Prayer is not an act of belief, nor is it necessarily even an act of words. It is an act of attention. There are many forms of prayer in every tradition throughout history. Anciently, prayer was a form of “communion,” meaning one actively opens to and engages with the benevolent force—that mystery of life, of aliveness, itself. I’d propose that […]
What is Contemplative Prayer? Contemplative prayer is like when you open your mouth and sit back at the dentist. You try to relax, you understand that something is being done to you by a considerate, skilled being that understands your needs better than you do, in that case, your dental needs. Opening and inviting in […]
All of the traditions studied and presented here essentially share one assumption—that while humans enjoy the free will to pursue their desires and avoid the things they don’t want as they wish—this exercise will ultimately end in a realization that no external person, item, or situation will deeply satisfy in a permanent way. The moment […]
I often argue that all of us are members of many “cults.” CULTure is simply a human way of being that demands compliance to receive social benefits. Our religious, political, and economic systems, and many families all very much operate like cults—conformity is psychologically enforced, nonconformity, penalized. But this doesn’t mean we throw out our […]
A revolution in human consciousness is happening right now—can you feel it? We live in a very exciting time of change, and some wonderfully illuminating discoveries are happening on the inner landscape of humanity right now that will be of greater benefit to future generations and the planet. While the noisy and heartbreaking upheaval and […]
Judge Not, Fear Not, Love One Another, Forgive All Whether or not you are a follower of the being who taught these fundamental, oft-neglected principles, they lie at the heart of most spiritual teachings. The good news is, when one finally sees clearly into the nature of cause and effect, judgment of our fellowman disappears […]
Be Believing Just as we do not need to understand how to build the technology we use in order to enjoy its benefits, we do not need to know how faith works. Nor must we trust anyone else or have faith in anything else beyond ourselves if that’s uncomfortable. But, we absolutely must develop the […]
Love One Another Love is one of the biggest powers in play in the human drama. We talk about it casually so much and are raised with very elementary ideas about what it is. So we think it is covered territory, “We get it, yes, ‘Love one another,’ that’s all very nice. But let’s be […]
What is the appeal of living life without agenda? Of assuming this moment brings the best the moment ever could have offered, and nature manifest itself? Of simply wondering at this rather than judging it? The obvious benefit is I can never fail again, or even suffer. My body is calm again. Plus, I find […]