Disengagement

One of the interesting insights into meditation is that clearing the mind is just one part of meditation. We come to realize that our thoughts are never entirel...

Getting lost

Rebecca Solnit’s book has an intriguing title: A Field Guide to Getting Lost. The essays are intensely personal and “modern” and not necessari...

“Life is a Dream”

Many writers have proposed the idea of life as a dream, an illusion, the most famous perhaps being Calderón de la Barca’s play La vida es sue&ntild...

Misanthropes and hermits

Misanthropes and hermits are often conflated. Misanthropes are historically depicted as curmudgeons, cranks, ranters, and misfits, unyielding, furious, impatien...

Crane not crane

A crane is carving out a roadside ditch, and several long-legged waterbirds are following behind, taking advantage of the unearthed surface of soil and mud. The...