You are not a negative thinker even if your mind is
You are not a negative thinker even if your mind is - “You are such a negative thinker.” We may receive this discouraging feedback if [...]
When positive thinking affects our life negatively
When positive thinking affects our life negatively - “Think positively,” is an oft-circulated message in our self-help steeped culture. And it’s helpful to the extent [...]
Why champions of good causes are sometimes so intolerant (Thoughts on cancel culture)
Why champions of good causes are sometimes so intolerant - Suppose someone champions a good cause such as making society more equitable. Yet if anyone [...]
Are soldiers heroes or victims?
Are soldiers heroes or victims? - In many traditions, warriors were often praised as heroes; in much postmodern thought, they are often seen as victims. [...]
Gita 16.06 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 16.6 dvau bhūta-sargau loke [...]
Why helping others doesn’t always help others
Why helping others doesn't always help others - Suppose a person had a severe accident that immobilized them for a long time. As they recover, [...]
Why all equalities are not equal
We live in an age that cherishes equality, and rightly so. In many ways, we have put behind several forms of discrimination that characterized large [...]
Imposing social equality or inspiring individual spirituality?
Suppose we are organizing an athletic competition. To be fair to all participants, we will want to make the playing field level; no one should [...]
Justice or just is?
Suppose a ship with three hundred people is hit by an iceberg and starts sinking. Suppose further that it only has life-saving equipment for a [...]
How to cultivate equanimity?
In today’s fast-paced world characterized by sudden and massive changes, we often appreciate people who stay cool-headed. How can we too develop such equanimity? Do [...]
Winning whining wining — or worshiping?
Suppose we strive to do something challenging. If we win, our mind becomes jubilant; if we don't, it often goes into a zone of negativity, [...]
Is God partial?
Some people ask, “In earthly conflicts, as depicted in the Mahabharata, why does God take sides? Is he being partial?” No, he is simply being [...]
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard?
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard? Suppose someone we know does something so shocking that we feel, “I don’t want anything to [...]
Is our knowledge making us prouder or wiser?
Is our knowledge making us prouder or wiser? We often think that if we gain enough information, we will become knowledgeable. Significantly however, the Bhagavad-gita [...]
Why dealing only with today’s problems today can be short-sighted
Suppose a town is situated on the banks of a river that floods repeatedly. Whenever floods come, everyone endeavors to rebuild. But then the river [...]
How purification can empower us all
Purification is often equated with being puritanical, which may evoke images of holier-than-thou people morally policing everyone else. Influenced by such images, we may not [...]
How elevating and expanding of consciousness are dissimilar and similar
How elevating and expanding of consciousness are dissimilar and similar Elevating our consciousness refers to our becoming conscious of higher realities beyond the material [...]
Why lying to ourselves is so dangerous
Suppose someone we work with lies to us frequently. They claim that they can do things they can’t do. Or they claim that they can’t [...]
Why we need to improve ourselves
We all know various areas where we can improve ourselves: exercise regularly, become better-organized, meditate earnestly. Yet we often neglect such self-improvement. Why? Because we [...]
How to deal with feelings of inferiority?
While technology has shrunk the world, it has also expanded the world in the sense that we get constantly compared with the best from various [...]
Our choice: push up or be pulled down?
Suppose we hold an object such as a dumb bell in front of us. If we let go of it, it will fall down. If [...]