How often do we consider the true significance of our words? Every time a person sneezes, someone will inevitably say, “bless you”. But what does this mean? Recently, I shared with a friend that when I walk by a person asking for money, I often respond with a blessing. His
Truly transformational learning often happens offline, in person, and in small groups. People have an opportunity to spend time together in community and experience new ways of being together. The idea behind Sutra revolves around delivering this kind of experience online. This guide will walk you through the basics of
Resistance is familiar to anyone who has pursued a creative endeavor. It is that comforting force of distraction in the face of a meaningful task. It’s calling friends, surfing the web, researching something random, browsing Amazon, and day dreaming when you know you should be doing something else. In The
Shunryu Suzuki, the Japanese monk who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, shares a beautiful story about the difference between noise and sound: If you think, when you are reading something, “Bird is there” – bluejay is over my roof, bluejay is singing but their voice is not so
Authenticity is a slippery slope. We often equate being authentic with self expression – but is this really authenticity? The great mystic Gurdjieff suggests that a person has personality and essence. Personality consists of all the different identities we carry, the many I’s of the mind. One moment we’re cold,
Early in my entrepreneurial career, I was selling real estate rentals in the Boston area. After two months on the job I was failing miserably and almost ready to quit. My working strategy was to churn through as many prospects as I could, always moving on to the next client.
Ok. Silly, rhetorical question: Do you ever find that modern life moves unbelievably fast? Right. Each day brings new demands, a never ending to do list, and the harsh criticism of an insatiable inner critic. The rabbit hole easily manifests a condition of overwhelm and paralysis – not knowing what
One of my favorite zen stories is that of the overflowing cup. An affluent man comes to visit a zen master, requesting knowledge about enlightenment. The master invites him to tea and begins to pour a cup. As the cup fills, the master doesn’t stop pouring. Tea spills and the
Gurdjieff, the early 20th century mystic, teaches that human beings develop along two trajectories, that of being and knowledge. Developing along just one line without the other leaves a person one-dimensional and limited. And it is often through the very struggle of adversity that being is developed. Everybody fails at
Esoteric teachings often emphasize hardship as a necessary ingredient for transformation. A person might walk through life blindly until some crisis shakes their worldview. The crisis becomes a catalyst for some profound change. This can happen individually and collectively. A natural disaster or large scale act of violence will suddenly