Five Thousand Years of Jewish Creativity
I learned Hebrew by dint of much effort. It is a difficult language, severe and ascetic. Its ancient basis is the proverb from the Mishna: “Silence is a fence for wisdom.”…If it weren’t for Hebrew,…
Category: Wisdom Traditions
Ventures
Friends, I wanted to pass this brief passage on to you from Hannah Arendt, German philosopher, Jewish immigrant to the USA, author of Eichmann in Jerusalem, from an interview in 1964… The venture into the…
On Moshe-Leib of Sassov
Before we leave Sassov, let us take a minute to ask ourselves these last questions: Was Reb Moshe-Leib the forerunner of all those helpless men and women who, generations later, eternities later, continued to…
We Inter-Continue
I continue in you You continue in me Maybe you will influence life In northwest China in 15 years Maybe I will influence life In southern Nigeria in 22 years We are the continuation of…
Mindfulness Has Genius, Power, and Magic in It
At this morning’s discussion of Thay’s The Art of Communicating, Madalyn spoke about how she notices more interconnections the more she practices mindfulness. This reminded me of the following reflection from W. H. Murray, which I’ve adapted: Until…
Devi
What did people see in [Sri Anandamayi] Ma that so captivated their hearts? They found a combination of the sweetness of maternal affection and the profound depths of a mystical knower of God. In this…
An Achievable Goal
“I vow to bring joy to one person in the morning and to help relieve the suffering of one person in the afternoon.” –Thích Nhất Hạnh
The United States versus the Gospels
The crime of liberation theology was that it takes the Gospels seriously. That’s unacceptable. The Gospels are radical pacifist material, if you take a look at them. When the Roman emperor Constantine adopted Christianity, he…
With the Sangha
Yesterday Brian, Melissa, Katie and I met in my home for our sangha’s second Saturday of the month meditation. We listened to a talk Thich Nhat Hanh gave 30 years ago, in which he advocated…