Treat others the way you want to be treated. This concept has presented itself so often throughout history in one form or another that it's hard to keep track of. In this episode I discuss some of those sources.

There is no question that humanity has often engaged in violence in an effort to make social changes. So how does one make a stand while refusing to engage in this ugly tendency? In this episode I highlight three groups who have tackled this challenge with success.

From small hunter-gatherer groups to whole nations, communities fill a fundamental role in our physical and mental well being. In this episode I discuss the value that participation in smaller, more intimate communities provides.

Asceticism, the practice of denying one's own personal desires in search of spiritual growth, has existed for thousands of years across a wide variety of traditions. I discuss some of those traditions.

Is humility a weakness or a strength? I look at this topic through the lenses of Zen, Greek philosophy, Humanism, Christianity, and Daoism.

What is the value in having relationships with family and others? How are these emphasized in different traditions?

I discuss the function of prayer and meditation and how they can act as a tool for keeping our mind grounded.

I discuss the idea of how everything is connected through the Daoist lense of Yin and Yang and the Buddhist concept of interdependence.

What is ritual and how does it play a role in our everyday life?

I discuss the stories of Avalokiteshvara as well as how Jesus responded to the loss of a friend.