Become a Fan. You'll get emails whenever I post articles on
Dr. Stephen Ruppenthal is the author of The Path of Direct Awakening: Passages for Meditationand co-author of Eknath Easwaran’s The Dhammapada. Dr. Ruppenthal is an international workshop leader in passage meditation and in courses for those looking for end of life spiritual care and for the spiritual step component of twelve step programs. Visit Stephen’s work at www.directawakenings.com.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Turning Away From the Dark Side of the Force
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, I ask myself, how does the good Anakin Skywalker turn to the dark side and become its embodiment Darth Vader? Moreover, how do we deal with our own dark side, which can sneak up before we know what hit us? Here are four ways to deal with our destructive side and turn instead to be nourished by the positive energy of the Force.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007 Karma-formed States and Personal Freedom
The law of karma states that everything we do, say, or even think has consequences. But is karma completely fatalistic and set in stone, or is there something we can actually do about it? See how
karma, which operates everywhere and at every moment,leaves the future entirely up to us. If you want to influence karma, it calls for changing yourself at the most fundamentally deep level that is accessible.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 A Place Safe from Heat and Cold
Whether it is global warming or from some other cause, the whole world is enduring great extremes in heat, cold, wet, and dry. This is hard not just on our bodies and our living environments, but on our emotions. Here are five things all of us can do to stay calmly centered in ourselves, whether it is bitterly cold or blisteringly hot.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 Psychological Work and Direct Awakening
Meditation is still the best tool for slowing down the fast mind and reducing stress. But for many in the modern world, particularly those who have suffered childhood traumas, meditation is best supplemented by therapy, which opens up and resolves hidden memories and traumas. Here is a plea for standing up and accepting all of who we really are.
Friday, July 6, 2007 Bardo: Using Pain for Spiritual Gain
Bardo, which means "between two," isn't just where we go, according to the Tibetans, after this life is over. We experience bardos any time we are in between things or relationships in life. Herein lies either great danger for a fall or great opportunity for change and growth; the choice is up to us.
Thursday, July 5, 2007 Spiritual Awakening and the Near-death Experience
Is enlightenment only possible for saints and mystics, or is it within reach of us all? Learn how ordinary people have glimpsed the most profound vision in the near-death experience, and how this gives hope to all.
Sunday, March 18, 2007 Find Spiritual Nurturing in Nature
In Nature, we can let go of the person we have to be at work and in society, merging in the rhythm of the land and the seasons. We can walk freely in the hills or on the beach, letting our bodies move with their natural rhythm they crave....
