Gardening At The Dragon's Gate
Gardening is a fundamental work that demands your energy and heart, and it gives you back great treasures as well. It is all about picking and choosing and following our passion. Read on for a glimpse of one gardener's beautiful insights gleaned from 25 years at Green Gulch farm.... posted on Jan 30 2014, 20,760 reads

A Great Potential for Love
"Natalie Batalha hunts for "exoplanets" -- Earth-sized planets beyond our own solar system -- that might have liquid water and harbor life. ...And, I've never met anyone who speaks more intriguingly than Natalie Batalha about the connection between science, love, and gratitude for life. She is a luminous voice for the way exploring the heavens -- as we do that now -- is bringing the beauty of the ... posted on Jan 29 2014, 26,327 reads

Advocacy For Altrusim
For years, many have argued that our need to help others isn't an act of selflessness -- rather, a trait which is embedded deeply in our DNA. "Basically,they used to say that behind all altruistic gestures, there is a selfish motive. In other words, a clever and acute mind will always find a selfish motive behind a good deed," says french Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard. Thus, is the paradox of altr... posted on Jan 27 2014, 7,813 reads

How To Turn Your Brain From Anger To Compassion
Why do we need compassion? Are we so genetically compelled to alleviate the suffering of others, that our minds are momentarily able to shift from 'self' to 'selflessly?' Or, is it possible that acting with compassion helps to relieve our own pain, as well? The Buddhist tradition offers, "Just like me, you want to be happy; just like me, you want to be free of suffering" -- thus, reinforcing the b... posted on Jan 26 2014, 25,129 reads

How Doctors Die
What does it mean to provide true healthcare? Do we look to doctors to cure and save us, or to help improve our quality of life? Already under immense pressure, today's doctors face a stark paradox: providing more care often means a larger paycheck and less risk of litigation, but doesn't always correspond with a patient's wishes or a doctor's better judgment. Speaking from his own experience, Ken... posted on Jan 25 2014, 113,857 reads

Insights From Photographing Spiritual Giants
“I may not have the most wonderful bank account, but my spiritual bank account is overflowing,” says Jane Feldman of her career as a social justice photojournalist and author. Working for the Peace and Justice Ministry of New York’s Riverside Church led her to photograph Nelson Mandela. She’s traveled with the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation and met the Dalai Lama. Enjoy he... posted on Jan 24 2014, 3,765 reads

10 Scientific Insights That Could Change Your Year!
The tide of psychology, which has traditionally probed into the dysfunctions of the human mind, has been shifting to a rigorous examination of its virtuous aspects. The "positive psychology" movement is unraveling universal human behaviours and experiences such as altruism, empathy, meaning, and happiness. For instance, in the past several years, researchers have found that a meaningful life is he... posted on Jan 23 2014, 127,997 reads

Tell Me A Story
Richard Hamilton asks why we love stories and why we love hearing them spoken aloud, in person. He concludes that whatever the evolutionary explanation, narrative seems to occupy a very central position in our thought patterns, that perhaps storytelling is a sort of flight simulator that allows us to practice something without getting hurt. ... posted on Jan 22 2014, 3,168 reads

Bright Ideas to Simplfy Your 'Stuff'
Whether it be through sharing, repairing or changing the rules there are myriad ways in which we can simplify our lives. In this article, writer Shannan Stoll offers up six different paths to simplicity and illustrative stories to go with them. Such as the story of the Fixers Collective in NY, a group that dedicates space, tools, and support for monthly repair sessions where folks in the communit... posted on Jan 21 2014, 44,561 reads

Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech
Marked by one of the most famous speeches given by Martin Luther King, Jr., titled 'I Have a Dream,' the 'March on Washington' on August 28, 1963, was the largest civil rights demonstration in history. Watch this historic footage of the speech, given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than 50 years ago. It inspires a rededication to Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of liberty, justice, equali... posted on Jan 20 2014, 4,505 reads