Does spirit exist in all forms of life?  Is there a divine spark within us if we look closely enough? Some scholars speculate spiritual intelligence requires an intellectual capacity to contemplate the Cosmos.  So it is not surprising humans speculate that only other humans can have spiritual intelligence - especially given the reluctance of apes, whales, dogs, and cats to hold seminars on the subject. Last May, I had the great fortune of being welcomed into a community o

The stunning JoLee Magazine is once again featuring Alan's work - this time a 12-part photographic series called "Spirit and Nature: The Photographic Galleries of Alan Briskin". The series covers Alan's wide range of photographic subjects - from "Shadow" and "Reflection" to "Cityscape" and "Human Expression" - and each installment includes an introduction to one unique gallery and a high resolution representative image from within it. JoLee magazine's founder, Jo Lee Mansel

hdr photography by Alan Briskin March 27: In the Datebook section of the San Francisco Chronicle there is a front page story of how the Golden Gate National Recreation Area has been awarded three Stewardship Awards from the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a national organization. They are being recognized for a partnership among public agencies and various stakeholders in creating "cultural landscapes" that are dynamic in nature and harbor beauty and historical meaning - "lay

<blockquote><strong>I AM NOT DONE.... I SHALL PERSIST.... I SHALL RETURN</strong><br />~ Alan Briskin<strong><br />Talmudic Commentary</strong>: &quot;<em>Pshh, Big shot.&#0160; I&#39;ll believe it when I see it</em>.&quot; </blockquote> <p>Dear Friends and Subscribers to Becoming Conscious of Capitalism,</p> <p>When I first began writing, I sought to discover new perspectives about our social and economic arrangements called capitalism.</p> <p>I wrote at the beginning:</

Reflections of an Inspired Talk by Joan Halifax I am told that Buddhist sutras open with the word Nyozgamon, which means 'I heard it like this.'  Hideo Takahashi titled his book on the spiritual teacher Masahisa Goi with these five words. What I like about these five words is that they make room for the listener to reflect back what was treasured while still adding new depth and meaning.  In this way wisdom becomes collective because it is not a possession of any one person.

"One of the essential qualities of collective wisdom is a palpable sense of connection with each other and to larger forces that is found, for example, in nature, in relationship to our ancestors, and even in relation to a physical place…. People who talk about their experiences of collective wisdom often report a sense of openness and awareness of something larger than themselves. The ability to communicate seems broader, and people are often astounded by the creativity that

<p style="text-align: center;"><a style="display: inline;" href="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/6a0134809b7f05970c0147e2c51277970b.jpg"><img class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0134809b7f05970c0147e2c51277970b" style="border: 3px solid #333333;" title="Aikido" src="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/6a0134809b7f05970c0147e2c51277970b-800wi.jpg" border="0" alt="Aikido" /></a> <br /> <em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Aikido World Headqua

photo by Alan Briskin “Humanity is hungering for wisdom. That is the word I hear most: not compassion; not love; not peace; not kindness—but wisdom. The other words all have deep meaning and their own unique power. But wisdom is the one that seems to magnetize people across the broadest spectrum around the world. I found myself drawn to this word because it is a cross-cutting theme in so many of the very diverse settings in which I am traveling.” ~ Mark Gerzon

Photo by Alan Briskin " New capacity and intelligence emerges through connections: from cell to cell, dendrite to dendrite, human to human, group to group. As extraordinary and mysterious as the experience of profound connection—and of collective wisdom emerging—may feel in the moment, collective wisdom as a phenomenon is natural, even potentially ordinary. " ~ The Power of Collective Wisdom: And the Trap of Collective Folly

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On the grounds where Lewis Carroll once spoke aloud and then wrote Alice's Adventure in Wonderland, I had the honor of joining thought leaders from around the world in a dialogue addressing the "The Call of Our Times."  Co-hosted by the Brahma Kumaris and Peter Senge, I am almost without words (almost) but not without treasured images from my time there.  Please join me in a meditation of sound and images taken on the grounds of Nuneham Park, near Oxford, England, and the Bra

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