Why we need to become consciousness-conscious
We live in a world where there’s increasing concern about conserving energy, especially because conventional sources of energy such as fossil fuels are finite. We [...]
We live in a world where there’s increasing concern about conserving energy, especially because conventional sources of energy such as fossil fuels are finite. We [...]
Our desires often obstruct us in our efforts to improve ourselves; for example, we may resolve to regulate our diet, but may be sabotaged by [...]
We live in a vast and complex world, wherein we seek safety and happiness by rearranging things according to our desires and plans. Our desires, [...]
By reflection, we can understand that many of our wants are actually the world’s inducements, not our core aspirations. Despite gaining this insight, we may [...]
Our wants often arise from external factors such as peer pressure, cultural glamorization or corporate-controlled media promotion. During our reflective movements, we may realize that [...]
When we strive to develop a virtue by disciplining ourselves, we may succumb to deception at three levels. Intention to deceive others: We may seek [...]
When people fall to vice, they often explain it as “just a moment of weakness.” Let’s evaluate this explanation. We all are finite and fallible [...]
When the Bhagavad-gita recommends that those striving for self-discipline should withdraw their senses from sense objects (02.58), this recommendation can be misunderstood in two ways. [...]
On hearing the Bhagavad-gita’s recommendation to withdraw our senses from sense objects (02.58), some people object, “Isn’t it cowardly to avoid such temptations?” No, such [...]
For cultivating self-discipline, the Bhagavad-gita recommends two distinct approaches. Let’s understand these approaches. The outside-in approach: When discussing how we can stay steady amid worldly [...]
The Bhagavad-gita (06.06) states that our mind can be our friend when it is controlled. To control our mind, it needs to be informed and [...]
When we strive to discipline ourselves, we may falter and fail, sometimes repeatedly. Being disheartened, we may wonder, “Is all this struggle worthwhile? What difference [...]
Whenever we resolve to discipline ourselves for some worthwhile purpose, we will, sooner or later, feel tempted. To deal with such temptation, we need to [...]
The Bhagavad-gita (18.38) outlines a vital life-truth: things that taste like nectar initially will taste like poison eventually. For example, when we eat fatty food, [...]
We often think of discipline as something that deprives us of life’s pleasures and comforts. For example, we may fear that waking up early to [...]
Human existence is characterized by a tension between purpose and pleasure. There is a part of us that wants to do something purposeful — that [...]
Suppose we need to choose between paths A and B, wherein A will take us to a good place and B to a bad place. [...]
We often presume that discipline is something we need to adopt if we want to improve ourselves: say, become fitter, more well-read or more skilled. [...]
We all have a need to be respected. At a basic level, when we enter a room, we would like to be noticed, greeted, and [...]
Some people treat self-respect as the most important thing in their life. When they feel that others are disrespecting or mistreating them, that becomes for [...]
We all have inside us an inner guiding voice: the voice of conscience that guides us to act in ways that are worthwhile, ennobling and [...]