The present moment
The only time that we have to do anything is the present moment, the present is the only time not only that we have now [...]
The tension between the present me & the potential me
Inside us, there is the "present me," which refers to the person as we are right now, with our needs, cravings, comforts, and indulgences. The [...]
Resolving emotional tensions through Gita wisdom
Emotions are among the strongest forces that shape our actions and our life at large. Unfortunately, emotions can easily make us impulsive, leading to actions [...]
The less we identify with our thoughts, the less we act thoughtlessly
Whenever we do something regrettable, we wonder, “Why did I act so thoughtlessly?” First, we are never literally thoughtless, for we are never without thoughts. [...]
Our urges aren’t like endlessly rising lines, they are like endlessly recurring waves – surf them patiently
Whenever some self-destructive urge attacks, we tend to think: “This urge is becoming stronger and stronger. Soon, it will become irresistible. When I will have [...]
Our thoughts are not always wise – we don’t have to follow their advice
Suppose we have a chronic disease. Our acquaintances may recommend various remedies. Knowing that they aren’t medical experts, we wouldn’t immediately follow their recommendations. We [...]
When emotions appeal within us, be the umpire, not the appealer
In cricket, the fielding players often appeal vociferously, claiming that the batsman is out. The umpire evaluates the appeals based on their merit, not their [...]
Our mind is a madhouse, but we don’t have to be mad
In a mental health care center, not everyone is mad. The medical staff are sober and are meant to take care of the mentally sick. [...]
Introspection distances us from our situations and our emotions
Sometimes, people do things that provoke us, and we react angrily. But our kneejerk reaction only worsens the situation, which we realize after the passage [...]
We are not our feelings – we are the feelers of our feelings
Some people ask, “We often act on our feelings such as anger, frustration or dejection, and later regret those actions. How can we avoid such [...]
The mind changes the surface we are playing on – beware
In cricket, the playing strategy depends a lot on the nature of the playing surface. For example, some pitches are ideal for aggressive batting, while [...]
Our mental inclination is not necessarily our personal intention
The word inclination refers physically to the slope of, say, a road in a particular direction. Mentally, our inclination refers to the direction of the [...]
An intruder inside us is an intruder still
Suppose we find someone in our home. Will we assume that just because that intruder is now inside our home, he is our well-wisher? Suppose [...]
Be not a passive observer – be a detached observer and a devoted doer
Some people misunderstand the Bhagavad-gita’s recommendation to be detached as a call to be passive. However, the Gita concludes with Arjuna’s resolve to give up [...]
Be consciousness-conscious
If a red film is put on a flashlight, the light emerging from it changes from white to red and makes everything seem reddish. If [...]
Navigate the troughs of consciousness by focusing on the peak
As aspiring devotees, we may find the state of our consciousness oscillating up and down like a sine wave. We may feel sometimes attracted and [...]