Protect me from chasing the cause of my dissatisfaction as its cure
Bhagavad Gita 18.32 adharmaṁ dharmam iti yā manyate tamasāvṛtā sarvārthān viparītāṁś ca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī Shrouded in darkness, it takes wrong for right, [...]
Do we have an inner deception detection mechanism?
As we go through life, we learn that we can't always take things and people at face value. Part of growing up involves realizing that [...]
How to avoid acting thoughtlessly
When we are thoughtless, it's not that we have less thoughts; it's that we give less thought to the thoughts that drive us. We all [...]
Let awareness of inner danger drive me toward your shelter (3.36)
Bhagavad Gita 3.36 arjuna uvāca atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ carati pūruṣaḥ anicchann api vārṣṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ "Arjuna said: What is this force [...]
Let me take the war against temptation seriously (2.68)
Let me take the war against temptation seriously Bhagavad Gita 2.68 tasmād yasya mahā-bāho nigṛhītāni sarvaśaḥ indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā "Therefore, O mighty-armed, be [...]
A Moment of Thought to Evaluate the Thought of the Moment
We are constantly filled with thoughts, many of which pop up and then disappear without us paying much attention. This in itself is not a [...]
Navigating the inner marketplace
Introspection is meant to tune out the louder voices inside us so that we can tune in to the wiser voices inside us. Suppose we [...]
Feeling unsettled: Good or bad?
To be unsettled is unhealthy when we are living a life of values and purposes. But it is healthy when we are settling for complacency [...]
Might we be fanatics?
We may think of fanatics to be scary-looking monstrous people who self-righteously destroy anyone who opposes them. While that is indeed fanaticism in activity there [...]
Insight into inside
Insight usually refers to acquiring a clear vision of something that was previously unclear or inaccessible to our perception. This concept of insight can be [...]
No to incite yes to insight
The world contains many power-hungry people who ruthlessly pursue their selfish, even devilish, agendas. To serve their own ends, they have no compunctions about manipulating [...]
Are we treating our beliefs and our doubts equally?
Suppose we grew up in an environment that fostered belief in things such as the teachings of sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita. Over time, we [...]
Why self-awareness matters more than self-discipline — Desire management series 3
Why self-awareness matters more than self-discipline — Desire management series 3 - Whenever a desire drives us into doing something regrettable, we may think that [...]
Understanding the reflective self and the impulsive self
Understanding the reflective self and the impulsive self - We often experience an inner tug of war between opposing voices. To better understand these forces, [...]
Why we remain strangers to ourselves …
We are often fascinated by characters depicted in novels and movies. Fans fill blogs analyzing every single dialogue spoken by fictional characters in, say, Star [...]
From outer news to inner news
In today’s digitally-connected world, our devices inform us instantaneously of news from all over the world. Additionally, we are socially expected to be aware of [...]
To understand what is wrong in the world, look first in the mirror, not the newspaper
To understand what is wrong in the world look first in the mirror not the newspaper When we hear about the many things wrong in [...]
More important than understanding what we observe is understanding what it is that observes
More important than understanding what we observe is understanding what it is that observes Every day, and indeed at every moment, many things pass through [...]
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 [...]
Competing illusions are still illusions
Suppose while driving a car we come to a fork and worry about which turn to take. But if we learn that we are on [...]
Matter has no intent, but intent matters
Some people misconceive the Gita as a violence-inducing book in which God goads a peace-seeking person to fight. They laud Arjuna when he, instead of [...]