Things may belong, but for how long?
We treasure our belongings, especially those belongings that are worth a lot financially or mean a lot emotionally. Many people go even further, making their [...]
Be flexible, but not fickle
As students of the Gita, we may face this question. “How can we live according to the Gita’s ancient tradition in today’s world?” By being [...]
To minimize weariness, maximize wariness
If we had to do everything that everyone wanted us to do, we would soon become exhausted. That’s why we learn to say no to [...]
Tolerance fosters not impotence but perseverance
In spiritual life, tolerance is an important virtue. Internalizing this virtue may present us a dilemma: “If I just tolerate the things that happen to [...]
If we let all that happens matter, then we don’t let all that matters happen
We sometimes make small things unnecessarily big. When we are on our way to office, unseasonal rains delay us and upset our schedule for the [...]
Beware of the heart attack that makes us morally unconscious
Heart attacks are among the most feared things today. They may reduce a healthy, normal person to an unconscious heap on the ground in a [...]
Break the wall that blocks the path from the past to the future
Grieving is natural when we lose a loved one. Such grieving offers us a release for our emotions and expresses the depth of our love. [...]
Let the road from the eyes to the heart not bypass or bulldoze the head
We all rely constantly on our eyes to show us our way. While the eyes are quite reliable in showing the way physically, they are [...]
Fight the inner war that counters the outer war
“Spiritual life is a war.” As we live in a world torn by violence, the war metaphor for spiritual life can seem alarming, even alienating: [...]
Are we strong enough to admit that we are not strong enough?
When problems assault us, it’s easy to cave in, to lose heart, to give up. It’s easy, but it’s also weak. And we like to [...]
Do we need to lose our way to find our way?
Life sometimes brings us to a dead end. In the face of overwhelming obstacles, everything seems lost. Not knowing where to go or what to [...]
Losing our way to find our way
Life sometimes brings us to a dead end. In the face of overwhelming obstacles, everything seems lost. We feel as if we have lost our [...]
Are we mistaking the lifeline to be a handcuff?
“Why do the scriptures have rules against doing so many enjoyable things?” Such thoughts may come to us when we see people engaging in materialistic [...]
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 [...]