Freedom is most endangered by the illusion of freedom
When people feel that their freedom is threatened, they often protest – and protest vehemently. But if they are led to believe that they are [...]
See through the mind’s troika of denial, misdirection and self-victimization
The mind often sabotages us by making us do foolish things. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (06.06) cautions that the mind can be our enemy. The mind [...]
See sense gratification as spiritual deprivation
“You are depriving yourself of so much pleasure,” the mind whispers when we practice spiritual life seriously and regulate sense gratification. We may neglect the [...]
Devotion frees us from living life inside a shell
The Bhagavad-gita (02.58) uses the example of tortoise safe inside its shell to recommend that we keep ourselves spiritually safe by withdrawing our senses from [...]
Restraint is not repression – it is the roadway to real expression
Many people champion self-expression and deride restraint as repression. But is it really repressive? Consider musicians wanting to express themselves. Do they go on stage [...]
Is the body a playground for passion or a temple for devotion?
Our culture with its romantic movies and erotic pictures depicts the body as a playground for passion, especially sexual passion. But are such popular depictions [...]