When Nature (and God) Became Redundant Toward the end of the Renaissance period, a radical epistemological and metaphysical shift overcame the Western psyche. The advances of Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei and Francis Bacon posed a serious problem for Christian dogma and its dominion over the natural world. Following Bacon’s arguments, the natural world was now …
How the Dualism of Descartes Ruined Our Mental Health Read More »
There were two servants who had recently been hired onto the King’s staff. As they went through the training process, they came to know one another. The first, Samuel, was terrified of being fired and was therefore very eager to please. While the existing team of servants responsible for the training were well-known throughout the …
The Curmudgeon & The Sycophant: A Story of Two Servants. Read More »
In the dusty streets of one of India’s largest cities, a beggar sat daily procuring alms and rice from passersby. In a given day he was usually able to gain enough rice for a meal, and enough coppers to buy the firewood with which to cook it. At night, he slept under the moon with …
There is an old saying that tells us that dogs are our links to heaven. Anyone who has ever owned one knows this is true. Our relationship with these noble creatures stretches back all the way to pre-history, to times when we ourselves were still hunting and living off the land. Ancient cultures worshiped them, …
Why Dogs Don’t Live as Long as Humans, Explained By A 4-Year Old Read More »
By Saskia Davis, ©1984 Be on the lookout for the symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed, and it is possible that people, everywhere, could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what, up to now, has been a fairly stable …
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~ Leo Buscaglia I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it. I was born with a …
~ This is what should be done By one who is skilled in goodness, And who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright, Straightforward and gentle in speech. Humble and not conceited, Contented and easily satisfied. Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways. Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful, …
The Sublime Abiding: The Buddha’s Words on Kindness Read More »
According to The Business Insider, Steve Jobs only downloaded one book, ever, to his iPad 2: Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda. To those in the know, this should come as no surprise, as it was also his parting gift to all of the attendees at his funeral — the last gesture he made …
15 Quotes on Enlightened Business Practice From Steve Jobs’ Number One Guru Read More »
Although a scientist through-and-through, there are those who claim Nikola Tesla was a man displaced in time, a mystic from a long-distant future born into the body of a 19th century inventor. To those who knew him, it certainly must’ve appeared that way. He spoke 8 languages, possessed a photographic memory, slept no longer than …
I am a Zen Master and like many before me I have chosen to write words of wisdom in an effort to encourage others to follow a similar path. I admit being a Zen Master is not something everyone aspires to be, but if you want to become more like a Zen Master or a …
An Anonymous Monk Provides 12 Zen Tips For Finding Inner Peace Read More »
The word psychology comes from the Greek psychología, and translates, literally, as “study of the soul”. For anyone familiar with the practice, whether from an academic, professional or personal angle, this comes as no surprise. Psychology is a continuous and direct engagement with the anatomy of emotion itself, one which, if practiced properly, uses the …
30 Carl Jung Quotes Guaranteed to Crack Your Idea of ‘Reality’ Wide Open Read More »
When I was 18 years old, I suffered from anxiety and stomach problems. A compassionate physician and practicing Buddhist referred me to a Taoist monk who specialized in meditation and martial arts. I ended up healing myself of anxiety and stomach issues by doing meditation, and went on a great journey of self-discovery. Here are 9 lessons I learned …
9 Powerful Life Lessons Learned from Studying With a Monk Read More »
There are many who contend that Siddhartha Gautama, the man otherwise known as the Buddha, was an atheist, and that his original teaching, at its core, did not include concepts such as karma and reincarnation. Others are of the school of thought that he was an agnostic, neither avowing or disavowing such ideas, and resting instead in …
What Did the Buddha Have to Say About “Belief”? The Answer May Surprise You. Read More »
In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine man complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experienced the loss of soul. Dancing, singing, storytelling, and …
There are few mystics of the last century who were as provocative as Wild, Wild Country’s Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Whether it was his fleet of Rolls Royce cars, the (very) serious legal troubles his following got into during the 80’s, his outrageous get-ups or his criticism of other notable figures such as Gandhi, Rajneesh was …
We all have a certain degree of admiration for those forward-thinkers who were ahead of their time, or for those free-spirited individuals who had the courage, the will and the foresight to speak their minds despite the risk of being labelled non-conformists and cast to the outer fringes of society. Well, truth be told, that …
“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” ~ Richard P. Feynman What would your life be like if you did not care what other people thought of you? …
Most people, even though they don’t know it, are asleep. They’re born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence. You know, all …
Anthony de Mello Speaks About The Pain of “Waking Up” Read More »
The Buddha was sitting under a tree, giving a talk to an assembly of followers, when a stranger suddenly appeared, pushing through the congregation in a rage and heading straight for the sage. The Buddha’s disciples began to restrain him, but he ordered them to let the man go. They obliged, and the infuriated figure …
The Man Who Spit In Buddha’s Face: A Fable of Fury Read More »
Well, it turns out that some of history’s most creative geniuses actually weren’t as eccentric as previously thought. At least when it comes to their sleeping schedules, anyway. The popular idea of the tortured creative genius slaving away all night and basically giving no thought to their sleep hygiene in general could be somewhat of …
Sleep Schedules of 27 of History’s Most Creative Minds Read More »
Well I’m in the working world again. I’ve found myself a well-paying gig in the engineering industry, and life finally feels like it’s returning to normal after my nine months of traveling. Back to the 40hr workweek. Because I had been living quite a different lifestyle while I was away, this sudden transition to 9-to-5 …
Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed (The Real Reason For The 40hr Workweek) Read More »
There are no wrong feelings. There may be wrong actions in the sense of actions contrary to the rules of human communication. But the way you feel towards other people: loving, hating, et cetera, et cetera; there aren’t any wrong feelings. And so, to try to force one’s feelings to be other than what they …
Alan Watts Explains Why There Are No “Wrong” Feelings Read More »
“When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: ‘Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve’.” ~ Gordon B. Hinckley Everyone knows, intuitively, that art precludes science. Everyone knows the poet is better at distilling the truths of the universe than a team of …
Roald Dahl & Shel Silverstein on Thinking Beautiful Thoughts Read More »
Miyamoto Musashi, otherwise known by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a 17th century ronin (a samurai with no master) who displayed an otherworldly skill with the sword from an early age, coming to be renowned over the course of his life due to his level of mastery in the field. The author of 17 books, …
21 Precepts on Life From a 17th Century Master Swordsman Read More »
“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.” As we’ve addressed before, the wisdom of the Native Americans is vast. Theirs is a culture …
29 Native American Quotes on Life, Death and Meaning Read More »
Prior to the inception of the internet, it was basically impossible to find any realistic depiction of the Native American, First Nations, Metis and Inuit people anywhere, let alone any kind of map of the many historical Native American tribes by region. (Even well after the dawn of the information age, it remained quite a …
Native American Tribes By Region: A Breathtakingly Expansive History Read More »
During the civil wars in feudal Japan, the ferocity of the invading armies was a thing of legend. Calculated and ruthless, they would sweep through entire towns and take control in a matter of hours, systematically handicapping the village’s defences, plundering their valuables, and killing any and all dissidents without question. As a point of …
“As he was about to climb yet another dune, his heart whispered, ‘Be aware of the place where you are brought to tears. That’s where I am, and that’s where your treasure is.’” ~ Paulo Coelho According to an old Hindu legend, there was once a time when all human beings were Gods, but they …
A Traditional Hindu Legend: Where The Treasure Lies Read More »
It is said that the Anishinaabeg — the Ojibwe, Odowa and Potawatome — came to earth born of the fifth element, the breath of the great spirit itself. Known as “the good people”, the teachings of the Anishinaabe are hard to put into words, as theirs is a path that extends the clarity of vision to …
