How can we redefine our relationship with failure
Suppose a bully has been terrorizing us for a long time. Suppose further that they are always going to be a part of our life. [...]
How to stop struggling with our feelings?
We often find ourselves obstructed by our feelings, as when we feel bored, annoyed, perplexed, frustrated, enraged, lonely, misunderstood, neglected, rejected, tormented, discouraged or defeated. [...]
How to avoid unhealthy reactions to unwanted emotions
Suppose we experience a craving that runs contrary to the principles we hold sacred. Faced with this unwanted emotion, we may react by becoming judgmental [...]
Do bad thoughts comprise bad karma?
At one level, yes. Because thinking is also a form of activity, and every activity comes under the jurisdiction of karma, we are accountable for [...]
Gita 5.25 explained
# BG 5.25 Last portion of the 5th Chapter! In the last section Sri Krishna told how a yogi can attain liberation by [...]
When helping others is compassion and when it isn’t …
Suppose someone is starving. We may help them by giving some money. If they are starving because a recession has left them jobless, they will [...]
Gita 5.6 explained
Now Shri Krishna will conclude this, why Karma Yoga is better and why Gyan Yoga has to be discouraged: Bg 5.6 sannyāsas tu mahā-bāho [...]
When matter and spirit need to be differentiated — and when not
The Bhagavad-gita begins with a rigid differentiation between matter and spirit (02.11-30), wherein the properties of the spiritual particle, the soul, are shown to be [...]
Are we using our knowledge to build a path or a pedestal?
We live in a society where knowledge is seen as the means to position, prestige and prosperity. While these can result from knowledge, if they [...]
Go beyond both negative thinking and positive thinking
Life is filled with binaries of ups and downs. In the world outside, we encounter binaries such as heat-cold, health-sickness, prosperity-poverty. And in the world [...]
How to cultivate equanimity?
In today’s fast-paced world characterized by sudden and massive changes, we often appreciate people who stay cool-headed. How can we too develop such equanimity? Do [...]
Begin each day by putting on our armor
If we were fighting a war, we would begin each day by putting on our armor. Actually, we all are at war internally against negative [...]
Why we need to scan our consciousness regularly
When somebody is canned from their job, that means they are dismissed, often unceremoniously. Our conscience is our inner watchdog that sometimes gets canned, even [...]
Why our determination falters when faced with temptation
We all have a certain capacity for determination that enables us to resist temptation. Still, we are innately pleasure-seeking. To resist temptation steadily, we need [...]
Are you trying to be peaceful or purposeful?
We live in a world that often agitates us with many anxieties and perplexities. Naturally, therefore, we seek peace of mind. Significantly however, we need [...]
Humility empowers when certainty doesn’t
We live in an uncertain world where perplexities and adversities can befall us at any moment. Naturally, we seek certainty, sometimes by turning to God [...]
The more we consider others’ need, the more we can free ourselves from our greed
Suppose we come to our home and are starving. We see some food in our fridge and devour it all, even though it is more [...]
Gita 5.22 explained
Now Sri Krishna will talk about on what basis a person will become bāhya-sparśeṣv asaktātmā. Why one should give up outer pleasures Sri Krishna says [...]
Gita 5.9 explained
BG 5.8 Bg 5.8-9 naiva kiñcit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapañ śvasan pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu [...]
Equality that is imposed leads inevitably to inequality
We live in an egalitarian society, where inequality and discrimination are considered reproachable, even reprehensible. Significantly however, equality is not a materially self-evident fact. Whatever [...]
Even if we can’t drive away inner impurities, we can still drive away from inner impurities
Suppose an obscene billboard comes up in our neighborhood. If we want our locality to be family-friendly, we will want that image removed. But if [...]