The difference between consciousness and conscience
Consciousness is the fundamental energy of the soul. The Sanskrit word for it is chetana. If we compare the soul to a flashlight, consciousness is [...]
Two kinds of contentment — and how they are opposite
The sentiment of contentment is sometimes seen negatively. Some people think of it as the symptom of laziness and the cause of stagnation — they [...]
How to deal with trauma
There has been an alarming increase in the number of people, especially war veterans, suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). The cause of PTSD is [...]
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 [...]
Why self-discipline is essential nowadays …
Our society offers us many avenues for self-destruction. Multiple technological developments have made the exercise of individual freedom much easier. Unfortunately, they have also made [...]
Feeling mad — when it’s ok and when it isn’t
Feeling mad in terms of feeling angry is a natural human emotion that arises when we see things around us going wrong or being done [...]
Might mindfulness be more than just awareness?
Mindfulness is often thought of as living in the present: being aware of the various stimuli around us and experiencing life fully. And being present [...]
Forcing ourselves to be grateful?
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is primarily an internal endeavor, wherein we try to change the default direction of our thoughts. Still, such cultivation can [...]
A mindful autopilot mode?
We often go into an autopilot mode when the things we do during our daily routines don’t require much of our conscious attention — things [...]
Three steps to mindfulness
We may want to become mindful, but may not know clearly how to do so. Here are three tangible steps that we all can adopt [...]
Gratitude for the past
If we want to cultivate gratitude, we need to review not just the way we look at our present, but also the way we look [...]
Grab opportunities to express gratitude
Most of us understand the importance of expressing thanks to those who have helped us. And in the long journey of life, there are many [...]
What is self-realization?
When we gain a realization, that essentially means we understand and accept as a reality that which is already a reality. By extension, when we [...]
How to deal with our emotions
We all are prone to be swept away by our emotions, thereby acting self-destructively. How can we protect ourselves from this danger? Some people try [...]
Gita 02.61 explained
Now Krishna will describe in next verse how one can practice spiritual life, how can one get higher taste, till now He said that [...]
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 [...]
Dealing with the fog of emotions
Suppose we are driving full speed along a road and suddenly thick fog envelopes us. Even if we turn our car lights fully on, the [...]
Dealing with temptation — a positive approach
When dealing with temptation, we often focus on saying no to it; we may even define our self-worth by our success in resisting it. Thereafter, [...]
When the mind’s greed masquerades as the body’s need …
Suppose our car fuel indicator alerted us that our gas tank was becoming empty. We would naturally seek a gas station. But suppose we noticed [...]
1
Suppose we are living with a moody person who has extreme negative mood swings — during those dark moods, they tend to be both deceptive [...]
When the world is a place of distress how should we deal with distress in our life?
When the Bhagavad-gita (08.15) deems the world a place of distress (dukhalaya), what does this imply for our efforts to combat distress in our life? [...]