2.71 vihaya kaman yah sarvan pumams carati nihsprihah nirmamo nirahankarah sa santim adhigacchati SYNONYMS vihaya -- giving up; kaman -- material desires for sense [...]
As spiritual seekers, we sometimes go through dry phases when our devotional practices seem to give us no happiness. More often than not, the cause [...]
“Change your perception – think positive,” urge many self-help books. It’s good to think positive, but the best positive thinking comes by changing not just [...]
Contemporary culture revels in glamorizing sex through myriad mind-grabbing means. This pervasive glamorization sometimes even seeps into spiritual circles, wherein appear slogans such as sambhoga [...]
The Bhagavad-gita (02.58) uses the example of tortoise safe inside its shell to recommend that we keep ourselves spiritually safe by withdrawing our senses from [...]
Many people champion self-expression and deride restraint as repression. But is it really repressive? Consider musicians wanting to express themselves. Do they go on stage [...]
During ragging in colleges, senior students often push their juniors to drink alcohol with the wise-sounding rationalization, “Babies don’t drink - adults do.” Obviously, drinking [...]
Serious seekers often worry, “Will I fall back into the illusions of material existence?” Yes, if we keep worrying about falling into illusion. No, if [...]
We want to be known. Living in a world filled with nameless masses in its mindless metropolises, we sense subconsciously the threat of obscurity looming [...]
The idea of a soul is found in the metaphysical ruminations of almost all traditions. But few traditions explain clearly what the soul is. They [...]
‘Our heart beats for immortality’ refers to our metaphorical heart – the seat of our emotions – and its innate longing to live on forever. [...]
Battling over our choices refers to struggling to make the right choice while staying in the presence of temptation. Choosing our battles refers to deciding [...]
Our intelligence is like a knife. It can cut through the surface appearance of things and see their deeper nature. Just as a knife with [...]
