Awake in the World

Memorial Day honors those who have lost their lives in national service. The ideals of service to others comes from deep wisdom traditions that extend across the world. Seva (in Sanskrit) or selfless service teaches high ideals that value others over one’s self. Selfless service is a way to self-realization and joy. Through serving others…

“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hand.” – Richard Bach Without problems life would be very dull. What if we invite in problems as ways to teach us to grow? Some problems we’d rather not have. Regina, a woman I met recently at a workshop, has…

“Patient and regular practice is the whole secret of spiritual realization. Do not be in a hurry in spiritual life. Do your utmost, and leave the rest to God.” – Swami Shivananda In American culture we want our desires fulfilled NOW! The practice of patiently waiting for the right timing and place for things to…

Wisdom or jnana, in Sanskrit, is a spiritual path recognized by ancient wisdom traditions. It means using inquiry, contemplation and reflection to discover the Truth. Truth with a capital “T” relates to the absolute, unchanging reality. Two kinds of truth exist. Relative truth may change with time. I may say, “The grass is green.” It…

If someone hits you or insults you at work will you consider it a blessing? Jain monks and lay people strive to live the ideal of complete imperturbability even if attacked. The underlying feeling is one of “whatever happens today, I accept it with calm serenity. I am at peace with the world.” This feeling…

“Spirit is an invisible force made visible in all life.”  – Maya Angelou What does it mean to live a spiritual life, why do we do it and how, are some of the questions that call to anyone seeking a sense of purpose and meaning. Spiritual life attests to the power of the human spirit…

The Asatoma is an ancient prayer from India. In Sanskrit, it prays for guidance to grow from darkness to light, to distinguish the real from the unreal, and to be guided from death of the physical to the immortality of the Spirit. This ancient, non-sectarian prayer from the Upanishads is not a prayer for things…

There seems to be an order in the universe, in the movement of the stars and the turning of the earth and the changing of the seasons, and even in the cycle of human life. The cicadas know it. They’ve come out of their thirteen year slumber to gather in large numbers, hum, mate and…

Everyone says, “I want peace,” as if it will fall out of the sky and suddenly all will be peaceful. I’ve found that peace requires a lot of effort – at least as much as working in a corporation and probably more. When I worked sixty to eighty hour weeks in international business in Europe,…

Both Buddhist and Hindu teachings address controlling the monkey mind, but this didn’t make much sense until I travelled to India. In Andhra Pradesh monkeys scampered along the roadsides and populated villages. They sat at temples and ate the offerings to Ganesha or Gayatri. When curious visitors offered them cucumbers or bananas, they would grab…

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