“Thanks to Sawaki, Antaiji is truly devoted to the ways of the ancients. And thanks to his main disciple Uchiyama, it is one of the few Zen temples in Japan that is quite open to foreigners practicing together with the Japanese monks.”
Category: Fireside Chats
“Eastern beliefs, in particular, view ancestors as a ‘bridge’ between human existence and God. They have the power to aid us and help us in times of trouble as well as bless us as we go forth on our journey. In The Merchant of Stories, I touched on how the bonds we have with those who have passed on does not end with their death.”
“Jyotisa is not mere psychological assessment, but an invaluable reference of human evolution which spans six thousand years.”
“I can’t say that I planned to write this book. I don’t believe the story told itself—as it is neither fiction nor a memoir in a conventional sense. I did not have the privilege of hindsight as I wrote in my diary. I’ve narrated the creative process and entrepreneurial journey in real-time as it unfolded in my life.”
“It’s really important to love a book when you acquire it. If you don’t have that kind of emotional commitment to something, you wind up second-guessing yourself…”
“One thing that they fail to understand is that they lose a part of themselves, their individuality and the originality of their artwork in the process of pleasing the elite.”
“Myths reflect the essence of history and philosophy. Myths show man at his best and man at his worst. Myths project man as God, and man as the devil.”
“As a matter of fact, my anxiety about public appearances was the direct inspiration for this book. Before I began writing In Her Skin…”
“Enheduanna is indeed the world’s first individually identified author. As well as being a priestess, she was also a princess as the daughter of Sargon of Akkad (‘Sargon the Great’). Ishtar was worshipped with songs of praise, festivals, and libations.”
Over the years, I have heard stories of souls with ‘unfinished business’ in just about every culture I’ve encountered. I have often wondered–is it us humans who are haunted by their absence–or do restless souls truly reside amongst us?