About The Daily Sāttvik
In the Bhagavad Gītā, Krishna is eager to bestow upon Arjuna the knowledge of the highest spiritual truth and even a rare mystical vision. But all Arjuna wants is for Krishna to get him out of his current predicament: he is deeply anguished about waging war against his people, and he wants to know what to do next.
We’re all Arjuna. Our personal trials and tribulations may pale before the vast knowledge the cosmos holds, but that doesn’t mean they’re trivial. For us, they’re very real. Things going badly at work, the people we like don’t like us back, no one understands us — we want mukti (freedom) from all this.
One option to achieve mukti is through renunciation of worldly things and rigorous study of the scriptures. But for most of us, it isn’t possible. Nor is its opposite — letting external forces dictate our lives.
That’s why Sattva: balance, light, goodness, and purity. Sattva isn’t just about wearing light clothes and eating the right food. It’s about remaining focused, calm, and dignified in everything you do—whether you’re involved in intense activity or rest, whether you’re being praised or chastised, whether life is stormy or smooth sailing.
The Daily Sāttvik shares wisdom from Indian sages and philosophers to help you overcome your challenges, uplift yourself, and improve the quality of your life. Each weekday, we will share a quote from a sage like the firebrand Swami Vivekananda, the philosopher J. Krishnamurti who declined the title World Teacher, and the freedom-fighter-turned-spiritual-guru Sri Aurobindo, along with a short, simple, practical meditation on how you can apply the principle to your daily life.
These lessons will guide you to develop resilience and self-belief, become a better version of yourself, and be self-reliant in a world hell-bent on making decisions for you. They’re an attempt to help you embark on a voyage of self-development with the wise as your shepherd (who will eventually turn you from a sheep into a lion).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I’m Vishal Kataria, the creator of Daily Sāttvika.
In 2020 and 2021, after losing myself badly during the lockdown, I picked up Swāmi Vivekānanda’s Complete Book of Yoga.
It felt as if he had written the book for me, as if he knew that in 2022, a stuck, confused person would turn to him for help (and he probably did know). Reading his works whet my appetite as I sought out other Indian sages.
What struck me was that their wisdom is not just for spirituality, but for every obstacle in our daily lives. Like, how we should treat others, how to stop caring about what others think, and how to be self-reliant in a world hell-bent on making decisions for us.
For the next six months, I picked up one quote each day and made a short journal entry on how I could apply it to my life. This cathartic writing exercise had a cascading effect on my mind—I became calmer, focused, and energetic.
I’ve decided to make this a lifelong exercise, not in my diary but in the open for the benefit of anyone who wants it.
This is what Daily Sāttvik is: One insightful quote on character, activity, conscious choice, love, and more, followed by a short meditation on how to apply it and become the person we truly want to be.
I hope what you see here proves useful to you, and I wish you the best!
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DIARY OF THE DAILY SĀTTVIK
Daily principles from Indian monks, sages, and philosophers, simplified to help you overcome daily challenges, build self-confidence and belief, and discover your purpose.