Suiseki: The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation
It's a tradition in Japan: suiseki are natural stones that suggest natural scenes or animal and human figures. The stones should not be modified and are displayed as found (a single cut is allowed). When someone finds a stone that embodies such a quality, it's collected and a display base, usually wooden, is crafted for the stone to sit upon. The tradition arrived from China where scholar's stones... posted on Dec 4, 27179 reads

I, Who Did Not Die
In this interview, Richard Whittaker sits down with Meredith May, author of "I, Who Did Not Die," a true story of hope and humanity, beginning with an event on a battlefield during the Iran-Iraq war. There, an Iranian boy soldier named Zahed takes mercy on an Iraqi soldier, Najah, after seeing a picture of his loved ones that dropped out of his Quran. Realizing their commonalities, he decides to s... posted on Oct 10, 7376 reads

Between Medicine and Music
Robert Gupta has played the violin all his life, studying at Juilliard and joining the LA Philharmonic at 19, but he also holds a very special interest in neurobiology and mental health. Throughout his adult life, Robert has walked a bridge between medicine and music, but the journey to get there was a long one. In his TED Talk, Robert talks about the effects music has on the brain, telling storie... posted on Jan 22, 17719 reads

The Gypsy Goat Herder
One woman, hundreds of goats, 365 days of the year equals innovation in the realm of environmental care. Lani Malmberg is an inspiration for eco-action, with her work focused on non-toxic land care in the form of herding goats to pastures that would otherwise use health and environmentally harmful pesticides. Drawing from her multiple degrees in weed science, biology, botany and environmental rest... posted on Jan 12, 2693 reads

The Age of We Need Each Other
A paradigm shift is what might move us and the world beyond the Age of Separation and into the Age of We Need Each Other. After Charles Eisenstein suffered a big failure, something told him he needed to drop the thought that he would get any recognition or credit for his work. Then he really questioned what lies at the heart of what we do and why. "Our culture validates and celebrates those who ar... posted on Nov 9, 16343 reads

Joserra Gonzalez: A Re-Love-Ution Blooms in Spain
"We are at the verge of many changes, and if we stay together in this journey, we can really face this big current which is taking us in a direction we don't know" Joserra's first question was "How can I serve?" He soon found the answers to why humans suffer and how to lessen our own suffering and that of those around us. From spending two years working in the slums of Ahmedabad, India to becoming... posted on Jul 21, 8746 reads

Life Lessons from Masterchef Nun Jeong Kwan
"Jeong Kwan is a Buddhist nun and renowned cook who brings people home to themselves in her kitchen and garden. Anyone who refers to her garden as my playground and to the plants as her children has a perspective on gardening, cooking and life that resonates deep within me. Kwan resides at the Chunjinam hermitage of the Baekyangsa temple, 169 miles south of Seoul, South Korea where she cooks vega... posted on Jul 26, 17618 reads

Speaking Loudly for a Quiet Place
"Bear Witness," chronicles the year Dave and Amy Freeman spent in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) Wilderness to bring awareness to the threats posed by a proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on the wilderness edge. The video is divided up into four seasons and documents the beauty of the BWCA during each season through video and journal-like audio. It tells their story through their words and ... posted on Oct 28, 2208 reads

Welcome to the Human Race
How can one find connection and meaning through an experience as isolating and dark as depression? In "Darkness Before Dawn: Redefining the Journey through Depression," Parker Palmer is among sixteen teachers who share their insights, perspectives, and even some positives after having experienced depression first hand. Despite that going through depression is difficult and disheartening beyond wor... posted on Oct 31, 15770 reads

Getting to Cleveland: Seth Godin on Gratitude
According to writer Seth Godin, there are two ways to live in the world: with a "have to" attitude or a "get to" attitude. The latter mindset opens up the world and all the possibility of goodness therein and the former shuts down the heart and closes the door on the world. So the question is, how do we want to live? Too often, we have taken the gifts around us for granted and end up feeling entit... posted on Oct 7, 13487 reads

Birds and Saints Don't Collect
Larry Brilliant has tended to find himself in the right place at the right time -- he has engaged with some of the world's most prominent thought leaders and spiritual masters including Neem Karoli Baba, Martin Luther King, Jr., Steve Jobs, Wavy Gravy, and the Dalai Lama; led a team of 150,000 doctors to eradicate small pox in the world; started the Seva Foundation; received the first TED Prize; w... posted on Nov 8, 15947 reads

Snakes and Strawberries
What can the simplicity of a small home garden teach us about the complexities of the world? Perhaps that life is about finding harmony within ever-changing conditions. Recognizing how balance can be created, and when to act (or not act) according to the needs of the environment. In witnessing the dance of snakes and strawberries in her garden, the author of this piece arrives at the quiet insight... posted on Oct 15, 14905 reads

The World's First Elephant-Friendly Farm
Tenzing dreamed of transforming his family's paddy and vegetable farm into an organic tea farm, though he was told that growing tea organically was impossible. When Tenzing saw the harmful effects pesticides had on his workers and farm animals, he persisted with his dream. In 2007, after a number of challenges, Tenzing's tea farm became the first and only farm out of 12,000 others in Assam to gro... posted on Nov 2, 13986 reads

Hats Warm Heads and Hearts of Kids with Cancer
What started as an entrepreneurship project of two college students, Zachary Quinn and Brian Keller, grew into something much greater. Love Your Melon, founded in 2012, has taken the nation by storm and is supporting thousands of children with cancer each year. For every hat sold, one hat is donated to a child with cancer, helping to alleviate the shame and embarrassment that often accompanies the... posted on Dec 9, 1608 reads

The Modernization of Finnish Lament Singing
Lamenting is an ancient way of releasing emotions through a type of singing when one is feeling overwhelmed by grief, sadness, pain, anger, or other negative emotions. Before laments were sung at times of loss and upheaval, the practice was about connecting to one's ancestors, and was often focused on helping move people from one world to another. In Finland, lamenting is rife with symbolism and r... posted on Nov 11, 12920 reads

Luc Reynaud: Welcome to My House
Luc Reynaud is a musician from Washington, focused on combining music and service to others. When Hurricane Katrina hit the southeast coast, Luc felt compelled to go down and help, using some construction skills (and a guitar) he had picked up during a soul-searching trip. Luc began playing his guitar around the shelter he was volunteering at, eventually writing a song with one of the children, ca... posted on Jun 3, 5189 reads

Yoav Peck: Encountering Others in Their Full Humanity
Two countries in an endless war with each other. Generations of enemies born into hating the opposition. And with no end in sight, Yoav Peck has found a way to harness peace and cultivate unity between two groups of unlikely allies. Co-Executive-Director of the Sulha Peace Project, Yoav says the key is in listening and in working from the heart and not the head. "Each of us has a story. It's impor... posted on Sep 18, 8403 reads

From Big Data to Deep Data
Big data is increasingly suspect. We fear big companies are taking our personal data without asking and selling it to others without our knowledge. But who owns our personal data and decides how it is used? Otto Scharmer suggests that big data can be used to transform people and communities by showing us who we are. Big data used in this way is called deep data. Surface data is about what others d... posted on Oct 4, 10640 reads

The Evolutionary Power of Mindful Communication
Mindful communication encompasses a number of qualities in both listening and responding. From entering conversations free from our fixed opinions and perceptions, to communicating in such a way that allows another to feel heard, Diane Musho Hamilton shares what mindful dialogue is (and is not). She explains that mindful dialogue is of particular importance in today's society in which polarized vi... posted on Oct 29, 15386 reads

A Visit to the Possibility Alliance
Peter Klamus returns to a simpler time, as he visits Possibility Alliance, a Missouri homestead with no electricity, gas, cars, or planes. Dinners are shared by candlelight and fireflies bring light to the night sky. Owners Ethan and Sarah Hughes acquired the land in 2007, and have welcomed thousands of visitors whom they educate about post-fossil-fuel-living. Their community is close-knit and sel... posted on Oct 12, 11491 reads

Spiritual Practices for Times of Crisis
We live in stressful times. Even when things are going our way, the smallest speed bumps can wreak havoc on our inner and outer worlds, causing us to freeze or panic. In those moments, our greatest intentions of acting with love and kindness can go out the window. Gently preparing ourselves for setbacks and stress can be the best thing not just for ourselves but for others. "The greatest gift we c... posted on Jan 29, 48718 reads

Awakening Through Writing
Albert Flynn DeSilver's latest book is out, Writing as a Path to Awakening: A Year to Becoming an Excellent Writer and Living an Awakened Life. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon interviews the author, poet, and leader of writing workshops about the difference between writing as a creative endeavor and writing as a gateway to spiritual inquiry. They also discuss how to explore dif... posted on Sep 20, 10959 reads

The Great Mystery: An Interview with Kent Nerburn
Kent Nerbern is a writer and editor of over a dozen books, and is currently working on the third in a series about the Lakota Indians. With a double PhD He has a long history of interest in Native American tribes and culture, having previously worked with the Ojibwe and written a book on the Nez Perce. In particular, Kent appreciates Native American spirituality, which tends to focus more on the... posted on Aug 18, 12266 reads

Wislawa Szymborska: The Poet and the World
Poets are Fortune's darlings according to Wislawa Szymborska. Despite the trials and tribulations, the frustration of not feeling comfortable calling oneself a poet and the real threat of claiming the title "poet" without official certification in some countries, poets are charged with answering the inner impulse of inspiration with "I don't know." The search for knowing leads poets inevitably to ... posted on Dec 1, 8649 reads

The Impermanence of Broccoli
In this piece, Alanda Greene explores our connectedness to the world around us through the simplicity of gardening and practicing yoga. In our daily lives, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, to feel overwhelmed and isolated, but nothing could be further from the truth. The lines that divide us from each other, from animals, and from nature are largely of our own making. In realit... posted on Dec 18, 10401 reads

Dan Pink on the Science of Staying Motivated
"One of the world's foremost thinkers on business and social science, Daniel Pink is the author of several bestselling books on business, work, and behavior. He joined Ryan Hawk, the creator and host of The Learning Leader Show, to talk about the critical components of sustaining excellence, what it was like writing speeches for Al Gore, and how Dan left his comfort zone to bring his side hustle f... posted on Dec 19, 10892 reads

Waking Up from Our Addiction to Technology
Nancy Colier is a psychotherapist, interfaith minister, author, and veteran meditator. In this interview she delves into the importance of human connection, and the detrimental effects of our large-scale modern addiction to cell phones, email, and social media. She offers insights on how to recognize and break out of addictive behavior, and touches on the realities of parenting in the digital age ... posted on Feb 8, 18508 reads

Open Source Seeds
At a time when the monopolization of genetic resources by corporations is reducing diversity and limiting the variety of seeds available to farmers and gardeners, OpenSourceSeeds is licensing seeds to make them available to the commons in perpetuity. Working within German laws, they developed a licensing agreement with the express purpose of creating a new repository of genetic material for farmer... posted on Dec 3, 6817 reads

Skateboard Parks and the Power of Relationship
Eight years ago, Ulrike Reinhard flew to India for on a business trip. Instead of flying back home, however, she "got stuck" and decided to make India her home. In this interview, Ulrike describes how she was driven to build a skateboard park in the middle of a poverty-ridden village in Madhya Pradesh. Many projects are built with fences and "Do Not Enter" signs surrounding it; in contrast, this s... posted on May 18, 3653 reads

We are All the Other: A Conversation with Denise Zabalaga
With a superb gift for languages, Zabalaga taught herself Farsi and traveled as a single woman in Afghanistan, Syria, Damascus, Iran and Tajikistan. She got into many tight situations, but with her faith that meeting a stranger is, "first of all, an opportunity rather than a danger," and with her uncanny openness and ability to connect with others, she always found her way out of difficulties. Wha... posted on Dec 21, 2625 reads

Re-inventing Work: An Interview with Matthew Fox
An early and influential proponent of "Creation Spirituality," which recognizes the Divine in all creation and all creation in the Divine, embracing Buddhism, Judaism, Sufism, and Native American spirituality as well, Episcopalian priest Matthew Fox draws inspiration from the Catholic mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Saint Francis of Assisi, and especially Meister Eckhart. In t... posted on Apr 18, 0 reads

Grateful Parenting
A parent who lives gratefully will role model gratefulness and infuse the home with grateful practices. Beyond this, grateful parenting also suggests being grateful for one's particular child, being aware and appreciative of the gifts and qualities that child has. It suggests respecting one's child as a person, and all that ensues from such an open positive attitude. Gratitude for your child, incl... posted on Jul 1, 17403 reads

Dan Millman: No Ordinary Moments in the School of Life
What if everything that happened to you in life was for your highest good and learning? In this riveting talk, Dan Millman, author of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, shares his insights into the school of life, and how we can approach each of our experiences as opportunities for growth, wisdom, and self-knowledge. "I often use the term 'spiritual weight-training' -- the difficulties and challenge... posted on Jul 13, 13903 reads

The Gift of Threshold Moments
Like moments of joy, awe, or bliss, threshold moments are experiences to notice, appreciate, and treasure ". . . where sound trails off into silence, time disappears into timelessness, and the known world is engulfed by the great mystery." It is not the full moments sometimes but the empty ones that can touch us deeply and profoundly. The gaps rather than the events that give us a glimpse of great... posted on Nov 8, 7865 reads

Can Love Be A Force for Social Justice?
Anne Firth Murray, a professor at Stanford University, teaches courses on international women's health and one called, "Love as a Force of Social Justice." In this interview, she describes introducing students to the different concepts of love, empowering them to be conscious of the power of love and the possibility of practicing it in every day life, and highlighting the idea of love as a force f... posted on Apr 4, 13344 reads

Health 3.0: Where Medicine Needs to Go
Health 1.0 is run as a cottage industry without evidence-based guidelines, quality measures, or standardization. Volume trumps value. This model bankrupted and shortchanged the quality of healthcare. It is over. Health 2.0 is evidence-based medicine. It is online. Electronic health records are central to its cause. The patient becomes an e-patient who Silicon Valley diagnoses using data-mining and... posted on Aug 25, 9623 reads

When Gratitude Holds Hands with Grief
Whether we acknowledge it or not, every day we stand at the door of death and life. They walk hand in hand. We can't have one without the other, and this is perhaps why Elaine Mansfield could feel both grief and gratitude on the day of her husband's crossing over. She was able to hold in one hand the mystery of loving another human being deeply and being full of gratitude for having shared all tha... posted on Apr 25, 22583 reads

Lessons in Resilience: The Stories We Tell and Why They Matter
"Resilience has taken on many meanings throughout its long history, but scientists who study stress and resilience say it's helpful to think of it as an emotional muscle that can be strengthened at any time. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as, "the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress - such as family... posted on Mar 1, 39838 reads

Bryan Stevenson Beats the Drum for Justice
The great-grandson of slaves, Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer, author, activist, and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. Having been shaped by his experiences as a young African-American growing up during the civil rights movement, Stevenson is no stranger to bias and injustice. However, he turned those experiences into something positive by representing those on death row ... posted on Mar 27, 7813 reads

Humanity's Most Urgent Challenge
We are discovering that, instead of struggling for meaning and a miracle of survival in a dead Universe, we are being invited to learn and grow forever in the deep ecologies of a living Universe. To step into the invitation of learning to live in a living Universe represents a journey so extraordinary that it invites us to transcend the wounds of history and begin a process of healing and reconcil... posted on Apr 30, 15571 reads

Seeing the Whole
Our world is much richer, more beautiful, and more complex than we think--and it's all happening right now, in this very moment. By widening our awareness to include the entire planet, encompassing both what we can and can't see, we move toward a vision of earth where we are not merely on it, but a vital part in its processes. Consider the superhuman abilities of animals to see, hear, and smell be... posted on Aug 5, 10726 reads

Taking an Empowered and Creative View Towards Technology
Social change pioneer Tiffany Shlain is changing the conversation around how we relate to technology. Instead of thinking of our devices as separate from us, we should think of them as an extension of who we are, she argues. "We're now living in a culture that's so 24/7, and there's no moments of reflection. We don't have that embedded into our lives anymore." A filmmaker, activist, and public spe... posted on Aug 11, 6211 reads

Ann Medlock: Sticking Her Neck Out for Our Common Humanity
"There is a fundamentalist mindset that is manifesting all over the world, and the fundamental mind says, "There are no questions. There are only answers, and they are in the book" (whatever book they believe in and are referring to). So, anybody who has questions is a mystery to them... I've never been one of those people...I got called to my son's junior high school, and his teacher said, "You h... posted on May 10, 11960 reads

Alabama's Four-Year-Old Superhero
"Terance Perine, Austins father, said his son decided to help the homeless on a weekly basis after watching a show on Animal Planet in which a panda left her cubs alone. "And I said, 'Well, I guess it's going to be homeless for a while,'" Perine told local station WPMI. "And he said, 'Are people homeless?' and I said, 'Yeah, some of them.' And he asked me to take him to see a homeless person." Fat... posted on May 24, 9262 reads

Myron Eshowky: A Deeper Listening
"When I was 6 years old, I began to go for an hour every day, before school had started, to work with a speech therapist who taught me to put my hand on her throat, and my throat, and then focus on matching her vibration as she would make a sound, because I had to learn how to talk. One of the things I noted right away was that when we matched vibration, I became really connected with her. It was ... posted on Oct 8, 9879 reads

The Practice of Walking
When was the last time you connected with nature, paused to take note of your surroundings, or admired a simple sunrise? The hurried way by which we often live our lives can distract us from the beauty of the natural world that surrounds us. Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee and Hilary Hart suggest that the simple practice of walking can help reconnect us to the web of life, and the soul-awakening moments it ... posted on Jul 5, 19559 reads

Getting Proximate to Pain and Holding the Power of Love
In this interview, On Being's Krista Tippett speaks with Lucas Johnson and Rami Nashashibi about the impact of growing up in minority communities, the influence of social change leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, the ideas of justice, love, and more. Lucas Johnson is an ordained minster, writer, and social activist in Amsterdam, who serves as the coordinator for the Internation... posted on Aug 19, 5497 reads

Repairing the Fabric of the World
"I met Jonathan F.P. Rose in Manhattan, the week a snow storm knocked out power in much of the Northeast. Heating by woodstove and carrying water home from the local fire station for five long, cold days left me feeling a bit rough and smoky, not to mention unprepared, to be sitting in the comfortable offices of his company in a historic old building near Grand Central Station. Yet the moment I me... posted on Jul 14, 9424 reads

You Are Me and I Am You
The idea that we are one unified whole on this planet is a growing awareness across the globe. This awareness is made palpable and even aided by one of the positive aspects of the internet; that is, the ability to share events, feelings and consciousness at the same time on a worldwide level. Pierre Pradervand is a writer and social justice activist who is dedicated to helping others live in this ... posted on Sep 10, 11039 reads

War No More: David Swanson
David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is the director of WorldBeyondWar.org, a campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org, a prolific writer, and the most recent recipient of the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation's 2018 Peace Prize. The values he lives by are "be courageous but generous; try to make the world a better place; pack up and start over as needed -- physically ... posted on Jan 28, 6252 reads