The difference between cleverness and wisdom
When we interact with others, we often like to be perceived as lively and witty. Accordingly, we may aspire to come up with clever comments [...]
Feckless? Reckless? Fearless
Fear is often a significant inhibitor, preventing us from engaging in enterprising activities that may be necessary to fulfill our potentials and do justice to [...]
How to make judgments without being judgmental
Making judgments is a functional necessity in life. We need to make judgments about the kind of people we want to befriend, the habits or [...]
The difference between compassion and compromise
Suppose we are building a staircase to a scenic spot on a hilltop. Suppose we make the steps so big that people have to pull [...]
How Krishna expands Arjuna’s understanding of his choices
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna faced a crippling ethical dilemma: Should he work or should he renounce work? Krishna explains that neither work [...]
Is the Gita’s conclusion meant only for Arjuna?
The Bhagavad-gita concludes with a call for Arjuna to surrender (18.66) — such surrender is underscored to be a central component of bhakti-yoga. Is the [...]
When our conscience speaks ….
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 [...]
Where do we draw the line that separates the good from the bad? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 7)
Where do we draw the line that separates the good from the bad? - When someone wrongs us, we often tend to paint ourselves as [...]
Do the ends justify the means? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 5)
Do the ends justify the means? - Suppose someone is driving a heart attack victim to a hospital. Naturally, they will try to drive as [...]
Are we the fisherman or the fish? (Managing the mind 2)
Are we the fisherman or the fish? - Suppose a fisherman casts a bait in a river to catch a fish. The fisherman stands to [...]
How to act wisely?
How to act wisely? - When we face perplexing situations, how can we act wisely? By the proper interaction between our intentions and our perceptions. [...]
Are we using our intelligence intelligently?
Are we using our intelligence intelligently? - When we see someone with intelligence far greater than ours (as measured by some parameter such as IQ), [...]
When black-and-white analysis helps and when it harms
When black-and-white analysis helps and when it harms - The Bhagavad-gita analyzes people into two distinct categories: godly and ungodly (16.05). We might wonder, “Are [...]
How to help others choose wisely?
When we aspire to share some wisdom with others, especially to help them make better choices, we need to balance two things: truth and grace. [...]
How to choose the lesser pain and how to make that pain lesser
Suppose we are bound in a car that is racing toward the edge of a huge mountain cliff. If the bonds holding us down are [...]