It’s hard to read the news these days. With so much strife and antagonism being reported on every page or webpage, it seems as though war and violence have broken out across the planet. People of good will feel helpless in the face of such global forces. Many wish to know how flaring tempers can be cooled down and whether […]

Each of the four seasons, their countless stages, all the actors appearing there: clouds, rain, earth, grasses, sunlight, trees, fruit, seeds, winds, and dancing leaves — all serve to reveal a great, silent, and unseen story called “Letting Go.” This story is a mysterious one, for it is played out upon a stage that is itself contained within a greater […]

October is an amazing month. Right now, in the northern hemisphere autumn is in full swing and you can feel the urgency of change almost as a vibration in the air. Change is all around us. You wake up in the morning and it’s cold and almost a bit frosty; but by late afternoon it’s sunny and hot and people […]

The idea of “joy” seems a bit mysterious. We may not know what it is exactly, but we sense there’s more to it than what we normally think of as “happiness.” It seems to refer to something whose roots and meaning lie beyond the passing pleasures of daily life. Perhaps we might think of joy as a deeper, more abiding […]

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. — William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) I would imagine most of us have probably heard that quote, or something like it, at some time or other. But have we stopped to really ponder it so we understand the power it holds? It’s telling us that the meaning a […]

Would you be willing to take part in a quick little experiment where, in exchange for just a moment of your time, you might make a life-changing discovery? Okay, then here it is: First, as you read this, bring your attention back to yourself. Now, take a deep breath, look around you, and realize you’re alive; you’re breathing; you’re in […]

If you ever wonder what the primary purpose of life really is, just look around you. Everywhere we see things growing and changing, and all for the purpose of reaching a higher level of perfection. Each creature finds ways to be better adapted to its surroundings so as to get more of what it needs. Everything strives to fulfill its […]

It’s May, and here in southern Oregon we have finally seen signs of spring. The sun has peeped out, the rain has (mostly) stopped, and people are planting their gardens. Planting a garden takes work, but the promise of an abundant harvest fills the gardener with happy anticipation. It would be nice to be able to wake up the next […]

At this point in our spiritual journey we should all know that it’s not enough to just acknowledge the great truths we hear about how to live a better life; we must act on this knowledge if we hope to change how we experience our life, let alone succeed in transforming ourselves. Here’s a quote from the thirteenth century that […]

Two ideas we don’t often think of together are “freedom” and “faith.” And yet, if you read what some of the great sages have to say about freedom, they often bring in the idea of faith as its integral partner. We cannot be free when life doesn’t make sense to us; when it doesn’t seem to have any meaning beyond […]