Spiritually Speaking

Being seriously light

19 Nov 2022 00:08 AM IST

Being seriously light starts with the heart. Our hearts are in a very delicate state because on the one hand the world is becoming increasingly violent, and on the other we have developed an immense capacity to absorb suffering, which has made our hearts almost unbearably heavy. We need to

A subtle way to serve

19 Nov 2022 00:08 AM IST

News from around the world paints a picture of widespread misery, caused by violence, poverty, and disasters. But the suffering of millions of people does not generate the response one would expect. A steady stream of news reports of unhappy events has seemingly dulled the senses of people, with the

Why bad things happen
to good people

15 Nov 2022 00:07 AM IST

Imagine watching a movie mid-way. In the movie, a seemingly innocent man is playing with his kids, and then some policemen knock at his door and arrest him. You may think this is so horrible “ Why did this happen? He doesn’t deserve it ! “ But having come while

When in doubt, follow your heart

15 Nov 2022 00:07 AM IST

A question we often ask ourselves when faced with an emotional dilemma is, “should we follow our head or our heart?”The wise declare that our actions must be sourced in compassion but we should not lose our head. In dealings with people, we must always follow our heart. In dealings

16 ways to transcend ego-consciousness

15 Nov 2022 00:07 AM IST

The first duty of every soul is to release the hold ego-consciousness has upon it. All other spiritual practices are subservient to this one supreme obligation. I address ego-transcendence, therefore, as the first, and indeed, the only challenge on the spiritual path.Here are a few techniques that will help you in

Changing our minds to change the world

12 Nov 2022 01:09 AM IST

When we look at the state of the world, what catches our attention most are the problems: poverty, terrorism, political instability, environmental issues, crime etc.Governments, civil society groups and individuals across the world are trying to address these issues in various ways. But with each passing year conditions are getting

Keeping calm in a crisis

12 Nov 2022 01:06 AM IST

The word ‘crisis’ used to be heard only rarely, perhaps once or twice in a year. Now, it seems that there is a crisis every minute. It could be in the home, at the place of work, in our country, or a worldwide crisis. Some crises keep resurging, like the

What does it mean to be spiritual?

12 Nov 2022 01:06 AM IST

What constitutes spirituality? A large number of people in the world do not clearly understand what spirituality is. Many confuse spirituality with religiosity. They believe that to observe religious practices such as prayers, reading scriptures, fasting, going on pilgrimage is spirituality. There are also those who are not religiously inclined

Bringing God into Daily Life

08 Nov 2022 00:51 AM IST

When I first became a spiritual seeker, I often participated in spiritual retreats where I experienced blissful meditations. Returning to my everyday life was a different matter altogether, however. I usually fell back into old behavioral patterns and was often quite miserable.What helped me most during the “in between times”

OVERTHINKING LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS

08 Nov 2022 00:44 AM IST

Holding on to, and repeating a conversation in one’s head over and over again creates patterns of thought. This is over-thinking. Some of us keep running a conversation inside their head without even realising it.Over-thinking creates ‘pathways’ of worry, panic and anxiety. This leads to stress and the body reacts.

The Wow Factor in Life

01 Nov 2022 00:22 AM IST

The fear of the unknown is a very common human tendency. Most people are constantly engaged in making sure that their world plays out just like how their mind would imagine. However, the reality is that there is no possibility for growth without embracing the unknown.When we shut off the

THE PROCRUSTEAN BED

01 Nov 2022 00:22 AM IST

The tale of Procrustes comes to us from Greek Mythology. Procrustes was a towering man. He owned an inn on the way from Athens to Eleusis, where he had put up a hard iron bed. More troublesome was the fact that Procrustes was a madman. He had a really nasty