Opening ourselves to unexpected insight and love Insight and love parallel each other. Just as an open mind is required for insights to emerge, an open heart is needed for love to manifest. The challenge is that both insight and love cannot be manufactured. They can be stimulated or cultivated, but they usually visit us […]
Inquiry should not entrap but liberate Testing others not to discover the truth but simply to prove them wrong is not an act of authentic inquiry or intellectual curiosity, but rather an act of ego and arrogance. When we approach a situation with the sole purpose of proving someone wrong, we close ourselves off to […]
From fragments to puzzle pieces It’s not anymore an exaggeration to say that we’re living multidimensional lives. For each dimension or fragment, we project a part of ourselves that may be different from other contexts. We can have our work self, our family self, our friend self, and even a lover self. Each dimension would […]
Generosity is the miracle In a jungle-like world, a miracle is less about the multiplication of bread and fish and more about a kind of generosity that transcends our ego. Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) captures the theme “survival of the fittest” especially through the redemption journey of Kenshin and the cruel philosophy of Shishio. Everything […]
Overcoming our blind spots We all have blind spots, those areas in our lives where we cannot see our own biases and limitations. They can be dangerous traps that prevent us from growing and experiencing the full range of life’s possibilities. Blind spots can be like a dense forest, where it is easy to get […]
Expanding the scope of our mission We are not superheroes. There are so many grand challenges today that if we try solving them all alone, we either fail at doing anything at all or burn ourselves out. It takes a lot of sober discernment to understand our limits and to know our niche. However, there […]
Moving away from insights Deliberately moving away from insights may be like intentionally avoiding light. We are more prone to trip or fall into traps in times of darkness, but deliberately avoiding light means we relinquish the benefit of the doubt. Innocent ignorance may be bliss, but deliberate ignore can breed malice. Mark 7:14-23. All […]
Complying with tradition breeds hypocrisy, but imbibing tradition breeds authenticity When we become so attached to a particular tradition, we can quickly judge others who don’t conform to our views. Moreover, since merely complying with tradition is more convenient, we are prone to hypocritically doing things – losing our spirit and our authenticity. To imbibe […]
Unexpecting patience, responsible hope “The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” – Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die We pray petitions and other kinds of devotions, usually in hopes of a particular desire being […]
A light bulb does not flaunt itself but draws attention to others A light bulb can be a reminder that our actions can either be like a beam of light shining upon ourselves, seeking recognition and praise, or they can be a gentle glow that illuminates the world around us. When we flaunt our good […]