Whenever one thinks of a serious spiritual quest, certain images are likely to come to mind, regardless of whether your chosen Tradition is Eastern or Western – churches / temples smoky with incense and interminable chanting, half-naked seekers exposing themselves to...
I’m sometimes asked “Is this Shimenawa stuff a new religion?” The answer is simple and emphatic – “Absolutely not. The world doesn’t need a new religion.” But that’s only half the story really. Because while the world doesn’t need a new religion, we desperately need a...
“What do I do if I practice and practice and practice, and nothing ever happens?” “What do I do if I pray and pray and pray, and God never answers my prayers?” This question, in all its variations, is one of the most critical questions you will face in the course of...
I first became aware of the phenomenon I call “crossing paths” several years ago when I was interviewing some Buddhist friends of mine for a class I was teaching on World Religions. inquiring into their reasons for becoming Buddhists, two or three of them mentioned...
Last Halloween, my grandson (I’ll call him Mac) came over to spend the night after a rigorous evening of trick-or-treating and consuming his ill-gotten gains. His costume this year was that of a ninja, complete with the usual array of ninja weapons – throwing stars,...
