Discovering Discomfort
The concept of tolerating difficulty is fast disappearing from the modern dictionary.
There is an astonishing correspondence in the descriptions of universal time and planetary measurements in both ancient Hindu scriptures and modern scientific calculations. But, the conclusions they reach are very different.
We don’t like to lose things. If a choice entails some loss, we recoil from it. Such recoiling can make us miss out on choices that involve initial losses but lead to eventual gains.
Vrindavana is like a hall of fame. Everywhere you turn there are stories, landmarks and temples commemorating the saintly people who lived here. Ironically, they never wanted any fame.
The Sages of the East describe the paradoxical demeanor of perfected spiritualists: harder than a thunderbolt, and simultaneously softer than a rose.
At first view, it was “breathtaking,” she said. But the closer you get, the less impressive it looks.
I was dressed in my devotional attire when I arrived at Newark airport en route to the Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Boone, N.C. I reflected that the mood in America on Memorial Day was markedly different than it was in Russia on Victory Day.
Achievers often talk about the courage needed to dream big and to work untiringly for actualizing the dream.
Vrindavana has an open door policy. Just take a stroll around the village lanes and someone will invite you in for a meal somewhere. It’s a stark contrast to our modern world, which is closed up and shut tight.
Life sometimes brings us to a dead end. In the face of overwhelming obstacles, everything seems lost. We feel as if we have lost our way completely, not knowing where to go or what to do.
We sometimes need to confront people who hold views different from ours. If their view is incorrect, we may need to correct them. Sometimes however, they stay stuck to their opinions.
When we face perplexities or adversities, we may protest, “Why is this happening to me?” And if we accept God as the supreme controller, we may protest against him, “Why are you letting this happen?”
Last week, a friend requested some ancient insights on stress management. Gita to-the-rescue again.
The last month has been a rollercoaster journey. For over 40 years I have spoken about the harsh reality of life in lectures, funeral sermons, congregational gatherings and personal meetings. Now I am facing those same realities in my own life.
There have been a number of scientific studies recently that try to analyse if animals have any form of morality. The subject is important to many people because there seems to be various beliefs with vested interests in the interpretations.
Humility means to acknowledge that reality is bigger than our conceptions.
In recent times, a common theme keeps surfacing in our spiritual circles: the need to find yourself, your purpose, nature, contribution and calling.
The Bhagavad-gita (16.13-15) outlines how the possessive mentality can make people ungodly, even demonic.
In this world too we are a traveler, we cannot live here permanently although we may wish.
The Hindu text, Bhagavad-gita, recommends that we shouldn’t just accept the mind’s deliberations on important matters. The mind can be a great friend, it says, but only when it is kept under the control of our higher self.
Her lyrics are like prayers, which, with the aid of her astoundingly beautiful voice, fully capable of capturing the heart - sometimes by stirring it up, other times by pacifying it.
The day-to-day practice of yoga gives the much-needed energy boost that powers the practitioners for the rest of the day.
An Indian Union Minister of State recently triggered a furor by stating that evolution is unproven scientifically and shouldn’t be taught in schools.
With everything else we’re concerned about, perhaps it’s too easy to overlook just how precious for us water really is.
