“Worldly pleasures are insubstantial, whereas devotional joys are substantial.” This scriptural insight is most relevant for us spiritual seekers because it empowers us to resist material temptations. But unfortunately, we often forget it when temptation attacks us.

We become like a warrior caught unarmed by an enemy. Normally, the warrior would immediately try to get a weapon for defending himself. But if the enemy somehow deluded him into forgetting the weapon, he would soon lie butchered.

Generic scriptural study may not give us daily the specific reminders we need.

The Bhagavad-gita (04.42) compares spiritual knowledge to a weapon. Temptation catches us unarmed when spiritual knowledge, specifically the insight for exposing that temptation, is not in our consciousness. Normally, we would try to remember that insight, but sometimes the temptation so bamboozles us that we don’t even remember to remember, and soon our moral resolutions lie butchered.

To protect ourselves, we can use external aids such as reminders. We may already be using digital reminders for our important to-dos. But as seekers we need reminders not just for our to-dos, but also for our to-remembers.

One standard reminder is a daily habit of scriptural study. However, because scripture deals with many subjects, generic scriptural study may not give us daily the specific reminders we need. So, we can prepare for ourselves customized reminders composed of philosophical insights that unmask the particular temptations which bedevil us.

Someone may question, “Isn’t Krishna’s mercy all that we need?”

Yes, it is – and it can manifest as philosophical insight too. But whatever way it manifests, to receive it, we usually need to seek his help; and for that, we need to remember him; and for that, we frequently need to remember the philosophical rationale for remembering him. And that rationale often comes best from customized reminders.

Thus, by refining our reminders, we can combat temptation and progress firmly in devotion.