Dalai Lama ( Read more... )

It's like a manifesto, but filled with fat ( Read more... )

Something was bothering me about the debate over what we should feel about Osama Bin Laden's death. We feel what we feel. There are no shoulds involved. We can choose how we behave, and we can change our thoughts to influence our feelings. But feelings don't always match our ideals. We must start from where we are. If we try to pretend we don't ( Read more... )

‎I think it's natural to have mixed feelings about Osama's death. I'm sure they hoped to capture him but he chose suicide by cop, essentially. I hope this gives families some closure. I personally am glad we won't have any more Osama videos trying to influence our elections. But this won't stop war or terrorism ( Read more... )

This conversation illustrates why I am not a believer in the Hare Krishna movement any longer ( Read more... )

Go Easy On Yourself

The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic. Preliminary data suggest that self-compassion can even influence how much ( Read more... )

"Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed." - Herman Melville ( Read more... )

"The hijackers used fanatical certainty, misplaced religious faith, and dehumanising hatred to purge themselves of the human instinct for empathy. Among their crimes was a failure of the imagination. As for their victims in the planes and in the towers, in their terror they would not have felt it at the time, but those snatched and anguished ( Read more... )

I will be thanking you individually as well, but wanted to let you all know that I am so appreciating your donations and looking forward to replacing my failing CPAP mask (every night I have to reattach the hose to the face part because it snaps off) and aging hose soon. I haven't even been able to think about that with our budget--it's been ( Read more... )

I spend a lot of my time writing about fanaticism and fundamentalism, and the way religion can be twisted into an abusive force. However, as religion scholar Karen Armstrong points out, compassion is taught in every religion. It is time to revive that and, as she says, it is the antidote to sectarianism and religious wars.

Karen Armstrong gives an ( Read more... )