Spirituality

One's life philosophy is not an abstract matter; it has to serve one's daily life. Joseph Campbell, whose guiding idea was expressed as "the commonality of themes in world myths," was once asked by the interviewer Bill Moyers, "You're talking about a search for the meaning of life?" "No, no, no," he replied. "For the experience of being alive." Read More

The latest fad in motivation is the Law of Attraction or more popularly The Secret after the motion picture and book by Rhonda Byrne. The Secret claims that the more intent you are in your wish for health, wealth, and friends, the faster the universe will act upon it. Is it real, or is it VooDoo science? Read More

What is the evil we all see but won't notice; where does it dwell? In a faar-awaay savage land perhaps? Next door? Home? But isn't it reassuring to know, that as Dorothy Says in her pledge of allegiance-There Is No Place Like Home. Read More

Back at the burning house

I had meant to write several posts about Reb's retreat in quick succession and then get back to the book but I am (pathetic excuse) too busy - working on the second edition of my textbook Consciousness: An Introduction. It is extremely hard work (though I love doing it) and just doesn't leave time for much else. I hope to have it finished in about 3 weeks and then I will have time for the blog. Read More

One common criticism of the topic of self-cultivation is the extent of focus on the "self." The idea of self-cultivation is itself inappropriate because it is essentially self-absorbed and fails to acknowledge the more fundamental communal or social dimension of human life. Read More

Whether it's God, love, or eating a meatball a day, we all need something to believe in. Obviously, there’s no right answer. I do believe, however, that everyone has a personal truth (or one every month in Oprah’s case) that keeps them believing in something more, hoping for something better than the verifiable facts of life. Read More

What does complimenting your husband for remembering to put down the toilet seat have to do with making your life a blessing?

It is important to pay attention to small acts of generosity and thoughtfulness. It is easy to take them for granted, to focus on waiting for big dramas and significant moments.

But the small moments are where change happens and is consolidated. Read More

Individuals who are primed about God are more generous when playing the dictator game (a two-person economic game). It would seem that the threat of having a cosmic omnipotent enforcer hanging over one's head and conscience increases one's likelihood of engaging in prosocial behavior. Read More

Within the Hindu pantheon, Ganesh (pr., ga-NESH) is the deity of obstacles. Most see this elephant-headed fellow as one who simply overcomes obstacles, but - all things occurring in balance - he can also present us with obstacles, or even be the obstacle himself, when there is a lesson to be learned. This brings us to the notion of tattva, or One Truth, which is a useful tool for breaking the bonds of those repeating patterns of behavior that plague us, and to which we often refer.

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