Know when to be hard with yourself and when gentle
When we resolve to lead a principle-centered life, abstaining from indulgence, we sometimes relapse. Irritated, we may beat ourselves up: “Why was I so stupid [...]
As soon as we stop working constructively, our mind starts working destructively
We often do things that we regret later. If we look back at why we did those things, we will notice that some voice within [...]
The first me is practically never the best me
Some people ask, “We are often told to repress our impulses in the name of civilized behavior or spiritual standards. But doesn’t that mean we [...]
Unsolicited distraction may be unavoidable, but intentional inattention isn’t
While doing things that require concentration, we are sometimes interrupted by unsolicited distractions. For example, while we are meditating on Krishna’s holy names, someone may [...]
The mind is a specialist in forgetfulness
When we indulge indiscriminately in sensual pleasures, we experience their actual nature. They are insubstantial, lasting for just a few moments; and miserable, subjecting us [...]
Control the mind before it controls you
Suppose a horse-rider becomes inattentive about controlling the horse. If the horse gets attracted by some fruit on the side of the road, it starts [...]
We can’t deal with the enemies created by the mind without first dealing with the mind
When we feel that someone has wronged us, our mind often overreacts, painting them as mean and malevolent. However, in most routine interactions, people don’t [...]
The Gita raises our consciousness from jagat to jiva to Jagadisha
The Gita is a complex philosophical book. Simultaneously, it is a practical spiritual guide. When we understand its essential concepts, we can discern, amidst its [...]
Don’t let the mind control the activities meant to control the mind
During a war, an army can sabotage its opponents by seizing control of their weapons and then using those very weapons against them. Our mind [...]
The instrumental self is not the self – it is the instrument to the self
One of the most intriguing Bhagavad-gita verses states: Elevate the self with the self, don’t degrade the self with the self; the self is the [...]
People need to feel understood before they become ready to understand
Suppose a patient goes to a doctor and, without hearing the patient, the doctor starts giving a prescription. The patient will be taken aback, “I [...]
Set it and forget it approach won’t work because the mind will reset it
Suppose in our home we have a fire alarm that can be set to go off whenever any danger signs arise. Some devices are advertised [...]
The mind makes us serious about the frivolous and frivolous about the serious
Our mind often skews our sense of perspective – it makes us serious about the frivolous and frivolous about the serious. Serious about the frivolous: [...]
Don’t just fight the mind – fight to get the mind to fight for you
Suppose a part of a country is afflicted by insurgency. To gain control, that country needs to not just crush the insurgents but to also [...]
The mind may be confused, but we don’t have to let it confuse us
Suppose while we are working we find a colleague suddenly starts mumbling something. If what they are saying doesn’t make sense, we might try to [...]
Train yourself to hack the inner hacker
A major danger in today’s digital world is hacking, wherein unscrupulous people gain access to our confidential, valuable data. A similar danger plagues us all [...]
The mind is a maddening chatterbox – silence it by absorption
We probably know chatterboxes. Especially detrimental are chatterboxes who are also gossipers and pessimists, who speak negatively about people, about things, about us, about everything. [...]
Infuse charity with compassion, not calculation
Some pious people give charity, seeing it as an investment in a bank that lasts beyond death – the good karma will benefit them in [...]
Spirituality enables us to stand tall without standing on others
To ascend to success in material life, winners often have to stand atop their competitors, causing the death of their dreams. For example, in a [...]
Change of inclination requires not just resolution but also reconstruction
Our mind is inclined towards certain things: some good, some bad. We often resolve to overcome our unworthy inclinations, yet we succumb to them. To [...]
See the effort in focusing the mind as an exercise, not an exertion
Suppose a person arriving at an airport finds that they don’t have any porter to carry their luggage from the carousal to the car. They [...]