A Fistful of Wisdom

by Om Swami

“Human mind has an inherent tendency to ponder over negative thoughts. And by giving you everything, life has deprived you of the triumphant feeling of defeating your adversities.”

Find a purpose, a cause bigger than yourself so you may have a reason to care, to live and to grow.”

Martin Luther King put it most insightfully, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to

Simple lives are beautiful lives. This is my view. A good meal, two ticks of laughter, a gesture of love, an act of kindness, that’s what life is about, that’s what simplicity is about. It’s these small gestures, these simple moments, that make you feel complete, fulfilled.

Whether a glassful of water is adequate is not so much about the absolute quantity of water as it is about your thirst. If you are not thirsty, even very little will do, but if your soul is parched, a whole ocean won’t suffice.

You don’t have to give up your anger, jealousy, hatred and negativity (none of which is either easy or impossible). Just remember though, there’s a price to pay.

will cost your peace and your emotional wellbeing.

Awareness is the only door, mindfulness the only window. Vairagya or detachment is the only dozer to raze this prison.

there’s any way to change your destiny then it is by working on yourself. Everything falls in place then. Gems and stones, totems and

If anyone ever creates fear in you, be that person an expert astrologer, religious authority, preacher, or swami, it’s a good time to abandon him.

I only consult the lunar calendar for some of my spiritual practices to honor certain traditions.

I asked Anu to write down her principles, to write down what she stood for, and live accordingly. Her situation is a complicated one; her questions are valid.

When you take up a cause bigger than yourself, the whole universe summons itself to be at your feet, at your disposal. This is the irrefutable law of nature.

Life is frightened and hurt when you shoot arrows of jealousy, complaints and selfishness. Every time that happens, it distances itself from you. And, when your own life moves away from you, no one or nothing in the world can make you happy. Not for long anyway. By life, I’m not talking about the physical breath, but the essence of life that is, a sense of peace and bliss. No point in mistreating or neglecting your life, because nothing hurts like neglect.

you keep hurting it and battling with it, life will ignore you completely and start to distance itself from you. As I said earlier, you feed life, love

short, be mindful of your actions and reactions, work on self-purification and learn to listen to yourself.

Any action you perform or any thought you pursue leaves an imprint on the mind. These imprints are the basis of emotions.

residue eaten by the cow has a bearing on its health and on

Mindfulness is the key. Accept, don’t react, don’t pursue, don’t feel guilty. Just let it be. You can build mindfulness with meditation, with contemplation, with determination. You never have to be sorry for your feelings or your thoughts. They are not pure or impure, they

Simplicity is spirituality.

When your headspace is clear, your life becomes simple automatically. You naturally develop a spiritual outlook. And

Since we are here, we may as well live with gratitude and positivity. We are already at the party; we may as well rejoice and join in the festivities.

At any rate, it is a blessing. Like our lives, like our planet. Beautiful.

suggest there is nothing wrong in living the life of your dreams, especially if it involves helping others, but, my focus today is to help you gain a new perspective on

disconnects you from the source. The other day, outside my hut, a green

No matter what you do in the world, feel free to enjoy, be yourself, but do not uncouple yourself from the source, the Divine, the primordial energy, the quintessential seed you have sprouted from. Any freedom you gain by disengaging from the source is short-lived and temporary. How to find out if you are still connected

An unfailing sign of the one who feels old within is they mostly talk about their past.

The quality of your breath, the basis of your life, does not deteriorate till the last moment.

What others think of you is their problem.

Live, love, laugh, give while you have.

Do so in such a manner that you fall in love with the person you see in the mirror, in a way so there is no burden on your conscience when you put your head down on the pillow.

Be yourself. Love yourself. Know yourself. You will find yourself beyond age.

fill your heart with empathy towards the other person. They

An apology is restoration of faith. It is conveying that ‘I let you down once, but you can trust me that I won’t put you through this again’. When we make a mistake, it shakes the trust of the other person. Most positive emotions rest on trust alone. For example, when you love someone, you trust them to be the way you perceive them to be or the way they project themselves. But, when they act to the contrary, it betrays your trust. This betrayal causes grief and it hurts you and it affects your love and feelings for the other person.

Think of compassion as sacrifice. It is putting the other person’s interests before your own. It’s a choice.

desire, a discipline. Forgiveness doesn’t even need discipline but only a big heart, big enough to absorb their mistakes. When your heart is as big as the ocean, their shark-like mistakes and tuna-like presence in your life will coexist without so much as causing a ripple in your mind.

Humility of conduct and speech take you closer to God. The

the same storm where mighty winds topple giant trees, the humble blades of grass dance and sway unharmed.

The greatest skill, in my view, is learning to be happy on your own. If not

Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; men become builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the instrument. In the same way, by doing just acts we

become just; by doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doing brave acts, we become brave. If there is only one skill you could master, then make it how

Contentment is the mother of...

Our patterns are unnecessarily complex, and our weaving tiresome. The

The best way to overcome self-doubt of this type is to sincerely work towards your goal. Observe, learn, adapt, adopt, understand, persevere,

The fact is, they are responsible for their actions and you for yours.

We can’t take other people’s wrongdoing as any justification for our own

Conduct yourself in a manner that befits you. At all times, under all circumstances, with everyone. Now, go ahead and reflect on what kind of behavior suits someone of your stature. Done? Live it.

winner chooses to carry on.

Knowledge: Are you well-equipped? Mentally and skillwise? If not, what do you need to do to acquire it? Approach: Do you have the right mindset and approach? Are you positive, optimistic, ready, flexible? Resources: Do you have the right tools, resources, or are you trying to drill a hole in the wall with a spoon? Efforts: Are you