Kotsu Kotsu

Here's the Dalai Lama's Facebook post today: "Education and knowledge by themselves do not bring inner peace to individuals, families or the society in which they live. But education combined with warmheartedness, a sense of concern for the well-being of others, has much more positive results. If you have a great deal of knowledge, but you're governed by negative emotions, then you tend to use your knowledge in negative ways. Therefore, while you are learning, don't forget the importance of warmheartedness." How often do I try to "impart some knowledge" to someone, and end up feeling frustrated by the lack of receptivity! Taking a step back to begin with warmheartedness and caring can change the interaction completely!

A recent  article in Yes! Magazine  lists 10 things "science says will make you happy." Each point refers to scientific research that showed that performing these actions resulted in greater measures of things like satisfaction, happiness or self-esteem. Here's the list: 1. Savor everyday moments  2. Avoid comparisons 3. Don't make money your top priority 4. Do have goals that are meaningful to you 5. Take initiative at work 6. Treasure family and friendships 7. Have a "Glass is half full" attitude 8. Express gratitude 9. Exercise 10. Give , volunteer, or help others Most if not all of the researchers above have spent their careers on this research. Yet...with any research the conclusion you draw depends on how you define your study. For example, I've seen studies that show that people who "lie to themselves" (is that what you call optimism?) are happier. Finally, many fall into a  fallacy that being happier will lead to greate...

Don’t forget love; it will bring all the madness you need to unfurl yourself across the universe. -Meera Bai  - from "I Write of That Journey"

What do you call someone who is neither agnostic nor a believer in any particular religion? "Our ignorance of the cosmos is too vast to commit to atheism, and yet we know too much to commit to a particular religion. A third position, agnosticism, is often an uninteresting stance in which a person simply questions whether his traditional religious story (say, a man with a beard on a cloud) is true or not true. But with Possibilianism I'm hoping to define a new position -- one that emphasizes the exploration of new, unconsidered possibilities. Possibilianism is comfortable holding multiple ideas in mind; it is not interested in committing to any particular story." - David Eagleman   David Eagleman on Possibilianism .

What makes a fire burn is the space between the logs, a breathing space. Why should we make the effort to step back from our thoughts, to try to step outside the hum of fears, anticipation and anxieties that are the background of our lives? This poem, Fire, by Judy Brown speaks to the notion that creating more space allows the spirit to shine through.