Reading Archive (Hope and Optimism)
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....
Vulnerability is the Path
Vulnerability isn't good or bad: it's not what we call a dark emotion, nor is it always a light, positive experience....
Inner World of Moods
“Give me a place to stand on," said the Greek mathematician Archimedes, “and I can move the world.” He was...
Small Wonder
Barry Lopez writes that if we hope to succeed in the endeavor of protecting natures other than our own, "it will require that we...
Honor the Seed
Honor the seed. The words seem so simple. This is knowledge that was passed down to me from my father. Yet, today, those simple words...
The Messiah Is One Of Us
Once upon a time there was a wise abbot of a monastery who was the friend of an equally wise rabbi. This was in the old country, long...
Restoring Balance and Meaning in Ourselves
During a time of great drought, a Taoist master was asked by members of a village if he could help bring rain to their dry fields. They...
A Newly Rich Life With Yourself
Do not despise your inner world. That is the first and most general piece of advice I would offer. Our society is very outward-looking,...
Causes Of Happiness
The purpose of life is to strive for happiness. Every sentient being has the right to survive; this means having a desire for...
Laziness As Our Personal Teacher
The path of awakening is a process. It’s a process of gradually learning to become intimate with our so-called obstacles. So rather...
Love is the Source of Fearlessness
Some of the prison bars that we have constructed for ourselves are our fear of losing our jobs. Our fear of not being liked. Our need for...
An Undying Faith of the Infinite in Us
When we watch a child trying to walk, we see its countless failures; its successes are but few. If we had to limit our observation...
Our Teachers in Nature
Looking at living systems over time, I came to understand that they all go through a cycle that's very like our psychological maturation...
Three Millimeters of the Universe
Dear Sam, One night in the hospital, a friend came to visit me. I told her I didn't think I could go on anymore. What I was...
Search Itself Changes You
"This whole planet is fiction," he said. "A picture show. Sometimes it can be a rather engrossing picture show, but that doesn't make it...