As I write this, it is early September. Later in the month, in the northern hemisphere, it will be the autumnal equinox, the day when summer ends and fall begins. You can already feel the difference in the air. The mornings are cooler. On some of the trees the leaves…

Throughout the sacred texts we repeatedly find the idea that there are two aspects to a human being. There is the earth aspect, living as any other creature in the world, fulfilling the needs of nature; living and dying. And then there is a higher aspect, capable of knowing the…

We all love mysteries. And they can be fun to solve. But there’s one mystery that’s so much more than a simple diversion. Its solution can connect us to untold resources for solving problems, both our own and the problems of the world. It’s the greatest mystery of all, and…

Most of us have known many different kinds of love. There’s the love of sweethearts. The love of children and family. The love of the things we do, and of our homeland. These are personal and changeable loves. And then there’s a love not so easy to define. It’s a…

It’s spring! This is a time for new beginnings, new hope, and new appreciation for the endless possibilities we are given each moment to start over. The power of spring lends us the fresh forces we need to break through and to let go of old patterns. The possibility of…

With all the peace talks, global conferences, and demonstrations for peace that have been taking place around the world for what seems like millennia, wouldn’t you think that by now… there might be a little peace on earth? But human history tells a sad story: promising fits and starts that…

There is a perennial theme that weaves its way throughout all wisdom teachings: we human beings have come to believe that the ability to hide a limitation is the same as having transcended it. Of course, this is a lot like thinking that if we close our eyes the stalking…

Explorers throughout time have opened up the wonders of this beautiful planet, and taken us to the stars. As individuals we may not have the opportunity to make such exciting discoveries, but we also love to travel and experience new places. However, we expect too much of these adventures. We…

We all wish to be filled with wisdom, with peace, with compassion. But what are we actually filled with most of the time? Our minds spill over with reruns from unwanted moments past, reliving of painful encounters with other people, fears of an uncertain future. Meaningless thoughts about meaningless events…

When it comes to growing into our best selves, we humans do a lot of thinking. We think about what’s wrong with ourselves. We talk to ourselves about who we would rather be. We imagine, and plan, and try to figure it all out with our minds. Now don’t get…