Let research reinforce, not replace, search
The essence of the spiritual journey is not research, but search. Research refers to an academic, intellectual quest for information, whereas search refers to a [...]
Bhakti is not a part of life; life is a part of bhakti
Many people treat bhakti as an optional part of life: “You like bhakti, you practice it. I don’t like it, so I won’t practice it.” [...]
Disbelieve the mind’s disastrous misdiagnosis
During sickness, when we consult a doctor, a possible danger is misdiagnosis. The doctor may mistakenly prescribe the medicine meant for some disease other than [...]
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 [...]
We may be broke but we don’t have to be broken
Becoming broke is usually among our worst nightmares. Something that we try our best to avoid. Yet the inscrutable ways of life sometimes make our [...]
Throw light on the daylight robbery that doesn’t come to light
If we find a large sum of money missing from our house, we immediately go all out to nab the thief. But if small amounts [...]
Let’s learn to laugh with others, not laugh at others
Laughing at others – their fallacies and follies – is something we often enjoy. If not publically, then at least privately. It makes us feel [...]
Let’s guard our consciousness the way we guard our homes
We guard our homes against trespassers, often warding them off with the notice, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” Gita wisdom urges us to guard our consciousness [...]
Stability and maturity that takes us beyond adversity
Life can bring adversity upon us at any moment. To protect ourselves, we often take insurances like life insurance, health insurance, car insurance. Such insurances [...]
When the mind tempts us to play the victim game, stop playing
“People always trample over me; life always gives me a raw deal; things always go wrong with me.” When we thus feel sorry for ourselves, [...]
Parent the childish mind by being vigilant and diligent
When a mother cares for her child, she has to be vigilant and diligent: vigilant to constantly watch whether the child is doing anything mischievous [...]
Bind the blind mind
The greatest threat to our wellbeing is our blind mind. The mind is considered blind notbecause it can’t see anything but because it doesn’t see [...]
The mind is not just a liar but also a traitor
We all experience that the mind frequently incites us to do things that we regret later. To protect ourselves from such self-defeating actions, we can [...]
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 [...]
Are we placing in the treasury that which belongs to the dustbin?
We clean our home regularly because dirt inevitably comes in from somewhere. While cleaning, first we check if the dirt is coming from any specific [...]
When the mind throws sand into our eyes
Thieves who want to rob wayfarers sometimes throw sand into the eyes of their victims. Once the travelers are thus blinded, they can be more [...]
On decreasing our emotional distance from the truth
Our normal actions as well as our major decisions are shaped not just by our rational contemplation but also by our emotional sensation. That’s why [...]
Is the body a playground for passion or a temple for devotion?
Our culture with its romantic movies and erotic pictures depicts the body as a playground for passion, especially sexual passion. But are such popular depictions [...]
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 [...]
Plans may not work, but planning works
“My plans never work, so I have decided to give up planning.” We may think like this when our plans to balance our material obligations [...]
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 [...]