An attempt to explain women should be freed from demands and expectations, because every attempt to write about a woman is limited by rational discourse. To truly learn something about a woman and have a direct benefit from it in our life, we must empty our minds and be open to the new, as in … Read more
Isn’t it obvious that there is, or rather, that there must be a “cosmic intelligence” that acts in everything, even in what is invisible and incomprehensible to us? There is, therefore, a plan of action that is manifested in a universal Law… This Law or set of laws is also called the “meaning of life”; … Read more
Classical philosophies, both in the East and in the West, have viewed the world as an orderly whole. From celestial bodies to the tiniest beings on Earth, everything is subject to the laws of nature. They shape and harmonize life, giving it rhythm and regularity in expression, as well as vitality, balance, and beauty. This … Read more
Foundations of Mahayana Buddhism One of the leading authorities on Buddhist philosophy and one of the most influential figures in popularizing interest in Zen Buddhism in the West in the 1950s was Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870 – 1966), a former professor of Buddhist philosophy at Otani University in Kyoto. He was the first great Asian … Read more
As I slowly and focusedly walked through the green oak forest this morning, the bright orange-red Sun was rising on the horizon. It brought back memories of India, where a few of us joined Thich Nhat Hanh a year before we started visiting the places where Buddha taught. On our walk to the cave near … Read more
Difficulties in life arise from the easy path of vice, ease in life arises from the difficult path of virtue. Marsilio Ficino writes to Piero del Nero, a man of great brilliance. How much harder it is to advance with the certainty of reason than to wander randomly, to climb than to fall, to try … Read more
Mindfulness is the conscious and compassionate observation of the moment, without judgment or evaluation. Through regular practice of mindfulness, we can become aware of our own thoughts, emotions, and reactions, and learn how to accept and transform them in a positive way. Therefore, dignity is the ability to maintain internal discipline and use our awareness … Read more
Although the attitude of the West towards the values of ancient Chinese culture has improved in the last half century, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding. There are several reasons for this. Apart from the West’s initial perception of other cultures as less valuable, in the study of ancient China we encounter two … Read more
“Some say, ‘Everything!’ Others say, ‘Nothing!’ Nietzsche said, ‘He is dead!’ Atheists say, ‘He doesn’t exist at all!’ Perhaps the question should be posed in a different way: not, what does God do, but rather what does He do with us? I tried to find Him on the cross of Christians, but He wasn’t there. … Read more
