When work doesn’t work, detachment works
Sometimes, we work at something, yet nothing seems to work. We struggle to improve a relationship, but things keep going south. What can we do [...]
The mind overpowers us by making us believe that we are powerless
Suppose a person about to confront an opponent is told that their opponent is so powerful that fighting is fruitless. If the fighter believes that [...]
Seek God’s help for doing his will, or you will need his help to get out of the trouble you get into because of not doing his will
Suppose a mildly sick patient has to take a bitter medicine. If they reject that medicine, their sickness will worsen. When they become unbearably sick, [...]
The night after a quake, the stars still shine in the sky – don’t let the misery of your life blind you to the beauty of life
Suppose a deadly quake has hit a place, leaving it in ruins. If we gaze at all the debris, the sight can be depressing, even [...]
More damaging than the lies we tell others are the lies we tell ourselves
Suppose someone has diabetes and they secretly eat desserts. If they lie to their caregivers about what they are doing, that’s bad; they will worsen [...]
We relapse not because we are witless or will-less, but because we are weapon-less
When we make resolutions to give up some unhealthy indulgence, we often relapse. On succumbing thus, we may berate ourselves for being witless: “How could [...]
Our future is shaped not so much by how many options we have as by how well we choose among the options we do have
We are sometimes constrained by our situations, wherein they leave us with very few options to choose from, be they financial, relational, professional, educational or [...]
The mind makes us spin like dirty laundry and leaves us dirtier
Our mind is extremely powerful and restless. Through its thoughts, it can go from one end of the universe to another within a moment. It [...]
Problems are like burdens whose weight increases with the attention we give them
Suppose we have to carry a huge bag. We may struggle to carry it, but if that bag became bigger and bigger, the struggle would [...]
Mindless feeds don’t feed our mind, they feed our mindlessness
Suppose we regularly eat food that is high in calories and low in nutrition. We would soon become bloated and drained. To be more productive, [...]
No one has a right to mistreat you, not even you
Suppose someone repeatedly derided us. We would be incensed: “You have no right to mistreat me like this.” Yet we let ourselves be mistreated like [...]
Watch the mind, or the mind will catch you
Suppose we are living in a high crime locality where thieves will catch and steal from us if we aren’t alert. Naturally, we will give [...]
The wild mind will make us homeless at home
Our mind is extremely powerful and restless. Through its thoughts, It can go from one end of the universe to another within a moment. It [...]
Resenting reversals locks us in ignorance, accepting reversals opens the door to transcendence
When things start going wrong, we often feel resentful: ‘Why is this happening to me? Why do things always go wrong with me? Why is [...]
On some days, in some ways, we all can make a difference – provided we try
During our lives, we sometimes wonder, “Whatever I do, does it count? Does even my existence count?” Especially when we try to do something good [...]
Inability to face life’s challenges may diminish us, but unwillingness to face life’s challenges will demolish us
We all face challenges in life. And some challenges are such that we are unequipped or underequipped to face them. At such times, we may [...]
Protect the fences that protect you – keep temptation at a healthy distance
Suppose we live in a neighborhood where robbery is common. We will naturally build a strong fence around our home. Does building a fence signify [...]
Even if we can’t change what we live with, we can change what we live for
Suppose we are stuck with a slow, noisy, messy car in a congested and polluted place. If we can’t change our place or our car, [...]
Even when we can’t avoid sensual perception, we can avoid sensual imagination
We live in a world rife with temptation. Such temptation can deceive and degrade us at any moment. Given that we can neither remove temptation [...]
Meditation is not the antithesis of action, it is the basis of action
Some people consider meditation to be a scandalous waste of time. They question dedicated meditators: “How can you waste so much time doing nothing? If [...]
Everything is not in the mind, but everything comes through the mind
Some people say, “Everything is in the mind; if you just learn to train your mind, you won’t face any problems.” Is that true? Not [...]