How to use anger constructively (Anger management series 5)
We are often exhorted to avoid anger as it can make us act in ways that make our life hellish (Bhagavad-gita 16.21). Yet spiritual wisdom [...]
Don’t let doubt stop our human search for understanding (Dealing with doubt 6)
Don’t let doubt stop our human search for understanding - We humans have an innate thirst for understanding. This thirst impels us to explore the [...]
Why applying what we know is so important
Why applying what we know is so important - As is often said, knowledge is power. But where exactly does the power of knowledge lie? [...]
A likely feature of our likely future
A likely feature of our likely future - Few technological advances have changed our daily lives as much as smartphones. Though phones have made many [...]
So boring or sobering?
So boring or sobering? - Suppose we are traveling by boat through a vast ocean and we hear a weather warning on the boat radio, [...]
Three ways to avoid being misdirected by our mind
Three ways to avoid being misdirected by our mind - Suppose we are walking toward a destination and some passerby suggests we go somewhere else. [...]
When morality feels like a burden …
When morality feels like a burden - When we try to follow moral standards to live purely, we sometimes feel harassed by temptations that keep [...]
How to avoid unhealthy reactions to unwanted emotions
How to avoid unhealthy reactions to unwanted emotions - Suppose we experience a craving that runs contrary to the principles we hold sacred. Faced with [...]
How to see negative emotions positively
We all sometimes experience negative emotions such as loneliness, dejection, resentment, anger or fear. When such emotions arise, we may let ourselves get carried away [...]
Use imagination to reinforce resolution
Use imagination to reinforce resolution - We sometimes resolve to not do something, yet end up doing that very thing. For example, we may resolve [...]
How purpose makes pain bearable
How purpose makes pain bearable - Suppose a person dear to us is sick and in great pain. Suppose further the only available doctor is [...]
What are we focusing on: connection or contribution?
What are we focusing on: connection or contribution? - While practicing bhakti, we may sometimes become discouraged, thinking, “I can’t make any worthwhile contribution.” To [...]
Whose place are we seeking in devotion: ours or someone else’s?
Whose place are we seeking in devotion: ours or someone else’s? - Suppose we see someone speaking Krishna’s message attractively and getting a lot of [...]
When the tendency to doubt helps
When the tendency to doubt helps - In today’s educated circles, doubt is celebrated as an intellectual strength. Whenever thoughtful people encounter any claim, especially [...]
Seek more to connect than to correct
Seek more to connect than to correct - On the brink of the Mahabharata war, Arjuna was overwhelmed by misdirected compassion and was about to [...]
What does growing up mean? – 2
What does growing up mean? - 2- When someone complains too much about how hard things are, they are sometimes told to grow up. What [...]
What does growing up mean?
What does growing up mean? - If someone is whiny, a candid well-wisher may exhort them: “Grow up.” What does it mean? It refers not [...]
Do we choose our interests or do our interests choose us?
Do we choose our interests or do our interests choose us? - We all can think of several things in our life that are important [...]
How to monitor and mentor ourselves?
How to monitor and mentor ourselves? - One of the most intriguing verses in the Bhagavad-gita (06.05) urges us to elevate the self with the [...]
Are we devaluing the very thing that makes us unique?
In today’s ultra-competitive society, we often struggle to find a place of value for ourselves. While seeking that place, we often look at who occupies [...]
A Bhagavad-gita approach to new year resolutions
We sometimes make resolutions to achieve certain goals. For example, if we are an aspiring writer, we may resolve to become a bestselling author. But [...]