A Passion for Change

In his annual Christmas/New Year’s letter, Benedictine monk and interfaith activist Br. David Steindl-Rast offers us a message of hope for 2020. Isn’t Hope the annual theme at this season, when we light candles in the darkness and hope for a happy new year? But...

The Spirit of Ahimsa: Creating a More Loving World

Many people are concerned about the violence in our society and about the threat that violence poses to the very existence of our planet. Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word that means non-violence. Following ahimsa doesn’t simply mean not killing. We cannot live without...

Self-nurturing or Renunciation?

Question: Because I had a difficult childhood, my therapist tells me I have to nurture myself to become whole and balanced. You teach that renunciation is the key to peace. Is there a conflict between self-nurturing and renunciation? Is there a way to reconcile these...

How to Know the Real from the Unreal

Essentially, there is only the One—and it’s real. But, its expressions vary and that’s the unreal part. So, really you are spirit, but when you express yourself in a human body, you become a human being. And when you express yourself in a young human body you become a...

Meditation in Action

Continuous meditation is meditation in daily life. It reminds me of the well-known tea ceremony in Japan. It’s a way of welcoming a guest into your home. And when the guest comes, you just give them a cup of tea, which we normally do, but in Japan, giving a cup of tea...

Being Thankful to Everyone and Everything

On Thanksgiving day, we thank God for providing us with all our needs. Nature and God are one and the same. Nature is another name for God. So sometimes if you don’t feel comfortable with the name “God,” you can say, “Nature provided everything.” We should be thankful...