To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. Continue reading
Transformation
The Sound Of Silence
After Years Of Silence Between Them, Garfunkel Confronts Simon On Stage
Growing Old or Growing Up
Growing old is not of any worth; every animal does it, it needs no intelligence. Growing up is a totally different experience. Growing old is horizontal; growing up is vertical, it leads you to heights, it leads you to depths. And strangely enough, you will be surprised to know that time is horizontal. One moment passes, another moment comes, another moment, another moment … in a line, a horizontal line. Time is horizontal, and mind is also horizontal. Continue reading
Thomas Edison – Power of a Positive word
When you smile at the world, the world does tend to smile back
As the Archbishop has said, “We are all cousins, really, perhaps just a few thousand times removed.” Think of someone you love—a child, parent, close friend, or even a cherished pet. Bring their image into your mind and allow yourself to feel the love that you have for them. Notice the sense of warmth and openheartedness that comes from feeling your love for them. Imagine their desire to be happy and to avoid suffering. Reflect on how they live their life to achieve these aspirations. Continue reading
when we heal something in ourselves, we heal it for the world
We learn that the answer to the problems we face is within us. By letting go of the inner blocks to it, the truth of our inner Self shines forth and the path to peace is revealed. Other spiritual teachers have emphasized the cultivation of inner peace as the only real solution to personal difficulties, as well as collective conflicts: “Inner disarmament first, then outer disarmament” (The Dalai Lama); “Be the change you want to see in the world” (Gandhi). Continue reading
Parable of Change – The Road to Davy’s Bar
The Wicklow Mountains lie just outside Dublin, Ireland. It is an area of wild beauty, a place to which, as an Irishman born there, I return as often as I can. It is still a bare and lonely spot, with unmarked roads, and I still get lost. Once I stopped and asked the way. “Sure, it’s easy,” a local replied, “just keep going the way you are, straight ahead, and after a while you will cross a small bridge with Davy’s Bar on the far side. You can’t miss it!” “Yes, I’ve got that,” I said. “Straight on to Davy’s Bar.” “That’s right. Well, half a mile before you get there, turn to your right up the hill.” Continue reading
We Were Made for These Times…..
My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world now. Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people.
You are right in your assessments. The lustre and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet, I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is that we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement…….
Observe Feelings rather than Thoughts
“Self-awareness is increased much more rapidly by observing feelings rather than thoughts.What if we developed news media that were a laboratory for negotiation and dialogue?
If you want more publicity today—in newspapers, on television talks shows, or on the radio—be sensational. Offend people. Talk fast. Spin the facts for maximum impact. Raise your voice. Interrupt other speakers. Dominate the conversation. Consume all the airtime. Exaggerate. Stamp a label (“liberal” or “conservative,” “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” etc.) on your forehead. Once you have a label, it is easier for the producers of the program to plug you into their pro-and-con lineup.
Unfortunately, this is the way it works in the popular media in many cultures today. Verbal brawling is on the rise; debate is getting dirtier; and there is little room for anything else. Continue reading
ONE TUSK 