Thinking that thinking is troublesome is troublesome
Thinking that thinking is troublesome is troublesome Some people avoid thinking about life’s big questions such as: “What is life meant for? What happens after [...]
When we resist our urges, they may become scarier, but they don’t become stronger
When we resist our urges they may become scarier but they don’t become stronger Suppose an animal trainer is domesticating a wild tiger by starving [...]
To be caught unawares occasionally is condonable to be caught unawares repeatedly is condemnable
To be caught unawares occasionally is condonable to be caught unawares repeatedly is condemnable Suppose a person who runs a ferryboat gets caught in a [...]
We may be circumstantially distanced from Krishna, but we don’t have to be devotionally deprived of Krishna
We may be circumstantially distanced from Krishna but we don’t have to be devotionally deprived of Krishna Life sometimes puts us in situations where we [...]
The mind’s complaining about a problem is often a bigger problem than the problem itself
The mind’s complaining about a problem is often a bigger problem than the problem itself When the weather is bad, say, too cold, we all [...]
Insight comes by catching sight of the link between things already in sight
Insight comes by catching sight of the link between things already in sight Whenever we encounter some especially insightful people, we may wonder, “How do [...]
To see our own stupidity, unvarnished and unjustified, is infuriating and invigorating
To see our own stupidity unvarnished and unjustified is infuriating and invigorating When someone we care for does something stupid, they often try to hide [...]
Opening the mouth without opening the mind helps neither the mouth nor the mind
Opening the mouth without opening the mind helps neither the mouth nor the mind We all have had to sometimes bite our words. On seeing [...]
If conscience doesn’t create a barrier between impulse and indulgence, intelligence must
If conscience doesn’t create a barrier between impulse and indulgence intelligence must Suppose a river tends to overflow unpredictably, flooding the nearby areas. To protect [...]
When the sensual deludes the eye the spiritual eludes the I
When the sensual deludes the eye the spiritual eludes the I The world around us is filled with innumerable sensual stimuli. And most such stimuli [...]
When we are attached to someone we don’t care much for them; we care much more for what they think about us
When we are attached to someone we don’t care much for them; we care much more for what they think about us Suppose a doctor [...]
Use introspection as a confession by the self to the self
Use introspection as a confession by the self to the self Confession is a religious practice wherein confessants, people who have done something wrong, admit [...]
Pleasure is too fragile a purpose to sustain us through life’s troubles
Pleasure is too fragile a purpose to sustain us through life's troubles We all seek pleasure. Yet life can put us in such dilemmas and [...]
No matter how bad things are we can always make them worse – we are never powerless
No matter how bad things are we can always make them worse – we are never powerless Sometimes, life puts us in so many difficulties [...]
We may have to fight against others but we don’t have to be against others
We may have to fight against others but we don’t have to be against others When we strive to lead a principle-centered life, those who [...]
Focus on life not on the mind’s commentary about life
Focus on life not on the mind’s commentary about life Suppose a cricket match is accompanied by a special kind of commentary that is heard [...]
The environment is not ours to take or leave it is ours to make
The environment is not ours to take or leave it is ours to make We are living in an age of considerable climate change. For [...]
Don’t try to be someone better try to be an example of something better
Don’t try to be someone better try to be an example of something better When we strive to lead a principle-centered life by adopting spiritual [...]
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way Our culture often glamorizes go-getters who achieve great goals without letting [...]
Praying to get our need fulfilled isn’t our need – praying is our need
Praying to get our need fulfilled isn’t our need – praying is our need When we pray to God for something, we may fear, “What [...]
Don’t reduce people to their group identity – differences within groups often exceed differences across groups
We often have certain preconceptions about certain groups of people. Driven by such preconceptions, when we come to know a person’s group identity, we presume [...]