hardly any sound as powerful as a pipe organ; the resonating sounds fill every inch of the room. Whether you’re most familiar with the sound from the heart racing intro to The Phantom of the Opera or the classic bridal march, there’s a magic to the sound of an organ. So, what if that acoustic power was combined with an even more awe-inspiring power, nature to create the world’s largest instrument? In a cave below the hills of Luray, Virginia there is an acoustic wonder that combines music and nature into a singular, incredible experience. The Great Stalacpipe Organ in Luray Caverns turns the Earth into a magical instrument producing one of the most unique con... posted on Apr 25 2024 (4,229 reads)

was asked to share one story from my life when I could remember my heart really expanding. And as I looked over the course of my life, I couldn't find one thing that stood out. What I saw was, what many of you will know actually, which is deep suffering and how light is so intimately connected with the dark. It's luminous darkness. It's a deep light. And the way that our suffering breaks us open so that we may be able to receive that light. And it's not owned, right? It's not our light. It's not my light. It is the light of existence. And it's able to come through us I think, when we meet our suffering. And so I did -- I had a huge amount of suffering in my time, and, at the risk of soundi... posted on Apr 26 2024 (3,319 reads)

time, I was with a bunch of strangers in India. I was giving a presentation, and power went out. It was in a dark hall, and I was with two other colleagues. I was so embarrassed because we had invited all these people here. It was a public talk, and we couldn't do anything about it. Our mic was gone. There was no light. Everyone's sitting here in darkness, and I was just like, "Oh my goodness."You know, when the power goes out, you feel like you should be in control of it, because you're hosting the event. I was so embarrassed, and we just kept going on, talking in the dark, hoping people would stay. It was really ridiculous. I mean, there were no windows. Nothing. It was a dark hall.All... posted on May 14 2024 (1,644 reads)

Note: Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, a legendary leader known as "the Gandhi of Sri Lanka," passed away last month on April 16, 2024. This article, originally published on October 6, 2022, offers a glimpse of the timeless values through which the movement that flowed through him has served millions.] Building a road is a “shramadana” (communal gift of energy). Sarvodaya is self-governance movement that seeks a no-poverty, no-affluence society in Sri Lanka through community based efforts and volunteerism. Credit: Sarvodaya Photo Archive Over the past six months, Sri Lanka has been in the news. You have likely read accounts or seen videos of a civil revolution sparked by gover... posted on May 7 2024 (1,710 reads)

by Sharon Canovas I saw the dark clouds rolling around us. I wasn’t worried, the rain always goes around my farm. I had never had a healing ceremony cancelled due to the weather. The twenty of us had been gathered for over an hour, setting the space and our intentions. The horses, who had been out grazing in the fifteen-acre field, had sensed we were preparing to go out to join them in their space and returned closer to the gate. It was always this way; the horses knew when they were needed and what was needed.As we walked out, I took the group through a meditation to open their hearts and connect with each other and the horses. Everyone focused on the herd, but I was taking... posted on Dec 31 1969 (3 reads)

gives you a sense of awe? That word, awe—the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world—is often associated with the extraordinary. You might imagine standing next to a 350-foot-tall tree or on a wide-open plain with a storm approaching, or hearing an electric guitar fill the space of an arena, or holding the tiny finger of a newborn baby. Awe blows us away: It reminds us that there are forces bigger than ourselves, and it reveals that our current knowledge is not up to the task of making sense of what we have encountered. But you don’t need remarkable circumstances to encounter awe. When my colleagues and I as... posted on Dec 31 1969 (1 reads)