Being strong-willed is not being willful, and freedom is not getting to do whatever you want. Our first lessons in these realities come from our first caregivers. These people demonstrate and reflect for us how to live. They both model and teach. Good leadership is like good parenting. Both embody and encourage behavior that is healthy for everyone involved. This …
War and Peace….
Peace is something we all say we want—except when we want to fight. Yes, many a morning each of us arises to enter battle rather than face a day filled with harmony and joy. So what is this desire to do battle, to fight to go to war? It is nothing new. War is the counterpart to peace; we cannot …
The Meaning of Stewardship….
In church, I used to hear the word “stewardship” thrown around: “We need to be good stewards”. For most people, that did and does mean “give money”. The real sense of stewardship is to take responsibility for the care of something. So if we are stewards of something, then it is our job to make sure all is right with …
The Terrorist Within….
The purpose of terrorism is to cause fear in people’s hearts and bring them to a place where they feel completely unsafe. Once a person, group or country is in this condition, they can be manipulated and overpowered. The sowers of discord then have control. Terrorists isolate their prey, destroy what is of value and attack at a basic level …
The Gardener….
Every tradition uses the gardener as an analogy for spiritual work. The garden is a place where everything grows within a prescribed area. We are gardens where everything grows, both beautiful and ugly things. And many times in a garden a beautiful plant begins to be seen as a weed because it has been allowed to grow to the detriment …
Twisted Love….
Twisted love is still love. So everything is love in one form or another. The problem is, God is having to push through our ignorance. Manifestation is love; just twisted love; twisted because of us. If we give up our wrong understanding and let God be the doer, and we no longer believe we are the center of attention, then …
Resources….
Resources. What are they? Resources are people and materials that aid us in our lives. These resources can be within us or outside us. We should know what they are and use them wisely. Our resources should be looked on as gifts. Do not waste or disrespect your resources, because if you do they may run dry, and you are …
Whom Do You Serve?….
This question is a difficult one because we tend not to be completely forthright with our answer. God, we will say. And yet the truth is we are idolizing our egos, our sense of self. We are in fact committed to serving the ego in everything we do and are not aware of this. If it serves my ego to …
Mother’s Day….
Today in the States we celebrate Mother’s Day. Baba was for me both my mother and father. He brought me up; he cleaned me up. My first mother and father were my first teachers. They continue to teach me my life lessons. I owe them much, since they introduced me to the part I am playing and helped reveal the …
Ganesh….
Baba used to call me Ganesh. At the time, the name did not bring joy into my heart. What am I supposed to learn from this? Why is he calling me Ganesh? These were my questions. Yes, I was in charge of security for the ashram. Yes, Ganesh was the guard at the door for his mother, Parvati. Yes, I …