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Bob Dylan: Fate's Encounter With a Mighty Spirit
During the period I was writing the comparison between Donald Trump and Gorgeous George, I by chance was reading Bob Dylan's memoir and saw his story about meeting Gorgeous George... It struck me that George was a Trickster figure, evoking different responses depending on the context. For awhile now, I have been thinking about the nature of fate and destiny, particularly from the perspective of the mythologist Michael Meade. Now I saw an opportunity to put it together. The re
Sep 17, 20151 min read


Fuji Declaration
I'm a co-signer of the Fuji Declaration , an "international alliance of individuals and organizations who are united by a commitment to live and collaborate toward the advancement of a more harmonious and flourishing world". I'm flying to Japan in a few days to participate in a ceremony, held at the base of Mt Fuji, to celebrate the inauguration of the Fuji Declaration. The Fuji Declaration is "a call to all global citizens to recognize and nurture the full human potential
May 9, 20151 min read


Encounters with Reb Zalman Schachter Shalomi
Reb Zalman passed over today. I've known he has been slowly slipping away and was preparing himself and others for this day. Still, my spirit is heavy, and my gratitude overflowing. This is a photograph from a time we had together in Colorado. We were exploring ways to enter states of consciousness that would allow healing energies to be directed to what he called "hot spots" in the world. To do so required joining with other forms of spiritual intelligences and with perso
Jul 3, 20144 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Ten: Engagement
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Feb 3, 20142 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Nine: Body Sensing
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Jan 27, 20142 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Eight: Non-Attachment
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Jan 20, 20142 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Seven: Knowledge
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Jan 13, 20142 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Six: The Ability to Distinguish
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Jan 6, 20142 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Five: Witnessing
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Dec 30, 20131 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Four: Cultivation
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Dec 23, 20131 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Three: Intention
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Dec 16, 20132 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step Two: Affect
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Dec 9, 20131 min read
Ten Steps on the Path of Self Awareness ~ Step One: Attention
I Heard it Like This... Reflections of an inspired talk by Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax. TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS There are ten steps we all can take to enlarge our self awareness. These steps are like strings on an instrument or notes on a piano. We can practice them separately but when played together, we can make beautiful music. (if you prefer to listen & meditate - there is approx. 30 seconds of silence after the bell, before Alan speaks again; but you
Nov 27, 20131 min read


TEN STEPS ON THE PATH OF SELF AWARENESS
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.
Oct 18, 20118 min read


Journey to Hell: Not a One-Time Offer
ALAN JONES WRITES IN THE SOUL’S JOURNEY: “We need to go to hell by entering that place where our longings and desires are trapped. What particular hell do we need to confront? What or who in us is lost and crying out for help? James Hillman implies that going to hell is vital for the soul because 'the cure for the shadow is a problem of love'. How far can our love extend to the broken and ruined parts of ourself, the disgusting and perverse? How much charity and compassion ha
Oct 11, 20112 min read


Part and Whole
A poem based on phrases and fragments of a speech* given by Deepak Chopra: My grandchildren are here today the most important part for me. Here is my question: What if consciousness was not a byproduct of our brain? What if instead it is the ground of Being, the basement of the Universe in geometric space-time where all co-exists as possibilities. The great Rishi wisdom teachings tell us consciousness cannot be imagined but makes the imagination possible. Can you imagine?
Nov 23, 20102 min read
Alan Briskin on Whole System Healing
I did an interview with colleagues from the Life Science Foundation and the Center for Spirituality and Healing. They put on an amazing conference this year whose theme is “ Whole System Healing .”
Jun 25, 20101 min read
Lauren Artress on Collective Wisdom
This is a short video of Lauren Artress talking about the importance of collective wisdom. Lauren is the founder and creative director of Veriditas , a non profit organization dedicated to introducing people to the healing, meditative powers of the labyrinth.
Jun 25, 20101 min read
The Call of Our Times
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
Jun 11, 20101 min read


Chapter Fifteen, Part One
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Jan 15, 20007 min read
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