It is said that Lao Tzu, the greatest master in all of China, once disappeared from the temple where he lived and spoke on a daily basis to the thousands of disciples who would sit in the gardens waiting eagerly for his teachings. For weeks,...
If the world were not something that, practically expressed, ought not to be, it would also not be theoretically a problem. On the contrary, its existence would either require no explanation at all, since it would be so entirely self-evident that astonishment at it and enquiry about...
Man has been called by the mystics a ladder. Now, the ladder can do two things: you can use it to go upwards, and the same ladder can be used to go downwards. You use the same ladder for both the purposes, just your direction...
Nowadays, many people have lost their footing – they are worried and confused about how to live their lives. That is why they seek out the extraordinary, in an attempt to reset their mental balance. But. Still. Even once you have pushed reset, the extraordinary remains...
Almost everything in this world of illusion is a lie. That is why I ask my apprentices to follow three rules for seeing what is true. The first rule is: Don't believe me. You don't have to believe me, but think, and make choices. Believe what...
If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could...
My wife often has the following ‘argument’ with our older son: He: “I love you Mom.” She: “I love you too, Son.” He (wanting to win at everything): “I love you more.” She: “I’m sorry, Son, but in this case, you have no chance at...
It feels very good to say to someone that we’ll love them regardless of what happens. The classic wedding vows — “in sickness and in health,” “for richer, for poorer,” and “until death do us part” — can be regarded as promises to love a partner unconditionally, which we...
Many people today have a cartoon image of my grandfather as a saintly man who gave up all material goods and wore as little clothing as possible. But here’s a surprise: he actually understood the value of money as well as anybody. On the ashram we had...
There’s a fine line, it is said, between genius and insanity. But do the two always go hand in hand? In her new book, “Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder,” Claudia Kalb examines 12 historic figures through the lens of today’s knowledge of mental illnesses. While Warhol...
