The dual defenses against self-destructive impulses
Whenever we struggle with conditionings that impel us toward actions we know we shouldn't do, two defense mechanisms can protect us: conscience and intelligence. Conscience [...]
Understanding what pushes us toward transcendence and what pulls us toward transcendence
Intelligence means keeping accessible not just the factors that push us toward transcendence but also those that pull us. When we aspire to grow spiritually [...]
How discernment makes detachment easier
Detachment becomes easier with discernment. When we understand that what we seek to let go of was never really there or was never really ours, [...]
Support the intelligence to be supported by the intelligence
If we offer loose support to our intelligence, we will lose the support of intelligence. For example, consider having a bodyguard to protect us when [...]
Gita 03.43 explained
BG 3.43 evam buddheh param buddhva samstabhyatmanam atmana jahi satrum maha-baho kama-rupam durasadam SYNONYMS evam -- thus; buddheh -- to intelligence; param -- superior; buddhva [...]
Krishna’s two-pronged strategy to combat lust (Exploring Gita chapter 3 series – 7)
Krishna’s two-pronged strategy to combat lust - When Arjuna asks, “What makes us act self-destructively?” (Bhagavad-gita 03.36), Krishna doesn’t just identify the inner self-destructive force: [...]
Understanding the reflective self and the impulsive self
Understanding the reflective self and the impulsive self - We often experience an inner tug of war between opposing voices. To better understand these forces, [...]
The mind is like ice to truth and fire to lies
The mind is meant to serve as a tool for us souls to perceive the world, but it is often the greatest obstacle for us [...]
If we are robbed repeatedly by the same suspect, it is our intelligence that is suspect
Suppose we are robbed and the prime suspect is a shady neighbor. We would confront them to recover what had been stolen. Or at least, [...]
Use cleverness to counter corruptness, not cover corruptness
We all have a certain amount of cleverness and a certain amount of corruptness. Our cleverness enables us to go beyond the appearance of things [...]
To see our own stupidity, unvarnished and unjustified, is infuriating and invigorating
When someone we care for does something stupid, they often try to hide it from us, either denying it entirely or concealing it under various [...]
To decrease unhealthy reactions, increase healthy reminders
Suppose we have some unhealthy habit such as impulsive overeating. Once some behavior becomes ingrained as a habit, we often react without thinking. If some [...]
Impulse may run over intelligence, but don’t let it take over intelligence
Suppose some invaders attack a fort suddenly. The defenders, being caught unawares, are stunned, and the invaders start plundering the fort. Nonetheless, the defenders soon [...]
Use your intelligence to identify and rectify your conditioning, not to justify it
A prominent law-upholder such as a head of state is often protected by a security guard. But suppose such a guard is unwittingly hired by [...]
Counter temptation not just at the level of activity but at the level of identity
When we are tempted by some pleasure that we know we should resist, we often fight it at the level of physical indulgence – we [...]
Use intelligence to see beyond appearance
Some people argue, “Seeing is believing.” They deride as unintelligent those who believe in invisible things such as the soul or God. However, the defining [...]
Let introspection be for fact-finding, not fault-finding
While striving to live according to principles, if we falter, we become disheartened. Even if we introspect to find out why we fell, that introspection [...]
Prohibition can be a support for purification, not a substitute
Some governments recognize that alcoholism leads to various problems such as disease, domestic abuse and driving under intoxication. To curb such problems, they prohibit alcohol. [...]
What someone is not telling can be telling
Suppose India is rocked by a war of global significance. If an Indian newspaper barely reports that war, that silence is telling – it highlights [...]
Reformation requires reformulation
Suppose we want to grow vegetables in a land where only weeds have been growing. We may uproot the weeds and plant the vegetables, but [...]
Let temptation activate the warrior within, not the philanderer within
Suppose enemy forces sneak in to attack a country. If the border is guarded by their own spy instead of a faithful warrior, the spy [...]