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 [...]
When we rationalize, we indulge in rational lies
To rationalize is to give some fallacious reasoning to prove as right something that is wrong and that we know is wrong. We resort to [...]
Don’t just eradicate the past – engage its product
When revolutionaries seize power from a tyrannical regime, they often go on a destructive spree, wanting to eradicate all reminders of the dark past. Their [...]
No enemy is as dangerous as the one we are blind to
An army would be endangered by an invading enemy, but it would be far more endangered by a spy in its own ranks, for the [...]
Regulation is the foundation for purification
Suppose we had to clean a water tank. We would need to do two things: clean the water already in the tank and regulate the [...]
What needs to be done needs to be done well
At the Bhagavad-gita’s start, Arjuna faces the unpalatable task of fighting against his venerable elders – a fight he would much rather have avoided. But [...]
Commitment is the complement of talent, not its replacement
A contemporary debate centers on the source of genius: Do geniuses become geniuses because of their inborn talent? Or can hard work make anyone a [...]
Lust doesn’t need a hideout – it has a hide-in
When soldiers near their target, they often look for a hideout. But if those soldiers have already penetrated into the enemy ranks and have therein [...]
Remission is not elimination
Suppose a patient’s serious disease such as cancer goes into remission, that is, decreases in severity. But if the patient imagines themselves healed and stop [...]
Let intelligence be the inspector of impulse, not its incubator
In a cricket match, a well-set batsman sometimes hits a rash shot and gets out, triggering a collapse that causes the team to lose from [...]
Purification centers on channeling our nature, not suppressing it
Some people ask, “Don’t the many rules of spiritual life suppress our nature?” No, this apprehension comes from conflating two distinct senses of the word [...]
Be not tired of fighting against temptation – be tired of forgetting Krishna
If a shooter misses the target again and again, they may become tired of practicing, lose heart and give up. Or, they can resolve to [...]
Our words should open people’s hearts, not close them
Suppose a surgeon operates without considering the patient’s weak heart, and the surgery leads to a fatal complication. The surgeon would be considered negligent if [...]
Our choice has a louder voice than our voice
If leaders leading a country through recession urge citizens to adopt austerity measures, but live in luxury themselves, their choice will belie their voice and [...]
Addiction makes us crave for the things we don’t even like
Recovering drug addicts often report that they relapse into indulgence not because they want to get high but because they just want to feel normal. [...]
Defamation of character is not as damaging as deformation of character
Suppose someone defames us by spreading false rumors or making baseless accusations. We would be infuriated and may even sue them. But far more damaging [...]
Even when a big enemy is out there, the bigger enemy is in here
The Bhagavad-gita is a discussion on a battlefield between a warrior and his charioteer-turned-counselor. Since this conversation occurs just moments before the start of the [...]
Free love is far too costly
Many people find the notion of free love appealing because it brings together two things dear to us: freedom and love. Few things energize us [...]
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 [...]
Listen to your Lord, not to your lust
Within all of us lies an evil voice that lies. By promising pleasure, this voice prompts us to pander to our senses. But sensual pleasure [...]
Compartmentalization is a mental mechanism for self-deception
When we strive to live according to some elevated principles, there results an inevitable tension between our precepts and our practices. The level that we [...]