We so often get in the way of grief; we try to suppress, truncate, postpone, or ignore it. We are afraid of being overwhelmed, of becoming nonfunctional: "If I start crying, I'll never stop:" But grief is more powerful than our resistance. In grief, it is natural to feel...
Focusing keeps your eyes on the road, but awareness lets you enjoy the scenery. Almost all the satisfaction of a sitting comes not from watching the road but from those sideways glances at the scenery. Awareness is complicated because...
For thousands of years, ever since mankind started settling in cities, we evolved in rigid, patriarchal and extremely authoritarian structures – at least in the West. This started changing after the industrial revolution and the pace has been picking up since the end of the last war.
For thousands of years, ever since mankind started settling in cities, we evolved in rigid, patriarchal and extremely authoritarian structures – at least in the West. This started changing after the industrial revolution and the pace has been picking up since the end of the last war.
Chanting is one of the easiest ways to turn within. When you are truly chanting you forget about yourself, and in that self-forgetfulness you begin to experience Ecstasy, Joy, Peace, Love and Compassion. For those few moments you suddenly realize the...
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the new crescent moon is, or should be, visible. Ramadan is a period of fasting and spiritual growth, and is one of the five “pillars of Islam.”
Americans are fascinated by magic. TV shows like “WandaVision” and “The Witcher,” books like the Harry Potter series, plus comics, movies and games about people with powers that can’t be explained by God, science or technology, have all been wildly popular for years.
Don't think about enlightenment as a goal, it is not. It is not a goal; it is not something that you can desire. And if you desire it you will not get it. In desiring a thousand and one things, by and by you come to understand that all desire is futile. Each desire lands you in frustration; each desire again and again throws you into a ditch.
It was my nature at a very young age to be observant and contemplative. I observed the restrained and reverential behavior of people in church. I also observed, curiously, that many of these same sanctimonious people were often irreverent, insensitive, and sometimes cruel outside of church.
Why go to all the trouble of learning to meditate? Isn't it all too hard? The short answer is that learning to meditate will invariably help your well-being. One of the best answers is that you will feel the benefits almost immediately, which is definitely one of the greatest...
Churches around the world hold services for their three most important days during Holy Week: Holy Thursday, sometimes called Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
We usually have a love-hate relationship with emotions. When we aren't subduing our difficult emotions, we love to feel them and explore their meaning. We hold onto them, recall them, even obsess about who's to blame for them, gossip to our friends about how bad they are...
As I waded into the cold water, I noticed the body of a blue pond damselfly floating on the surface. I picked her up, and held her gently in my hands…at first to see if she may still be alive, and then, when I realized she was dead, I couldn’t put her down.
As I waded into the cold water, I noticed the body of a blue pond damselfly floating on the surface. I picked her up, and held her gently in my hands…
Death looms larger than usual during a global pandemic. An age-friendly community works to make sure people are connected, healthy and active throughout their lives, but it doesn’t pay as much attention to the end of life.
The priests of the Age of the Father, whose job centered on sacrifice, would probably not have recognized their successors as religions. One of the charges the pagan Romans leveled against the Christians was atheism...
Whether you encounter persistent drowsiness or any other obstacle to meditation, if you are not ready to meditate just now, ask yourself, Why not? Is there something you are avoiding in your daily life, some relationship left unresolved? Ironically, as you look into this very question, you are...
We look at things always with old eyes. You come to your home; you look at it without looking at it. You know it -- there is no need to look at it. The last time you looked at your wife or at your husband may have been years ago...
Lee Webster, president emeritus of the National Home Funeral Alliance, writes, “Home funerals are about empowering families to care for their own dead, to take the time to be present and absorb the loss, to complete a process that is intimate and meaningful..."
Jewish families will gather for Passover this year in circumstances that will, like the celebration itself, reflect on dark times while holding out for better to come.
How long should you meditate? The first rule is, Don't be ruled by what others do. What works well for them may not work for you. Accept that in certain ways you are unique. Intensity of effort is far more important than the time spent in meditation. Never meditate to the point of mental fatigue, strain, or boredom...
How long should you meditate? The first rule is, Don't be ruled by what others do. What works well for them may not work for you. Accept that in certain ways you are unique. Intensity of effort is far more important than the time spent in meditation. Never meditate to the point of mental fatigue, strain, or boredom...
The terms “heaven” and “hell” have come to mean the place you want to be and the place you don’t want to be. But every good story, including our human journey, includes both. The hero is typically forced to leave his familiar life and plunge into the underworld where he is...
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