Let me see your promise of redemption as assurance, not insurance
Bhagavad Gita 9.30 api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ Even one of conduct flawed and frail, [...]
How to expose inner traitors
What makes life dangerous is not just outer threats, but inner traitors What makes life truly dangerous is not merely the external presence or occurrence [...]
In pursuing self-discipline is our imagination working for us or against us?
Whenever we decide to discipline ourselves, we are often jolted into action by external situations. For instance, we may notice how much weight we have [...]
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 [...]
When we feel tormented by desire, what can we do?
When we feel tormented by desire, what can we do? Indulgence in a desire may provide immediate relief from its torment, but it takes us [...]
How to not be agitated on seeing tempting objects
Even if we can't control what we see, we can control how much we imagine about what we see. Life constantly exposes us to objects, [...]
How our desires become our demons
The desires we chase over time become the demons that chase us A strange psychological reversal often occurs within us as we navigate the workings [...]
Two ways to deal with our triggers
Know when to stay away from our triggers, and when to take the bullet away from the gun We all have triggers that evoke strong, [...]
Help me tolerate the desires that are just my body’s reactions (5.23)
Bhagavad Gita 5.23 śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ prāk śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ "Tolerating while in this bodily frame, Desire and anger's [...]
Help me see the huge price I pay for a tiny pleasure (5.22)
Bhagavad Gita 5.22 ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogāḥ duḥkha-yonaya eva te ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ "From the titillation of the senses comes a [...]
Help me reclaim the power of desire and direct it toward you (3.43)
Bhagavad Gita 3.43 evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam "Thus, knowing with your intelligence that the soul is transcendental, [...]
Help me to stay on guard, whatever be the enemy’s garb (3.38)
Bhagavad Gita 3.38 dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśo malena ca yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam "As fire is covered by rising smoke, As dust on a [...]
Protect me from the desire that rejects boundaries (3.37)
Bhagavad Gita 3.37 śrī-bhagavān uvāca kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ mahāśano mahā-pāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam "It is desire that turns into a relentless [...]
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 not power the temptations that overpower me (2.67)
Bhagavad Gita 2.67 indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ yan mano ’nuvidhīyate tad asya harati prajñāṁ vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi "When the restless senses seize the mind, Wisdom [...]
Help me pull my mind away from the world (2.58)
Bhagavad Gita 2.58 yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā "When one withdraws, like a tortoise tight, Drawing the senses away [...]
Avoiding arrogance and diffidence in dealing with temptation
To believe that no wave of temptation will ever sweep us away is arrogance. To believe that we will inevitably be swept away by temptation [...]
How to see our inner darkness and see beyond the inner darkness
How to see our inner darkness and see beyond the inner darkness We all have dark desires within us—selfish, manipulative, and even abusive tendencies. If [...]
Analyzing why we succumb to temptation
Suppose a person were caught by the traffic police for speeding. If it was the first time that person was apprehended and they claimed that [...]
Temptations are like precision-guided missiles
In a war, the enemy is not just passively waiting to be attacked by us, nor is it hyper-angrily racing to attack us. If the [...]
How can we become immune to temptation?
Suppose someone is living in a pandemic area. If they have developed immunity to that disease, they may think they are safe. However, if they [...]