Question : I am a 22 year old boy. And I have just started dating someone. We have tried to get intimate a few times and unfortunately I was not able to have an erection when it was time. I am quite worried I have Erectile Dysfunction. And I am quite embarrassed about this. I... Continue Reading →
A Slow Death (A Morte Devagar)
This is a poem that was written by Martha Medeiros, a brazilian writer and journalist. This was originally published in Portugese with the title "A Morte Devagar" which translates to "A Slow Death". Here is a translation of the original poem into English. A Slow Death (A Morte Devagar) by Martha Medeiros It’s a slow... Continue Reading →
Embracing Loneliness – Part 1
NOTE : The following is an excerpt from the talks of Osho. This piece was originally posted in the online magazine "Osho World, March 2010 edition". (click to see original post) Question : Should one first come to terms with one's own loneliness before entering into a relationship? Answer : Yes, you have to come... Continue Reading →
Feelings vs. Emotions
QUESTION : Is there a difference between "Emotions" and "Feelings"? Are they interchangeable in their usage? ANSWER : All of us have emotions. Not all of us can feel our emotions. They say emotions are the hallmark of human beings. Emotions guide our actions and behaviour. Emotions give us an awareness of our environment.... Continue Reading →
Your Sacred Boundaries
There are some aspects of your life that are Sacred. The dictionary defines the word "Sacred" as "something that is holy and deserving respect; too important to be changed; something connected with Divinity" I often meet people who spend large amounts of energy in trying to deal with opinions, suggestions and solutions. These opinions and... Continue Reading →
I Am Not Good Enough!
A lot of people deeply believe that they are not good enough. "I am not good enough!", they say. According to me this is a trap. It can sometimes make a person feel like it is almost impossible to get out of this feeling. For most of us who feel we are not good enough, our... Continue Reading →
The Desire for Validation
Validation is a very deep and subconscious need for all of us. Validation is healing. Validation is soothing. But how do we know when our desire for validation has consumed us? This is a little story based on Indian Mythology. The Ramayana is considered one of the greatest epics written in Indian Culture. Valmiki is... Continue Reading →
The Carpenter
Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major... Continue Reading →
The Boiling Frog Syndrome
Human Beings and Frogs are two creatures in nature who have a tremendous power to tolerate and adjust. This was a study conducted sometime in the early 1900's. However, there is a lot of debate regarding the authenticity of this study. Nonetheless, the theory is quite interesting and quite pertinent to human beings. Put a... Continue Reading →
Stuck and Helpless
Question : My sister is married and living away from home. But she isn't happy. She confides in me and tells me of all the difficulties that she faces with her husband and in-laws. She seems to be stuck and helpless. I also feel that she is not telling me many of the things that... Continue Reading →
The Birth Song
Here's another popular story from across the internet that has deeply touched my heart. There is a tribe in Africa where the date of birth of a child is not calculated from its birth, nor from when it was conceived, but from the day when the child was a thought in the spirit of its... Continue Reading →
Innocence
Innocence is a quality that every child is born with. Some of us lose it along the way. Some of us know how to keep it intact. Some of us work towards finding it later in life. Innocence is such a beautiful quality that it really shapes the way you think and the way you... Continue Reading →
Pushing my husband to change
Question : I am quite a spiritual person. I believe in the Mystical World of Metaphysics and have even transformed my own life with the help of the Universal Energies. My concern is that my husband does not believe in what I believe. I have tried a lot to impress upon him the beauty of the... Continue Reading →
In-Charge or In-Control
Let us first start with understanding these two phrases - 'Being in charge' & 'Being in control'. Let me make a reference to sports to get the meaning clear. "The Team Manager just announced that Coach Henry is no longer in charge of his team". This would imply that Coach Henry is no longer in... Continue Reading →
Confused about my marriage…
Question : I feel I am in an extremely draining marriage. My husband is NEVER there for me physically or emotionally. I feel there is hardly a marriage anymore between us anymore. But then he tells me that he still loves me, cares for me and can't live without me. I have also found him... Continue Reading →
Happiness – State of Being or Situational
I believe that every human is striving through every moment of his/her life seeking happiness. However, each of us defines happiness differently. What is happiness for one might not be happiness for another. Across our lives, we all identify special moments where we experience happiness. And these moments are special for us when put in... Continue Reading →
Just a Choice
What if everything that we did in our lives was just a choice? Neither right nor wrong. Just a choice. What if we were to look at everything that happened in our lives also as just choices that people made? Of course, we might not like certain choices that certain people made. Yes, we might... Continue Reading →
How can I accept that?
Question : I have gone through a very painful and traumatic period in my life. And I just can't seem to accept what I had to go through. The experience has crushed me from within. I have tried very hard to forgive the people involved and to let go of the past. But I have... Continue Reading →
Tolerate, Adjust & Compromise
I am writing this post especially in an Indian context, from the perspective of living life in an Indian society. But perhaps this might well apply to other societies too. As a society, India is a rich culture and has a rich heritage that is built on some beautiful values. The ancient Indians led spiritual... Continue Reading →
Dumbest Kid in the World
A young boy enters a barbershop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch and I’ll prove it to you.” The barber holds a 10 Rupee note in one hand and a 5 Rupee coin in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want,... Continue Reading →
Life is Unfair
The greatest war that the land had ever witness was over - the war of Mahabharat. All the great warriors had ascended to higher realms. Each of them were in a reflective space and were looking back at their own lives. In one particular interaction between Krishna and Karna, Karna starts to say, "My mother... Continue Reading →
Are you a People-Pleaser?
Question : When I look back at my entire life, I know that I have always been very kind and generous. I have never hurt anybody. And if I knew that someone is upset because of me, I would not be able to sleep for days (until I do something to set it right). I... Continue Reading →
Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know
A piece by Pamela Redmond Satran
Forcing Happiness
Question : I have gone through a lot in my life. I usually tend to get into a depressive mood very easily. Lot of my relatives and friends ask me to focus on the positive and focus on doing things that make me happy. They even tell me that being depressive is not spiritual. I... Continue Reading →
What you resist persists
This post is in an extension of my earlier post "Meeting the Dark". We resist the 'Dark' in us. And the simple reason we do that is because we all want to be accepted, celebrated and belong to the tribe. This is the deepest conditioning that every human is born with. And we would do... Continue Reading →
Is Tom & Jerry really for kids?
I loved Tom & Jerry like crazy when I was a kid. I probably didn't spare any opportunity to watch it on TV. My parents were very happy that Tom and Jerry kept me entertained when I was not at school. Till this day, I love Tom & Jerry and I can have a hearty laugh... Continue Reading →
Meeting the ‘Dark’
This post is going to be metaphoric in nature. And so while you read this post, I would like you to think in symbolism. 'Light' and 'Dark' are symbolic words. They are not absolute. Many religions talk about Light and Dark in absolute terms. The popular belief is that 'dark' is evil and bad. However,... Continue Reading →
Difficult People
Question : There are some people I meet who somehow always pick up little things I might say and make it a big deal. It is always so much of stress to be in their presence. I never know when that person would pounce on me, when he/she would misunderstand me and 'put words in... Continue Reading →
Compliments
I recently met a friend and the first thing I found myself telling her was "Wow, you've lost so much weight!". And pat came the reply, "Oh! I am tired of hearing so many versions of my weight. Some say I've lost weight...some say I've gained weight. I honestly do not care about these compliments... Continue Reading →
The Buddha’s wife
He left her in the middle of the night, the night their son was born. When she heard the news she was devastated. Yet, she did not complain. But her life lost all meaning. The only reason for her to live now was her son. She wanted him to grow up to be a man... Continue Reading →
The Violet Tree 