Come, Beloved by Meera
As the lotus dies without water, As the night is blind without the moon, So is my heart without you, Beloved. I wander alone at night, Driven by my longing for you. I hunger for…
Category: Wisdom Traditions
Leaving the Comfort Zone
When we get bored and complacent Playing it safe Staying stuck in our routines of “I, me, mine” May we remember and act on that phrase Which can immediately enliven us Bring out our daring…
After Reading Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita
You won’t find It At Cafe Napoli or down on Washington Avenue On Telegraph Ave or at the French Laundry In an apartment overlooking Central Park or a long vacation at a Cannes beach You…
It’s Pounded into Our Heads since Kindergarten
It’s pounded into our heads since kindergarten It gradually inflates the metallic balloon of the self It feeds delusion 24/7 It renders invisible the needs of others It’s A.P. everything It’s resumé padding It’s the…
After Last Night’s Bhagavad Gita Discussion
Daniel Berrigan once said to us About trying to lead a nonviolent life: “We do it because it’s the right thing to do Not because it’s going to get us anywhere” How deeply this cuts…
Dorothee Sölle Collage
Why had I never noticed the number of sick people who appear in the Gospels? Who or what made them sick? It was not theologians who invented the cross, rather, the Roman Empire thought up…
Communication
I know I arouse your disbelief Because I do not text But there’s a simple reason That I still use a cell phone to call you The most important thing I have to share I…
One Thought Away
In his book Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita Ram Dass writes “It’s always just one thought away The living spirit The community of our consciousness The guru within— Whatever you want to call it
Karma Yoga, with a Shovel
We knew it was coming 6 to 10 inches Dread: The roads will be terrible! Exhilaration: No school! That morning he left his house Shovel in hand He approached one older neighbor With his usual…
Wang Yang-ming
Catch yourself thinking. –Allen Ginsberg The influential neo-Confucian philosopher Wang Yang-ming was influenced by Ch’an Buddhism throughout his life. And not just intellectually: He spent regularly time at Buddhist monasteries. So, it isn’t surprising to…