There’s more to life than this life
“This life” can refer to both the duration of our present life and our present conception of life. When referring to our lifespan, “there’s more [...]
Intention instills intensity
Intention refers to conscious determination to do a particular thing. Intensity refers to wholehearted absorption in doing that thing. Our spiritual practices frequently lack intensity. [...]
Sense pleasure is not imaginary, but it is a product of imagination
Imaginary refers to that which doesn’t exist, whereas a product of imagination refers to that which results from the activation of imagination. Sense pleasure is [...]
Don’t run from pain – learn from it
When we face a painful situation, we often tend to run away from it. Such running can be intelligent when the pain is unnecessary and [...]
Don’t sensationalize sensations
The sensations of taste, touch, smell, sight and sound are the sources of sensual pleasures. Such pleasures are the goals of materialism, the worldview that [...]
The soul seems far out because it is far in
Some people think that the concept of the soul is far out because it seems incomprehensible or even unbelievable. Yes, the soul is difficult to [...]
Better to look stupid than to act stupid
Sometimes when life’s complexities perplex us, we may hesitate to ask others for help because of the fear of looking stupid. But by letting such [...]
Matter is not just foreign – it is alien
Foreign refers to that which despite its differences is essentially similar to us – foreigners are, after all, humans like us; they breathe air, eat [...]
The soul wears out the body and the body wears out the soul
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The soul wears the body in the sense that the body is like a dress for the soul, as the [...]
The best time to win the battle against temptation is before it begins
To practice spiritual life means to enter into a war against temptation, the temptation for enjoying matter. The arena of battle is our own consciousness, [...]
Materialism makes us spoiled children
When spoiled children get infatuated with a toy, they demand it from their parents. Even if they have been given many other things, they evaluate [...]
Psychological techniques are a subset of philosophical insights, not their substitute
Many people treat psychological techniques as a substitute for philosophical insights. If a technique calms their mind, which they believe is the purpose of psychology, [...]
The mind makes us more foolish than a fool
“Experience is the best teacher – and a fool learns in no other way.” The implication of this well-known saying is twofold: Firstly, wise [...]
Don’t let device aggravate vice
We all have our vices that if given a free run can harm others and harm us too. Keeping such vices under control has been [...]
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 [...]
Be special above the ordinary, not among the ordinary
We all want to be special. Materialistic culture directs our longing for specialness towards material things. It makes us believe that we will stand out [...]
Pure consciousness is not content-less – it is contamination-less
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 [...]
Don’t let being well-off come in the way of being well
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 [...]
Change recollection from selective to comprehensive and deceptive to protective
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, [...]
The soul is bulletproof, fireproof, waterproof, windproof – and time-proof
“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 [...]
The greatest fear is the fear of losing the key to freedom
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 [...]