We can’t avoid being pushed by time but we can choose where we are pushed by time
We can’t avoid being pushed by time but we can choose where we are pushed by time Just as leaves fallen in an ocean are [...]
When fighting temptation focus just on surviving the present battle not on winning the whole war
When fighting temptation focus just on surviving the present battle not on winning the whole war Suppose we were to fight a boxing match against [...]
Don’t let the craving for clarity distract us from working with whatever clarity we have
Don’t let the craving for clarity distract us from working with whatever clarity we have Suppose we are driving through a storm. If water, sleet [...]
Don’t bolt from temptation bolt the door to temptation
Don’t bolt from temptation bolt the door to temptation When a horse hears a sudden loud sound, like that of a gunshot or a thunderclap, [...]
The body reacts mechanically – don’t take its reactions personally
The body reacts mechanically - don’t take its reactions personally Suppose we had a machine that was programmed to behave in a particular way, to [...]
Fighting urges is like a timed arm wrestling match – if we just survive the present round, we will resume on neutral ground
Fighting urges is like a timed arm wrestling match – if we just survive the present round we will resume on neutral ground Suppose we [...]
Even if we can’t understand Krishna we can still stand under Krishna
Even if we can’t understand Krishna we can still stand under Krishna Life sometimes assaults us with devastating adversities that cripple us materially and spiritually. [...]
Our urges aren’t like endlessly rising lines they are like endlessly recurring waves – surf them patiently
Our urges aren’t like endlessly rising lines they are like endlessly recurring waves – surf them patiently Whenever some self-destructive urge attacks, we tend to [...]
Turning away is not running away if we are turning toward something better
Turning away is not running away if we are turning toward something better Suppose we see a person who constantly agitates us. Not wanting to [...]
Problems may get stuck inside us but we don’t have to get stuck inside them
Problems may get stuck inside us but we don't have to get stuck inside them Suppose someone writes abusive graffiti on our house wall. We [...]
We can never start in our life unless we start with our life
We can never start in our life unless we start with our life Suppose we wanted to walk somewhere, but somehow took several wrong turns [...]
We don’t have to outweigh our urges; we just have to out-wait them
We don’t have to outweigh our urges; we just have to out-wait them Suppose a thief is trying to barge into our house by breaking [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]