Comparing is unavoidable but comparing mentality is undesirable
Comparing is unavoidable but comparing mentality is undesirable In our competitive world, comparing is almost universal. In schools with any kind of assessment, who gets [...]
Weakness makes us hotheaded wickedness makes us cold-blooded
Weakness makes us hotheaded wickedness makes us cold-blooded We all sometimes act wrongly. But not all wrong actions are equally serious – they fall at [...]
What is our greatest treasure is often not what we treasure the greatest
What is our greatest treasure is often not what we treasure the greatest Suppose a child is asked to choose between a toy and a [...]
Detachment is absence of emotional dependence not absence of emotion
Detachment is absence of emotional dependence not absence of emotion Some people fear, “If I become detached, will I become emotionless, uncaring, stone-hearted?” No, detachment [...]
What differentiates spiritualists from materialists is not absence of pain but presence of healing
What differentiates spiritualists from materialists is not absence of pain but presence of healing Some people ask spiritualists, “You go through the same problems as [...]
Focus on the cause that brings us together not on the conditions and conditionings that push us apart
Focus on the cause that brings us together not on the conditions and conditionings that push us apart We all are irreducibly individual. Naturally, we [...]
Sensual hope deludes spiritual hope delivers
Sensual hope deludes spiritual hope delivers We all need hope. Without hope, life becomes unbearable, even unlivable. But we need to choose carefully where we [...]
Keep the mind on one track don’t keep a one track mind
Keep the mind on one track don’t keep a one track mind To keep the mind on one track means to keep our attention focused [...]
Fanatics don’t see how God is present everywhere; they see how God is absent everywhere
Fanatics don’t see how God is present everywhere; they see how God is absent everywhere Religious fanatics often attack those whom they deem heretics. They [...]
If we think we have no vices we are novices
If we think we have no vices we are novices A novice housekeeping employee may think that a room that appears to be clean is [...]
Time can be a fire in which we burn or a teacher from whom we learn
Time can be a fire in which we burn or a teacher from whom we learn Time is a formidable, inexorable force that pushes us [...]
To believe whatever we see is to live like an animal
To believe whatever we see is to live like an animal Some people assert, “Seeing is believing.” Their intent in making this assertion may be [...]
The test of success in bhakti is taste for bhakti
The test of success in bhakti is taste for bhakti When we practice bhakti, we may wonder, “How do I know if I am progressing [...]
Intelligence is meant to be the mind’s instructor not its instrument
Intelligence is meant to be the mind’s instructor not its instrument We all have within us something that is impulsive and something that is reflective. [...]
Ritualists see hierarchy above equality spiritualists see equality above hierarchy
Ritualists see hierarchy above equality spiritualists see equality above hierarchy We cherish equality; we don’t want anyone to be discriminated against. Simultaneously, our hard-nosed side [...]
We may forget gravity but gravity won’t forget us
We may forget gravity but gravity won’t forget us Suppose an intoxicated person forgets about gravity and steps off a ten-story building. Gravity won’t forget [...]
Just because pain is circumstantially beneficial doesn’t mean it is intrinsically desirable
Just because pain is circumstantially beneficial doesn’t mean it is intrinsically desirable Some people try to make sense of life’s difficulties by saying, “Pain helps [...]
Be mindful of people’s perceptions but don’t make your mind full of their perceptions
Be mindful of people's perceptions but don't make your mind full of their perceptions When we practice spiritual life, we go against the overall materialistic [...]
Thinking about worldly things is not attachment being unable to stop thinking of them is
Thinking about worldly things is not attachment being unable to stop thinking of them is Attachment is a state of mental bondage wherein our thoughts [...]
Spirituality reveals that our destiny is bigger than the biggest adversity
Spirituality reveals that our destiny is bigger than the biggest adversity We all wish to have a better future. Using whatever talents we have, we [...]
Materialism reduces organism to mechanism
Materialism reduces organism to mechanism Materialism is the ideology that matter is all that exists. Mechanism is a material system that works according to material [...]