Thinking about It

We're constantly projecting onto things, a value, belief or attitude that's not there. In Vedanta, this is explained as superimposition on the substratum, after which, we see only the superimposed as real. For example, we superimpose gender, personality or aspirations on ourselves, seeing that as who we are. We even make sense of the world all based on our superimposed thoughts! Notice how quickly...

Despite having experienced our dream or an argument to have all been in our head, we still assume everything we're experiencing is real. We feel the same palpitations, anxiety and dread every single time until it ends. Similarly, we passionately hold on to our likes and dislikes, let them grow into love and aversion and give them so much control over us. But they are as real as the dream for they...

When we listen to Satsang or study the scriptures, uplifting thoughts are introduced. Despite adding more thoughts into a mind that's already filled with them, the quality of the new thoughts changes the entire texture of our mind. This also changes who we are and what we experience as the purifying thoughts of the higher clear away all other useless or unnecessary ones. So in a mind free from pet...

The Sun's always there and shining, but when clouds come to cover the Sun, we wonder, "There's no Sun today!" In the same way, our true nature of bliss, love and joy is always there and self-effulgent, but our own thoughts rise in our mind to block us from seeing our truth. And just as the wind blows away the clouds so that we see the Sun shining brightly in the sky once again, we meditate to quie...

When we don't know, we feel we are lacking and incomplete. We then want what we think we don't have, prompting us into action. But when action is a product of our ignorance, it can never be the solution for it. Only knowledge is what opposes ignorance and can remove it. Thus, while Japa and service to mankind is important, they're not going to give us knowledge but simply prepare our mind. So are...

We already are divine. We already have whatever it is we are looking for, but don't know it. We have forgotten as the mind is so busy thinking or doing a gazillion things. It's like when we go around looking for a missing pair of glasses or keys that we had on us this whole time. Ultimately, our spiritual journey is to just stop and remember our nature; that we have it all. Doing spiritual practic...

Just like how food cannot cook without fire, we cannot transform without knowledge. Knowledge however, is not merely looking up, obtaining, and collecting information. Knowledge is imbibing that information. For instance, knowing why we are doing the spiritual practices we do lets us manage our energy and time so the actions serve their place and we don't get distracted. Understanding the importan...

We often first prepare ourselves for things we want, be it our goals, a job, or a relationship. So naturally, when we are seeking the highest that we can as human beings, some preparation, aka tapas, is required. Self-effort to lift ourselves is tapas. To put in self-control to become less dependent on comforting objects of the world is tapas. To detach from the body to find, nurture, strengthen a...

Despite feeling like we can do anything we'd like to, all of us are still on the same quest to find freedom. We seek it from our emotions, like anger or hurt. We seek it from wanting things we know we can't have. We seek it from thought processes we think we can change but feel we cannot. Whether we realize it or not, we are seeking love, happiness and peace within ourselves. The clearer we are ab...

Most of us don't really know who we are. Even when asked to describe our personality, we get confused for we all feel we are one and the other, no matter how contradictory. We all also feel as if we're always trying to fix something. There's so much about our life we want to improve. But before going out and improving the world, we turn to this knowledge to understand our essence. We give it atten...

Time is movement, and the second that you think is the present, is gone and lost the next. But being present doesn't mean staying still and focused. It's a gentle sense of being and truth where we actually slip out of the bondage of time. In eternal, there's fullness of experience; no divisions, no "me". And only our conscious effort put into understanding who we are and adjusting our thinking pro...

It's human nature to get attached. But when we don't let go, when we continue to do when we should have stopped, our worldly joy becomes sorrow, fear, or anger. This mantra empowers us to be free from the limiting, free from the fear of change. May we enjoy deathlessness and changelessness. Then, there is only compassion, kindness, love, empathy, and ripeness of character. Everything happens with...

Each one of us has a unique bundle of things we fear, and in general, all of us fear death, rejection, or loss. So it does not matter how big we grow from the outside, for inside, we all have the same scared heart that governs our actions and thoughts. This mantra's sounds bring about nourishing vibrations within us that build courage so that we can outgrow this fear. Chanting this mantra may or m...

Life's about seeing there is a greater force and that each one of us plays a part in the grand scheme of things. We don't have to live life like limited entities who only eat, drink, make money, struggle, feel unappreciated and die. Start by loving Shiva, and oneness won't seem so far off. When we worship that which creates, sustains, and destroys this creation, we lift ourselves to feel more like...

In Hinduism, heaven and hell exist both in this life and in the hereafter. Here, they are realms of consciousness that we experience in our own minds. We either daydream positive scenarios or replay negative reactions of our actions in our head. Just like Arjuna, we too, glorify our weaknesses or just want to escape. We too, lose clarity when faced with our attachments. However, when we accept we...

Most of our thoughts centre around "me" and we become egocentric individuals as we think we are separate from everyone else. More importantly, we start thinking we are separate from the Lord, the light or the Supreme truth. But when we bow down and sincerely surrender ourselves, no thought of "me" or "I am" exists. Our mind is completely tuned into the Supreme, and we feel connected. The Geeta Dhy...

When fear, other emotions, and attachments creep into the mind, it automatically becomes weak. A weak mind looks for reasons to blame our sorrows, difficulties, and problems on. A weak mind loses clarity on why we are acting and what it is we want. A weak mind uses wise quotes or scriptures to justify its weakness. This is why we can relate to Arjuna. And when emotions get the better of us this wa...

Be it at the level of body, mind or intellect, anything that gives us joy attracts us. Thus, what attracts us the most is that which would give us the greatest joy. But instant gratification of our desires empowers us to go after temporary pleasures. And when faced with a situation that directly conflicts with our attachments, we become weak. Our resolve breaks and we can become complacent. This b...

Chapter 1 lays the foundation so that when Krishna speaks, we can understand. But most front covers of published Geetas (i.e., Arjuna's chariot) depict a great philosophy. In short, the chariot is our body, 5 horses our senses, reins our mind and charioteer our intellect. Plus, Arjuna represents the Jiva (us) who is Sattvic. Empowered by purity, selflessness, and other virtues, surrender it all an...

Swami Tejomayananda ji jokes, "What does it mean when a man opens the car door for his wife? Either it's a new car or a new wife!" Attachment to objects and people changes the way we see the world and act in it for we add onto them a value. So during decision-making, we get swayed towards our attachments and away from Dharma, what we know is right. By repeatedly choosing Adharma, Dhritarashtra and...

Our minds are blinded by attachments, but our intellect can see. We are constantly making decisions that shape who we become and the destiny we face. Do we listen to the mind or intellect? Though Arjuna was faced with the epic Mahabharata war, this is the war that is eternally waged in our hearts. Our war is but the battles we face minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day and week-to-week. This...

With Day 30, we come to the end of our Gratitude Challenge. But please do not let this mark the end for your gratitude practice as we must always remember: gratitude is limitless. Over the last month, you have creatively practiced to keep various things in your awareness. Having done so, you would have seen some benefits, and the consequences of which will continue to come to you. As this would he...

"We don't experience the world, we experience only our minds," has been said by numerous philosophers. Our mind is the most powerful tool. It creates our lives and our worlds. It allows us to overcome our limitations in the world and in our bodies. And it enables us to have crucial skills which we often overlook but are nonetheless vital to our survival. As we near to a close with this challenge,...

We have seen how we can be grateful for countless things in our lives. But we must not forget that there are times we feel ungrateful as we may feel unrealistically or inappropriately entitled to something that we do not necessarily do. Also, we can feel ungrateful when we perceive things to not be good enough or to not have met our expectations. Today, instead of putting aside our ungrateful thou...

There is a verse in the Bhagavad Geeta that reads "na me bhakta pranashyati". Shri Krishna promises that each one of us will be liberated, taken care of by him, and supported. So today, let us be grateful for promises. Whether it is His promise or any other promise you made, let us be thankful for it and appreciate how these promises have helped build our lives.