Why anger should be used sparingly … (Anger management series 7)
A great power like nuclear power can be used for deterrence and defence, but it can also be used to cause catastrophic destruction. That’s why [...]
How to use anger without being used by anger (Anger management series 6)
Suppose someone we are responsible for does something self-destructive, even after we have repeatedly warned them against doing so. At such times, anger may be [...]
How to use anger constructively (Anger management series 5)
We are often exhorted to avoid anger as it can make us act in ways that make our life hellish (Bhagavad-gita 16.21). Yet spiritual wisdom [...]
Pointing the finger or pointing the way? (Anger management series 4)
When people point a finger, it is often to show others who is at fault. Sometimes, they may point a finger to show others the [...]
Choosing our battles in dealing with anger (Anger management 3)
Anger can make our life hellish (Bhagavad-gita 16.21). When dealing with anger, we often think in polar terms: we control it or we don’t. Instead [...]
Angry about being angry? (Anger management series 2)
We all have probably experienced that anger can make our life hellish, as warned by the Bhagavad-gita (16.21). We may have even resolved to never [...]
Why absence of anger may not be good … (Anger management series 1)
Anger can short-circuit our intelligence and impel us to do regrettable things. Pointing to the dangerousness of anger, the Bhagavad-gita mentions that anger can make [...]
How doubt can’t live without faith (Dealing with doubt 7)
Parasites can’t exist without the host organisms they prey on. Doubt is such a parasite that can’t live without faith. Consider, for example, doubts about [...]
Don’t let doubt stop our human search for understanding (Dealing with doubt 6)
We humans have an innate thirst for understanding. This thirst impels us to explore the world of matter through science and the world beyond matter [...]
Learn to doubt and to go beyond doubt (Dealing with doubt 5)
Suppose we are lost in a risky territory with many invisible dangers such as concealed ditches and explosive mines. If we run recklessly through such [...]
Handling the gun of doubt (Dealing with doubts 4)
If we are traveling through a dangerous area, we need a good gun. Similarly, to function in an illusion-filled world, we need the gun of [...]
How self-doubt differs from self-appraisal (Dealing with doubts 3)
Suppose we have two acquaintances: one who gently explains to us our limitations during a mature discussion when we are seeking to learn from our [...]
04.40 The liberating power of doubting our doubts (Dealing with doubts 2)
In some sports like judo, players use their opponents’ strength against them. When we are assaulted by doubts, we too can use a similar strategy. [...]
How doubt misleads (Dealing with doubt series 1)
Suppose we are living on some land and want to purchase some other land. Suppose further we have with us someone who insistently shows us [...]
The process of desiring seen fragmentally and holistically (Desire management series 14
To manage our desires effectively, consider the components of the process of desiring: the desirer, the desire and the desirable. We all are individual desirers; [...]
Can we order our desires ? (Desire management series 13)
The word ‘order’ can have two meanings: instruction (“You have to take medicine thrice a day — those are the doctor’s orders”) or arrangement (“The [...]
How to deal with unending desire? – Desire management series 12
A major problem with desire is its endlessness. When indulged, desire doesn’t end — it subsides temporarily only to return soon with greater force and [...]
How is human desire connected with divine desire (Desire management series 11)
Desire is a formidable power that can both work for us and against us. To manage it effectively, we need to see it in relationship [...]
How to tap the power of desire (Desire management series 10)
Desire is a power like petrol; unlike petrol however, it is not mechanical, being associated with consciousness. While tapping petrol requires appropriate instruments, tapping desire [...]
Four stages in managing desires — Desire Management series 9
To understand how desire management can progress in our inner world, let’s compare it with how people management may progress in the outer world. Both [...]
How to know when desire becomes dangerous? — Desire management series 8
When we use something powerful like electricity, warning systems such as fuses alert us if electric power starts rising to dangerous levels. Like electricity, desire [...]