Beloved Sri Devi,

Ah…writing. The simple act of putting your wisdom out into the world. Or so you thought.

Naively, you believed it would be as easy as hopping onto a forum and sharing your perspective. How hard could it be, right? But the deeper you dived, the clearer it became: this planet has turned writing into a minefield.

Take this seemingly harmless thought —

• Everyone should read the scriptures. And suddenly, you offend those who believe only certain groups should have access.
• Say instead, Stay away from the scriptures. Immediately, someone demands, “Who are you to stop me?”
• Try softening it a little: Only qualified people should read them. Now you’re acting as a rigid gatekeeper.
• Move on and say, Women can read the scriptures. And you’re accused of breaking tradition.
• Flip it: Women can’t do so. And you’re instantly branded regressive.
• Finally, you go silent, only to hear: “You’re withholding wisdom; that’s not compassion.”

Not that any of this will stop you from writing. But somewhere along the way, writing stopped being a simple, joyful act. It became a full-blown process — practically a corporate operation:

1. Use a pen name to protect your family’s privacy.
2. Document that pen name with the copyright office.
3. Register a DBA or LLC to safeguard your assets.
4. Revisit personal insurances.
5. Buy writer’s insurance to guard against defamation or lawsuits.

And in the middle of all this, you keep asking yourself: when will I actually begin writing?

Some days, the weight of it all could make you cry. But thanks to your spiritual training, most days you just laugh it off. Seriously, when did writing — one of the most natural human expressions — become so complicated?

Well, maybe this is why they say the pen is mightier than any weapon — one that can both create and destroy. Writing, then, is not merely about putting words on a page. It is about having the wisdom to accept reality: to shield your head with a proper umbrella, and still dance freely in the rain.

Love,
Self