Tag: Ethics
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Why Does The Reiner Story Gnaw At Us?
Why is the Reiner story–the story about Rob and Michele possibly being killed by their son Nick–so horrifying? Why, that is to say, do some national and international stories grab us and tear at us while others do not? Aristotle knew well: the stories that really get or, even, gnaw at us are, properly speaking,…
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Who Isn’t My Neighbor?
In 1991, on the day of Kartika Poornima, when the moon is brightest, God gave me a very good idea. He told me, “Help your neighbours as I have helped you.” Then I had to consider, what does the word ‘neighbour’ mean? Is it a person who lives next door or close to my house?…
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How Does My Heart Stay Open?
What does it take for my heart to open? And what does it take for my heart to stay open? I must give up being right. I have to stop trying to be right. And I must drop my stance by which I maintain my rightness. Rightness (to be clear: not righteousness and not truthfulness)…
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Atmabhava: ‘Feeling The Pain Of Others As If It Were Your Own’
The sum and substance of spiritual life, the best teaching of Vedanta, is atmabhava, which means feeling the pain and distress of others as if it were your own, feeling the poverty, sickness and calamities of others as your own. –Swami Satyananda Saraswati, “Atmabhava” Since Satyananda alludes to Advaita Vedanta, one might be surprised to hear…
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NEW RELEASE! Chop Wood, Carry Water: The Yoga Of Work
Reflections On Work 2.0 I’m delighted to announce—more than 8 years after I began thinking about “total work” (a brief overview can be read on Aeon)—that I’ve just self-published a book entitled Chop Wood, Carry Water: The Yoga Of Work. It’s a practical way of reflecting on the role of work in one’s everyday life.…