Brad4d Savasana

So many religious groups emphasize separation and belonging rather than inclusion and openness. They like to judge others rather than scrutinizing themselves. They use isolated Bible verses to judge and scold others without looking at their own hypocrisy. That’s really not what God is about. Think about it—would a parent purposely have a child only to condemn him? Instead, we need to look within o...

Envy easily finds its way into our lives through our media diet. Marketers feed on this envy, and if we don’t scrutinize it, we can become mad. St. Cyprian was a Latin Father of the Catholic Church, and he has important things to say about envy.

So many spiritual traditions emphasize the need for practice. It’s a letting go of worldly things and behaviors that bring us suffering. Living a life of gratification-seeking only brings suffering. We have to learn this on our own. On this feast day of St. Augustine, let’s reflect on his great passage, “Conquer yourself, and the world will be at your feet.”

How often do we praise God when things are in our favor, but plead with God when things don’t go the way we want? This is our insistence that things are only good when they go the way we want. And when they don’t, we’re disappointed. How many people have tossed out their faith in God because they were disappointed that things didn’t go their way? Instead, we let things play out, remembering that G...

It’s a shame that some of these beautiful writers from our past didn’t have marketing professionals to amplify their work. One of these beautiful voices, Jacob da Todi of Italy, was one of them. Had it not been for Richard Hooper, who put together a beautiful collection of these voices, I would have never come across these words of Jacob da Todi. See if you agree.

Many people today eschew religious practices because they’re too constricting. Perhaps that’s what many of us need. It’s like being on a diet—we want to do what we want even though it might make us sick. Looking through the Jnana Yoga texts made me realize that religious practices serve to liberate us from the worldly practices that keep us stuck in illusion.

Not only do I have a background in higher education, but I also have 10 years of experience in broadcast news. News media and higher ed get such a bad rap among the public these days. It’s probably why I still haven’t found a full-time job! I don’t regret either career because both are critical in a society that is impulsive. We need more people who see things beyond the surface and can translate...

In this age of tribalism, it might feel comfortable to retreat to our communities. What if, at the heart of it all, we wanted the same thing? Richard Hooper pulled together what’s similar from the works from many religious traditions. My favorite chapter is his compilation about The Beloved.

Too many spiritual movements use clever marketing techniques to sell workshops, retreats, and books. Ultimately we must ask—who is this serving? Gamaliel warned the Sanhedrin to let the early Christians go, because they might be fighting against God.

Our hearts often get tugged toward things of the world—money, success, possessions. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with that. However, if our hearts are seeking approval or recognition rather than God, we become emptied. Instead, riches in heaven depend on what we give away on earth.

Desires can be good when they point us in a healthy direction. When our desires are disordered, they can easily control us. Then our lives are only about the chase, and we lose agency over what might be best for us.

The Enneagram has been marketed to Christians as a way to shape their spiritual path. It’s sold as something mystical and esoteric, which might attract people who flirt with progressive and New Age practices. It’s neither spiritual nor psychological. It just attracts people into thinking they have the answers to what God wants for them.

The Biblical story of Mary and Martha provides some insight about our inner struggle. We complain about how stressed we are, but we don’t carve out time to rest our bodies, minds, and spirits. Sometimes this rest is when clarity happens.

It’s sad that our modern Western culture doesn’t value elders the way other cultures do. Dementia and Alzheimer’s plague the elderly in such awful ways. Even though it’s difficult, we must find ways to remind them that they are human and that has value.

Honestly, sometimes I just don’t want to go to church in the same way I don’t want to eat vegetables. I’m not crazy about vegetables, but I know they’re better for me than brownies. We get swept away so quickly in the ways of the world and lose our center. That’s where we return to our spiritual disciplines to keep us grounded. Like vegetables, we might find them boring, but we know they keep us s...

Many resist rules because they don’t like constriction, but rules can serve as guideposts if they serve to benefit the ruled. If leaders make rules but don’t follow them, they are meaningless. We can learn something about ourselves and others by asking, “What rules do you follow?”

Life can bring us disappointment. We can easily blame these disappointments to create more misery, which pulls us into more disappointment and suffering. On the other hand, we can look with humility into our disappointments and recognize the patterns that led us off course.

When a hermit crab outgrows its shell, it leaves what’s comfortable to find a new home. Staying in its old shell would limit its growth and it would eventually suffer. Sometimes we fear leaving what’s comfortable because the unknown leaves us vulnerable. However, this is only for a short time.

Temptations often lead us down the wrong road, and we feel helpless. We believe we can’t turn around. Marcus Aurelius says no, you can recover your principles at any moment.

Stoic philosopher Seneca believed that tranquility can’t be achieved when we’re concerned about the opinion of others. We make decisions based on other people’s approval of us rather then speak from a place of integrity. We cultivate integrity through self-awareness and solitude.

So often we spend too much time yearning for the past or anticipating the future. We want the present moment to be different than it is. And when that moment is gone, we want it back. Savor something in this moment.

I want to spit every time someone tells me to smile when I’m hurting. When you’re suffering, it indeed is difficult to smile. After the sting subsides, we can investigate our suffering and find the path of transformation. This is the essence of Buddhism—the Four Noble Truths. It takes courage and patience, but you’ll get there.

How well do you know yourself? So often we move about the world thinking we’re innocent and others are guilty. We don’t see how our behavior might hurt or offend others. Our reactions are telltale signs of our character. They tell us what role we choose to play and what we choose to hide.

Faith isn’t about security. Faith gives you the confidence to step forward in a new direction, on a new road. You realize that the safe route has always left you exhausted, so faith lifts you and carries you.

It’s easy to throw up your arms and say, “The world sucks.” That attitude gives you the liberty to wash your hands of any responsibility to fixing what is broken. Marcus Aurelius gives us these three virtues to guide us in the present moment. Peace be with you.