read deep, breathe easy
‘Poetry is one way of reading this world,’ according to poet Dane Cervine, whose new collection, The World is God’s Language, takes its title from a quote by French philosopher and mystic, Simone Weil.
Writing can be anything, from self-discovery to incorporating pain to establishing direction, according to poet Caroline Goodwin, who featured in The Dewdrop a couple of weeks ago with her poem, Not I’ll Not, from her book, Custody of the Eyes.
“Whatever way you are feeling now, whether you like it or not, whether it is inspired or depressed, right or wrong, sane or crazy, it is what it is in this moment.”
Alan Watts often said that in order to come to your senses, you have to get out of your mind. Watts was emphatic about self-realization and breaking through cultural and psychic barriers in order to live as a fully-fledged, fearless human being.
Einstein goes on to explore definitions of science and religion and sees no fundamental conflict between them, except for when each try to encroach on the other’s territory: science can only claim what is and not what should be, and religion can have no declaration of fact.
How can we stay connected through solitude and how can doing nothing enrich us? Thomas Merton explores the notion that ‘all men are solitary’ and what this really means.
The Fukanzazenki is a 13th century Japanese text that provides the most fundamental instructions for Zen meditation, including details on the ideal environment and posture for practice.
17th century Zen master Bankei on the Unborn, the unconditioned mind that comes up spontaneously and is fundamental to every person, without exception.
The Surangama Sutra was influential in the development of Ch’an in China over the centuries and is particularly valued for its elaboration of samadhi and techniques of emptiness meditation that are available to everyone.
The Bhaddekaratta Sutta is one of the many teachings the Buddha gave over the course of his 19 three-month practice periods at the Jetavana Monastery. It conveys the essence of a self-sufficient practice and way of existing – not clinging to the past or living for the future but diligently dwelling in current stability and freedom.
Among Alan Watts’ most compelling qualities was his fascination with different systems of faith and his
Our favorite rogue Zen philosopher, Alan Watts had a gift for contextualizing the principles of
Alan Watts was one of the foremost interpreters of Eastern philosophy in Europe and the
Mythology through the ages has not been a placeholder for science, rather a rich and profound way of engaging with the world and exploring the human condition.
In this excerpt from his spiritual autobiography, the Dalai Lama sets out why science has always been so interesting to him, and how in his mind, the scientific method and goal are in fact very close to the Buddhist one.
An extract from Annie Dillard’s essay Total Eclipse in which she describes her experiences of watching solar eclipses and the radical moments of transition they brought on.
Jiddu Krishnamurti on the imperative of true freedom and what that really means.
Solnit pays tribute to the color that fills the space between herself and the object of her longing, and reflects on how this blue can in some ways be understood as love itself.
Charlotte Joko Beck was an American Zen teacher who insisted that Zen training must directly address our conditioned reactions, and that meditative awareness was the
For activist and writer James Baldwin, falling in love was, ‘Not merely the key to my life, but to life itself.’ In this excerpt he talks about falling in love, a powerful event that shaped him and how he interacted with the world.
“What does it mean to ask a question? Is there some magic in the inquisitive brain?” Susan Blackmore’s lifelong investigation into consciousness encompasses Zen practice and the recurring question: Am I conscious now?
‘Poetry is one way of reading this world,’ according to poet Dane Cervine, whose new collection, The World is God’s Language, takes its title from a quote by French philosopher and mystic, Simone Weil.
Writing can be anything, from self-discovery to incorporating pain to establishing direction, according to poet Caroline Goodwin, who featured in The Dewdrop a couple of weeks ago with her poem, Not I’ll Not, from her book, Custody of the Eyes.
“Whatever way you are feeling now, whether you like it or not, whether it is inspired or depressed, right or wrong, sane or crazy, it is what it is in this moment.”
For some scientists, the pursuit and gradual recognition of a unifying principle is in itself a spiritual endeavor encompassing what Einstein refers to as religion ‘in the highest sense of the word’.
The Heart of Our Home is a poem about moving one’s life and a meditation on building a new life in a new place that touches upon themes of nostalgia, renewal, and hope
Alan Watts often said that in order to come to your senses, you have to get out of your mind. Watts was emphatic about self-realization and breaking through cultural and psychic barriers in order to live as a fully-fledged, fearless human being.
Einstein goes on to explore definitions of science and religion and sees no fundamental conflict between them, except for when each try to encroach on the other’s territory: science can only claim what is and not what should be, and religion can have no declaration of fact.
‘Not, I’ll Not’ takes its title from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ sonnet about meeting suffering, ‘Carrion Comfort’ and explores some of the ideas in the psychedelic rock group Heron Oblivion’s song, ‘Beneath Fields’.
How can we stay connected through solitude and how can doing nothing enrich us? Thomas Merton explores the notion that ‘all men are solitary’ and what this really means.
Albert Einstein called for the scientific method to be accompanied by a deep humanism often grounded in religious practice. He argued that the role of religion would be to set into the emotional life of humans the means and ends of their rational endeavors.
‘This parting from the living brings constant pain,’ wrote eighth-century Chinese poet Du Fu in an ode to friendship about his separation from Li Bai, who was in exile in the south of the country.
Rabbi Rami addresses the question of spirituality and its relationship to religion, and the way in which the two realities interact and support one another.
Sheila Heti’s novel ‘How Should a Person Be?’ asks that candid and naive question with honesty, humor and sincerity. During the course of the book, she especially looks at love and all its difficulties, and in this passage she talks about the kind of obsessive sexual love that pushes us over cliffs and into the death drive, that longs for ‘annihilation, comfort and death’.
The Lost Man is Judith Wright’s poem about the journey out of losing oneself, based on the true story of a plane crash survivor who was later lost over a waterfall in Australia.
The Fukanzazenki is a 13th century Japanese text that provides the most fundamental instructions for Zen meditation, including details on the ideal environment and posture for practice.
E.E. Cummings’ short missive to young poets in which he urges confidence in oneself and authentic expression. We must distinguish between thinking, believing, knowing and feeling, the latter being the territory of real art and poetry.
Wendell Berry addresses the pressures of authority and the onus to conform in a defiant and compassionate stance against whatever would shame a person into compliance.
Shunryu Suzuki always admitted his own difficulty with the English language, but also addressed the deeper problem of human communication, namely that ‘when we say something, our subjective intention or situation is always involved.’
Friendship transcends mere companionship to reach a more elevated goal – that of a shared vision or a common question.
When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer encapsulates Walt Whitman’s approach to the world: silent, solitary and mystical.
