Bhagavad Gita  18.28: A performer in the mode of ignorance is one who is undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn, deceitful, slothful, despondent, and a procrastinator.   Have you ever wondered why it is that you end up putting off tasks and worry about it when you have not accomplished it? Dissatisfaction and recrimination follow swiftly causing you to slow down in your actions. You try defending your slowness. You make excuses for it: You were tired, the car gave trouble, there wer

Blame bears a heavy weight. It is a self-accusatory finger pointed back at ourselves. It can be for anything. If your child does not perform well in school, you blame yourself. If you cooked a dish that did not muster up any credit, you blame yourself and if you really push yourself to do something beyond the pale – like organising a party … and you heard the negative comments, you blame yourself bitterly. Why do we do this? Why do we keep blaming ourselves time and again? Th

In Chapter 12, Verse 15, the Bhagavad Gita tells us never to annoy anyone but by the same token, to walk away from someone who annoys you. "The ideal devotee is one who is neither a source of annoyance to anyone nor agitated by anyone." Energy vampires are the ones who annoy you, bug you or keep coming close to you and asking you for information constantly are energy vampires. Of course there may be some positive encounters of those who ask you for info, but to be constantl

Sadness is part of life, like happiness but with some of us, it can be a constant feature in our lives if we don’t watch out. We may feel sad whenever a challenge crops up or when we see others achieving something we could not. Or we may feel sad simply because it is difficult to reach our personal targets. The problem with sadness is that it can become a permanent feature in our lives and if we do not root it out, it will be here to stay forever. There are a few ways to deal

BG 16.21: There are three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction for the soul—lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one should abandon all three.   Anger is one of the 7 Deadly Sins.   And this is the same in all cultures and people. Anger will never get you anywhere. In fact, it will rob you of your gifts, your best qualities and lead you straight down to hell. Hell, meaning that it will deny you of the opportunities of making good relationships, lead you to being fired

Chapter 6 Verse 34   The mind is restless, turbulent, strong and stubborn. Controlling it is like controlling the wind.   Whether you admit it or not, the time spent on yourself determines the quality of work you expend. And most of us place ourselves as the last priority. Ask yourselves this. When did you read a book in its entirety? Newspapers and blogs don’t count. 😊 We spend so much of time dispensing our energy in the prime of life on our work, our colleagues, bosses, o

In modern life in Singapore, relationships are often tested by the challenge of effective communication. Family members, friends, and loved ones may seem unreachable or unwilling to listen, especially when emotions run high or misunderstandings arise. Many wonder why it is so hard to connect deeply with someone close to them. The Bhagavad Gita offers timeless wisdom on this matter. It teaches us that true understanding comes when we focus on our duties with sincerity, ignorin

Some say doubt is the mother of all inaction. In Hamlet by Shakespeare, his constant doubts cost him his own life in the end and earned him the title of antihero. Is doubt only a bad thing? When should we doubt? Well, doubting is not altogether a bad idea. It may be the trigger that helps us to investigate and clear inconsistencies. But doubting ourselves is never to be applauded. The minute we start doubting ourselves, we lay ourselves open to energy vampires who will seek t

One of the most difficult tasks to master is to control your thoughts. The mind wanders fast and loose and the task of focussing on just one pure thought can be challenging. Mediation is one of the most accessible of tasks as you can do it anytime, anywhere without anyone (unless you want a group meditation). It sounds easy but it's not really. Many a fine exponent of meditation has released a book from time to time about the power to be gained in mastering your mind. When we

Feeling the blues? Feeling jaded? In a rut? Do you ever wake up feeling that nothing is going your way and that maybe a spell has been cast on you to keep failing? Don't worry dear brother/ sister because we have all been there. Let me explain this in a simpler way. In chapter 6, verse 5 of the Gita, it says, "Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, and not degrade yourself, for the mind can be the friend and also the enemy of the self". Well, that clearly reveals th

Ask yourself this. Why do I feel tired even after a night's rest? Was it my bed or my pillow? Or was it the food that I ate last night? Rest assured. It is none of the above. Having good night's rest is tantamount to having a good meal or a dose of vitamin C. Rest energises your body and melatonin is secreted during sleep especially at night. Without it, we will appear to be listless and age faster. So, how do we get around this age-old problem of not being able to sleep? In

The youth academy is for young teenagers and young adults. Classes are held via Zoom from 10am to 12pm every Sunday. KOG Youth Academy is for older students and adults who are seeking a breath of fresh air away from the daily mill of their working lives. If it's not work, it could be your personal life. We are all susceptible to challenges that may beset us at anytime. Stroll over to the Jasmine Room, 3rd floor of the Holytree temple, Yishun on Sundays at 11.30am. Please boo