-
The Paradox of Ego, Desire, and the Shifting Self
We are taught that liberation means killing the ego and disciplining desire. Yet the paradox is that without ego there is no crossing, and without desire there is no breath. What if heaven is not elsewhere, but here—in the ordinariness of onions, neighbours, and stray dogs? “The real question, then, is not whether ego and…
-
On the Way of Fireflies and False Lights and Borrowed Brilliance
Not all that glitters guides. A simple, natural phenomenon after a rainfall in Tamil Nadu offered a profound lesson on the danger of chasing external validation and the power of cultivating our own light. In life and leadership, we are presented with two choices: the frantic, draining swarm towards artificial lights, or the purposeful, inner…
-
The Art of Living Well: Rehearsing Failure and Symbolic Death for a Successful Life
The fear of failure is a kind of death we carry within us. But what if we could rehearse that death, and in doing so, be reborn without its terror? This is the wisdom offered by Stoics, Jesuits, and Zen masters alike: a practical path to dissolving anxiety and discovering a resilient, antifragile self.” “What…
-
Reclaiming the Temple of Sleep: The Lotus Pond and Night stars.
Reclaiming the Temple of Sleep: The Lotus Pond and Night Breeze. My journey from insomnia to a spiritual practice of rest. I added “a sound, deep sleep” to the ancient list of spiritual hindrances. Not as a problem to overcome, but as the essential foundation for true awakening. This is the story of how I…
-
Komorebi: Perfect Days in Shadow and Light
In the quiet rhythm of folding a sheet, cleaning a toilet, or watching light through leaves, there is a wholeness. A reflection on how the film Perfect Days, the Zen concept of komorebi, and a decade-old philosophical question taught me that a beautiful life doesn’t have to be loud to be meaningful. “His ‘perfect days’…
