Spiritual Exercises
Last year I read several books by French philosopher Pierre Hadot, who has focused on the role of spiritual exercises in philosophy. Through Hadot, I became acquainted with this short passage from a diary kept…
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
February Introduction to Poets: Mary Oliver
Join us for our Third Introduction to Poets evening on Wednesday 15 February from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the home of Jim and J’Ann Allen (4519 Oakland Avenue, Forest Park Southeast 63110). Marty King…
Today (Gratitudes)
This morning at meditation, Rachel read us these words from Thich Nhat Hanh: Yesterday is already gone, Tomorrow is not yet here. Today is the only day available to us. Today is the most important…
Cheerful Thought of the Day
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, This is the best season of your life. –Wu-Men
Embodiment
The philosophers and scholars said to Sri Anandamayi Ma: “We have studied dry scriptures. But, we now see before us, a living embodiment of all that is contained in our holy books of wisdom.”
Sealing the Deal
Long ago, I did a reading and signing of The Book of Mev at Left Bank Books in the Central West End. I asked one of my former students, Magan Wiles, to read the very…
People Power, Then and Now
1. To advocate human conversation as the means to restore hope to the future is as simple as I can get. But I’ve seen that there is no more powerful way to initiate significant change…
Morning at Wash U with Shahrnush Parsipur
Matt Miller invited to me to an event today at Wash U. Students and people from the community met with Shahrnush Parsipur, one of the foremost writers in Iran. Fatima Keshavarz translated the question and…
The Rhythm of Life
On Saturday Wedding ananda On Monday Jury-duty
Your Life Is Your Message: A Toast
An older Gujarati man was sitting in a train about to leave When a reporter came up to his compartment window and asked “Do you have a message I can take back to my people?”…