Imprisoned by circumstances, liberated by consciousness
Sometimes life pushes us into a tight corner from which we just can’t wiggle out. We feel imprisoned by our circumstances. Such imprisonment is an [...]
Can we recognize that we haven’t recognized ourselves?
“That couldn’t have been me.” This is what people say when they think of what they did under the spell of alcohol – actions that [...]
Our values are our real valuables
Our happiness depends not on our valuables, but on our values. Why? Because our values shapehow we use our valuables, which actually determines our happiness. [...]
When we find ourselves in trouble, do we also find ourselves?
Arjuna found himself in big trouble at the start of the Bhagavad-gita. He was anguished by the prospect of fighting a war in which he [...]
Are we rejecting the eternal because the temporary has rejected us?
When we face misfortunes that seem impossible to cope with, we may get the question: “I am trying to be a good person and a [...]
Watching TV while a cobra comes to bite?
Suppose a person watching TV sees a cobra slithering close to bite and still goes on watching TV. We would consider such behavior insane, won’t [...]
Learning begins with unlearning
None of us like to feel ignorant. That’s why we try to keep ourselves well-informed about things, even spiritual things. However, our information about spiritual [...]
A package in which the best and the worst aren’t bound together
Pleasure, profit, success. We look forward to these in life. But they are only one part of the package. They are inevitably and inextricably bound [...]
Have we become the slaves of our clothes?
Slaves. The word conjures images of miserable people forced into bonded labor, stripped of self-respect and denied life’s pleasures. That’s not an image we will [...]
Detect the storm of temptation when it is still a blip
For a boat a storm is one of the greatest dangers.No wonder trained boat drivers alertly look for signs that presage a storm. By identifying [...]
Are riches cutting us off from the richness of life?
We all need money for living. But neither our culture externally nor our mind internally allows us to stay satisfied with earning for living. Both [...]
Our problems introduce us to ourselves
Problems. We often dread them. We feel that we already have enough of them. And yet life keeps piling more. In and of themselves, problems [...]
Might we be running in the right direction on the wrong train
Suppose we want to go north, but somehow board a train going south. Will running northwards within the train take us to our desired destination? [...]
Are we trying to move up while looking down?
Seasoned mountaineers who aim to scale a lofty summit avoid looking down unnecessarily. Of course, they stay aware of the terrain below so that they [...]
Are we sending our intelligence on a vacation?
Imagine a person who has a priceless treasure carefully protected by a competent guard. Suppose a thief persuades the owner to send the guard on [...]
Are we using religion as a cloak instead of as an armor?
A cloak is often used to concealoneself; an armor, to protect oneself. When we use our religion as a cloak, we hide our weaknesses under [...]
When neither the summits nor the valleys matter…
The Bhagavad-gita’s recommendation(02.56) to stay equipoised amidst success and failure puzzles many people. It is antipodal to the modern sporting ethos, wherein the winner is [...]
A business that is more serious than business
We take few things as seriously as business. Moneyusually makes the lazy busy; the frivolous serious; the nonconformists conformists. In marked contrastto our zealous pursuit [...]
How can we be true to ourselves?
We live at the receiving end of a massive propaganda blitz from our materialistic culture. Most people simply blow whichever direction the cultural winds fly, [...]
Give Krishna his due to prevent death from taking more than its due
Death has a right on our physical body. We can’t stop it from consuming its due, but we don’t have to give it more than [...]
Are my attachments holding me or am I holding my attachments?
As aspiring devotees, we often find that our attachments abduct and drag our consciousness away from Krishna, as the Bhagavad-gita (2.44) outlines. Consequently, we may [...]