thoughts on how we fit into the web of community, family and society
Patanjali provides in the Yoga Sutras (2.32) that the second niyama, samtosha (contentment) is an ongoing practice. It is not something that we can expect to arise on its own and if not, lament its absence. I feel hope, without which it would be hard to experience contentment, too, is something that requires steady practice….
This week, after having let it go for far too long long, I had my cooking knives professionally sharpened. How often should I be getting them sharpened, I asked the expert. It depends was the response, along with the question how much time I used the knives. Professional chefs get them done every couple of…
The other day I was visiting with a friend who finds themselves with sudden responsibilities that are complicated and challenging. As is my general inclination, especially when talking with those who are around the age of children I might have had and who have asked for input in the past, I gave some suggestions for…
Quaker, George Fox famously called people to “walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone.” I have been thinking about that in the context of joy as part of the resistance. One might also think about it in the context of “right action” in the Bhagavad Gita. It’s not just enjoying oneself…
I hope you are practicing something that helps you hold and heal yourself. I wish for you, as I wish and work for myself, some joy and equanimity amidst the global and climatic upheaval and whatever challenges you may be facing personally. Do not turn away from suffering and also appreciate moments of beauty.
April 19, marching from the Washington Monument to the White House