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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 - 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 - We often experience an inner tug of war between opposing voices. To better understand these forces, [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
When we are tempted by some pleasure that we know we should resist, we often fight it at the level of physical indulgence – we [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
Suppose India is rocked by a war of global significance. If an Indian newspaper barely reports that war, that silence is telling – it highlights [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Often when we are unable to resist our lower desires, we may blame ourselves for not being adequately detached. While this may be true, we [...]
