Anong writes, Dr. Gupta, I am from Thailand. I have been reading your writings for almost two years. I have introduced it to my Sangha and we read and discuss your discourses fairly regularly because, like you, we are interested in understanding our lives. My country is mainly Buddhist. And I wanted to ask you […]

You have no problems. You have never really had them. But you created them out of thin air. You created them to support your existence. They are a scaffolding upon which rests the structure of your well-groomed life. You say that you want to get rid of your problems. But you would not dare do […]

It is indeed seductive to explore the recipe for success. As the logic goes, if you want to be successful in a certain field, then it makes sense to study those who have succeeded before you and follow their example. This is certainly a logical concept and one that has spawned much research and numerous […]

You do not have a life. You do not own a life. You are life itself. As life, you exist on a planet surrounded by other forms of life. Be it a tree, a peacock, or a sparrow. You, as life investing the form of a human being, exist in a world in which things […]

Great teachers are better observers than they are teachers. Teaching is, in some ways, a myth. The greatest skill is learned, more than it is taught. And the great teacher realizes this. The great teacher introduces the student to a concept and allows him to make acquaintance with it. He leads him into the room […]

To lead someone by the hand is indeed an addictive impulse. Particularly for parents and teachers. With each passing day, I grow more hesitant of teaching. I adore teaching. It’s in my blood. But the years have been teaching me a lesson. That teaching is far more dangerous than I once thought. The Hippocratic Oath […]

Man is not searching for happiness. He is running away from sadness. He believes that happiness is the opposite of sadness. When, actually, there are only shades of difference between them. Happiness and sadness are moods. Moods are a byproduct of thought. And thought is the very constitution of the mind. In essence, the unenlightened […]

Nargis writes, Dr. Gupta, I am ambivalent about the concept of God. Does he truly exist? Does he not? Should I pray to him? I would love your comments on this. Ambivalence is certainly called for, isn’t it. A God that you have never seen. A God that you have never spoken to. And yet you […]

What would your life be like if . . . Whether someone praised you or cursed you, you hardly noticed. Whether your children listened to you or not it did not matter. Whether you were promoted in your job or overlooked, you could care less. Whatever happened between now and forever was of absolutely no […]

Evelyn says, In hearing you speak I’m struck by your fabulous commitment to the idea of truly living. You speak passionately about it and I get lost in it, as it were. But is it possible to maintain this with any manner of consistency? Hello, Ms. Evelyn. I believe it was last December, was it not? […]