Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World
Tonight I will be hosting my first Shabbat dinner. It’s a big production. I cooked a test brisket and botched it…badly..tough as leather. We’ll see how the next few turn out. In addition to my brisket prep, I’m also preparing a short speech about why I’m doing this project and why Shabbat is important. I
I think a lot about the role work should play in a meaningful life, so I thought it would be helpful to gather a list of (mostly) ancient wisdom type quotes about work or almost about work for some perspective. I offer these without commentary. Work for the sake of rest The Sabbath is not
Souls are like athletes, that need opponents worthy of them, if they are to be tried and extended and pushed to the full use of their powers, and rewarded according to their capacity. – Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain Training grounds for the soul My daughter needed surgery last year when she was four months
I’m fascinated by religions’ practices and beliefs regarding death. It seems as if every philosophical or religious tradition has some sort of “death meditation” practice. The Stoics included it in their “negative visualization” practice, Christians contemplate the death of Christ at Mass, Jews study it in the Torah, and Muslims understand that there is a
TLDR Everyone experiences a desire to retreat from the world This desire may come from need to escape “normal” life’s problems But it might be better to engage with your current life in a different spirit, rather than run away from it This is easier said than done The awakened sages call a person wise
Stoicism taught that you should only desire things within your control. To do this, you must first understand what is within your control and what is not within your control. You can’t control how others treat you, but you can control your reaction to them. You can’t control whether or not you get a promotion
It is Polar Vortex 2 week here in DC. The government closed for a day, and I decided to work from home. Hooray for flexible workplaces! I really did not want to jump into my ice bath today. It was snowing outside, I was nice and cozy and warm in my apartment, and I just
Origins of the Caste System The idea for the caste system in India, came from the Bhagavad Gita. In the Gita, Krishna describes four groups to which people belong: The different responsibilities found in the social order – distinguishing Brahmin [Priests], Kshatriya [warriors], vaishya [traders/merchants], and shudra [agricultural/labor class] – have their roots in
I completed my fourth ice bath yesterday. I think they are becoming colder. My shivering started about 5 minutes in as opposed to 15 minutes in. I also shivered for quite a while afterwards. However, the ice baths are becoming easier. The pre-bath anxiety is decreasing. It’s hard to say if this is making me
We live in a culture that cultivates excessive focus on the self. My day is filled with thoughts that cycle between what I want, what I don’t want, what I want but don’t have, and what I have but don’t want. Yesterday, as in most days, I was thinking about the type of career I