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 the “Yes” in the “No” to a “No”
Suppose a person driving on a road comes to a sign, “Road closed – take alternative route” with a pointer to that route. Those who [...]
Respond to the fire of desire not with fright but with fight
Suppose a novice firefighter is faced with the task of dousing a huge fire. The sight of the conflagration may overwhelm him – instead of [...]
Out of sight is out of the mind provided the mind is out of it
“Out of sight is out of mind” is a common saying that embodies a sound principle for self-regulation. For example, if we are fasting and [...]
To divorce the personal from the professional is to be blind to the essential
Nowadays there’s an increasing tendency to divorce people’s personal life from their professional life. Heads of state may have scandalous affairs, but if they keep [...]
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 [...]
Worry not about falling into illusion – worry about staying in devotion
Serious seekers often worry, “Will I fall back into the illusions of material existence?” Yes, if we keep worrying about falling into illusion. No, if [...]
Don’t just battle over your choices – choose your battles
Battling over our choices refers to struggling to make the right choice while staying in the presence of temptation. Choosing our battles refers to deciding [...]
Don’t blunt the intelligence with indulgence; sharpen it with abstinence
Our intelligence is like a knife. It can cut through the surface appearance of things and see their deeper nature. Just as a knife with [...]
The defect of distraction distorts the defender into a defector
The life of a spiritual seeker is the life of a warrior – a warrior defending the territory of the consciousness against the forces of [...]
To go beyond thinking wisely and acting foolishly, strive for purification through devotion
“I knew that doing that would be stupid, still I ended up doing it. Why?” This exasperating question often confronts us when we succumb to [...]
As long as we mistake the irresistible to be essential, we deprive ourselves of the essential
Sometimes worldly desires, especially immoral and anti-devotional sexual desires, seem irresistible. No matter how much we try to resist them, they seem to keep returning [...]
Satisfaction is not just a condition but also a choice
Job dissatisfaction. Marital dissatisfaction. Monetary Dissatisfaction…. The malaise of dissatisfaction plagues millions. Of course, dissatisfaction is not always a malaise. It can point to a [...]
Are we placing in the treasury that which belongs to the dustbin?
We clean our home regularly because dirt inevitably comes in from somewhere. While cleaning, first we check if the dirt is coming from any specific [...]
If we can’t shun senselessness, we can at least shun the senseless mind
Practicing devotional life means embarking on an inward devotional journey to connect with Krishna. On this journey, the mind poses the primary roadblock by constantly [...]
To give up the ocean for a drop is a rank bad bargain
“I would like to make spiritual advancement, but giving up worldly pleasures is too much of a price to pay for it.” Such thoughts may [...]