Princess Savitri was the only child of King Ashvapati. It was unknown whether she was more beautiful or smarter. Once she went on an excursion to the forest with her attendants. In the forest, she met a woodcutter whose beauty captivated her; and somehow she knew that he was not a woodcutter by birth. Inquiring … Read more
During a break at a round table discussion on the topic of religion and peace among nations, Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff asked the Dalai Lama: “Your Holiness, which is the best religion?” The theologian expected an answer like “Tibetan Buddhism” or “Eastern religions, much older than Christianity,” but after a short pause, the Dalai Lama … Read more
Ryokan, a Zen master, lived very modestly in a small hut at the foot of a hill. One evening, a thief entered the hut and discovered that there was nothing to steal. Ryokan returned and found him there. “Perhaps you have travelled a long way to visit me,” he said to the thief, “and you … Read more
A student came to the teacher and said: “O blessed one, you are pure and incarnated compassion. Help me to rid myself of worldly concerns and their goals and reasons – I am tired of it, and disappointed. I thirst for spiritual knowledge! I am eager to be free from all illusions and delusions that … Read more
No. Always seek the truth of beauty, each time returning to the world of ordinary experience.” Through participation in something seemingly simple, the tea ceremony allowed participants to immerse themselves in their own inner peace and experience a sense of unity with the world. To simultaneously be of elevated spirit, yet present in one’s surroundings. … Read more
During the arduous escape to India across the Himalayas, Tibetan refugees carried hundreds of manuscripts, often sacrificing their own lives to preserve them. Many of these precious texts were handed over to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who established the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, India, with the aim of preserving and … Read more
As we walk the paths of Tolkien’s heroes, a deep longing for adventure like Bilbo’s or Frodo’s surely awakens in many of us. Or the need to return and restore our destroyed home like Thorin’s. We could also imagine ourselves as one of their companions, ready to follow them on their journey, or find ourselves … Read more
TIME CYCLES Describing the changes and decline of moral values, Mahabharata explains the succession of yugas, the great cycles of human existence. “Yuga, known as krta, is a period in which there is only one immutable faith. In this best of yugas, everyone is a flawless believer, and there is no need for actions to … Read more
“Virtue is nothing more than acting in accordance with the laws of one’s own nature. Spinoza” “Today, it seems that the concept of “virtue” refers to an outdated ethical system. Virtue comes from the Latin word “vir,” which means human, and “virtus” denotes the merit of a person, the moral strength that one develops, the … Read more
Being truly happy is a natural and unstoppable desire of every human being. Everything we do, we do in order to be happy, secure, to avoid suffering and feel pain. However, do we know what truly makes us happy? Common answers range from health, family, loved ones, genuine friendships, the birth of a child, the … Read more
