The mind is a universe – not everything in it is relevant
The universe’s vastness and our smallness render irrelevant much of what happens in the universe. We don’t let, say, a comet shooting through the solar [...]
Absent-minded means not that the mind is absent, but that our control on it is absent
In common parlance, the word ‘mind’ refers to one’s attention, as in, “Give your full mind to what you are doing.” In the Bhagavad-gita’s philosophical [...]
Don’t just hear the mind – mind what you hear
The mind often misdirects our energy. It makes us crave for trivial things or makes us worry about things that haven’t materialized and may never [...]
We are in the driver’s seat – but are we?
In the well-known body-car metaphor, the soul is the driver of the bodily car. Though we are in the driver’s position, we aren’t always in [...]
The mind herds us and hurts us and hurts others through us
Under the influence of the mind, we often do things that hurt us and hurt others too. For example, being impelled into a fit of [...]
Weaken your weaknesses – don’t let your weaknesses weaken you
In a war, an army wins not just by the determination of its soldiers fighting on the forefront, but also by the steadiness of the [...]
The mind may be like a hog in a confectionary, but we don’t have to be
We are all innately pleasure-seeking creatures. Where we seek pleasure defines us and determines our destiny. Normally, due to the influence of the culture externally [...]
Work on mind control enthusiastically while Krishna works on mind conversion expertly
We all have first-hand experience how the mind impels us to self-defeating actions. So when the Bhagavad-gita (06.05) warns us that the mind can be [...]
The assumption of responsibility in our inner life begins with challenging our assumption about our inner life
Our spiritual advancement centers on our taking greater responsibility for our inner life. This assumption of responsibility begins with challenging a core assumption about our [...]
Focus not on the thoughts which are unworthy of us; focus on the thoughts for which we are unworthy
“What kind of person am I to have such debased thoughts?” We may feel thus when ugly thoughts enter our mind. Lest such feelings dishearten [...]
The mind not only befools but also betrays us
“Why did I do that? It was such a foolish thing to do.” We often find ourselves asking this question – if not publically at [...]
Is it human nature to want to transcend human nature?
We humans exist as divided beings: divided between what we are and what we want to be. This quest for improvement comprises the essence of [...]
When a salesperson knocks at the inner door…
When a salesperson comes knocking at our door, we evaluate the proposal by merit. If the proposal is unreasonable or unnecessary, we usually say a [...]
Don’t fall for the mind’s “no time” trick
“You don’t have any time.” This is how the mind often summarily rejects our plans for devotional activities like mantra meditation. We may indeed have [...]
To save you from you, couple the real self with the Supreme Self
“Why did I do that?” This question often troubles us whenever we look back at an unworthy action that we did on the spur of [...]
You can change your mind, but don’t let your mind change you
The Bhagavad-gita (06.05) enjoins that we elevate ourselves with our mind and not degrade ourselves with it. This intriguing verse indicates the volatile nature of [...]