Gratitude Is a Gift
At a recent youth retreat in Mayapur, a devotee asked me, "When you became a brahmachari, how did you deal with fear about the future [...]
Two ways to know our attachments
To understand our attachments, we need to notice where our thoughts go when they have nowhere else to go. Our minds are always full of [...]
Two ways to deal with our past
Even if we can't escape our past, we can still outgrow it We all carry scars from our past—deep wounds that cause fears or impressions [...]
How self-destructive desire corrupts our intelligence
The Bhagavad Gita (3.43) exhorts us to use our intelligence to fight against self-destructive desires but simultaneously warns (3.40) that even intelligence can be corrupted [...]
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 [...]
How to avoid acting thoughtlessly
When we are thoughtless, it's not that we have less thoughts; it's that we give less thought to the thoughts that drive us. We all [...]
3.30 Am I seeking justice or revenge? How do I know?
When someone hurts you and you start planning your response—pause. Ask yourself: Am I seeking justice or revenge? And does it really matter? Yes, it [...]
Hold my hand and hold my heart as I turn inward (2.55)
Bhagavad Gita 2.55 śrī-bhagavān uvāca prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān ātma-ny-evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthita-prajñas tadocyate "When all desires, the heart lets go, No worldly [...]
Don’t just condemn the demonic; contemplate how they became demonic
Greedy people often do things for the sake of money that most decent people hesitate to do. Greed can lead people to become not just [...]
Can we stop the flow of temptation into our consciousness?
Even if we can't stop the flow of temptation into our consciousness, we can certainly stop that flow from becoming a flood that takes over [...]
How much we improve
How much we improve depends not on how much we know but on how much we are ready to say no. Many times, to improve [...]
Outcome of wrong actions: external and internal
The outcome of an action is determined not just by what comes out, but also by what goes in. Suppose someone does some wrong action, [...]
When we can’t do anything wonderful …
When we can’t do anything wonderful - Suppose someone we know does something wonderful that is widely lauded. If we try something similar and fail, [...]
Who is at fault = who is responsible?
Who is at fault = who is responsible? - Suppose while we are working from home, we see from a window our neighbor’s son playing [...]
Have we earned the right to criticize?
When we see someone doing something that seems wrong to us, we often feel the urge to criticize and correct them. We may feel we [...]
What the faults we see in others tell us about ourselves
What the faults we see in others tell us about ourselves Our mind often sees outside what is present inside it. If greed or lust [...]
How to get insights?
We often want to get fresh insights so that we can be wiser, smarter, happier. If, however, we think of insight primarily as coming up [...]
Screen your inner screen
Our mind is like an inner screen. On it appear sensory stimuli from the outer world as well as recollections arising from past impressions in [...]
Transform depressing loneliness into nourishing solitude by seeking spiritual purpose
Transform depressing loneliness into nourishing solitude by seeking spiritual purpose When we are placed in situations that distance us from others, we may naturally feel [...]
If we gauge how good we are solely by how good we feel about ourselves, we rob ourselves of our goodness
We all want to feel good about ourselves. And wanting to feel good is in itself not a bad thing. It becomes bad when it [...]
Learn to wonder and ponder, not wander and pander
Learn to wonder and ponder not wander and pander Babies tend to wander and pander. They wander wherever they can without considering where they are [...]