Why things seem to happen to us not for us
We sometimes feel, “Good things rarely happen to me, but bad things happen repeatedly. Things happen to me, never for me. If only [...]
How to deal with our inability to resist temptation
Suppose a person is so sick as to not have the strength to lift even small objects. We won’t condemn them for being weak; we [...]
Why study philosophy – 2?
Why we do something determines how we do it and how long we do it. Suppose we study a subject such as philosophy to impress [...]
Why study philosophy?
If we are to study any subject, we feel more motivated if we understand the purpose of that study. For example, if we are told [...]
When people pigeonhole us …
Suppose we are walking along a road and get pushed by some passerby into a ditch. We will be disturbed, but we will soon pick [...]
How the unexpected reveals the unknown …
Suppose someone is driving on a straight, smooth road. They might seem to be a good driver, but how good they are will become better [...]
Are we silencing our watchdog?
Suppose we have a watchdog guarding our house. If a suspicious-looking stranger appears, that dog would bark to alert us. But if we neglect and [...]
What is the difference between acceptance and passivity?
Suppose we suddenly get infected by a disease. Amid such adversities, our emotional energy often gets dissipated in resenting what has happened and such negative [...]
Our potential for stupidity
We all are prone to temptation, especially to the temptations that we have indulged in the past and that we are habituated to. If we [...]
How God is rational and reciprocal — and is more
Understanding God is most difficult because he is the biggest reality in all of existence. By definition, he is supreme and is therefore superior to [...]
Why those who agitate for equality are often prone to envy
Why those who agitate for equality are often prone to envy The equality of all people is enshrined as a sacred modern value. This contrasts [...]
Living with a red zone
Amid a pandemic, when certain areas are identified as red zones, we are extremely careful. When we go to those areas, we don't thoughtlessly or [...]
Why progress is accompanied by distress …
Why progress is accompanied by distress ... We humans are naturally progress-seeking. The hope that tomorrow will be better than today is what fuels most [...]
Why our advice often goes unheeded
Why our advice often goes unheeded Suppose we give a bag full of warm clothes to someone traveling to a cold place. If they somehow [...]
Appreciating our spiritual identity can anchor us amid the turbulence of contemporary society
Appreciating our spiritual identity can anchor us amid the turbulence of contemporary society In today's world, people grow up bereft of many of the supports [...]
16.02 Even if people are not faultless we can still find faults less
16.02 Even if people are not faultless we can still find faults less When we find faults with others, we are often told to not [...]
We talk frequently about death without actually talking about death
We talk frequently about death without actually talking about death “Ten things to do before you die” – such lists are often found in self-help [...]
What we initially indulge in casually we eventually indulge in compulsively
What we initially indulge in casually we eventually indulge in compulsively When contemporary culture tempts us with addictive indulgences such as drinking, it often offers [...]
In bhakti we don’t just make the offering – we are ourselves the offering
In bhakti we don’t just make the offering - we are ourselves the offering To connect personally with anyone, we usually offer them something with [...]
Don’t crave the feast in others’ plates – savor the feast in yours
Suppose we were invited to a feast in which everyone had slightly different delicacies on their plates. Suppose further that we got so caught in [...]
To save time, we need spiritual elevation more than technological innovation
We are frequently over-scheduled, over-worked, over-stressed. So, we naturally feel eager for things that promise to save time. Catering to our needs, scores of apps [...]