It’s easy to react to others’ anger or disrespect with a similar response. However, this results in a power game, where peace will never be the result. Instead, we can respond with “Namaste” or “jai bhagwan.” Both sayings recognize the divine being in others and ourselves. They also serve as a wake-up call for others to remember that we all possess that divine spark.

We often assume that contemplatives and those who enjoy solitude don’t want to be a part of the world. It is in solitude that we gather our strength and our vision. It is in quiet contemplation that we let go of the material vision that wants to bear upon us. When we return, we inspire this vision—the way of unity that transcends division and transforms others. This passage is from Thomas Merton’s Inner Experience.

If you sit outside before dawn, you hear the quiet before the first bird sings. It gives us hope that a new day is dawning. This bird is like a prophet, singing in the dark, with no care of who listens. It sings because that is its mission—to awaken the world who has fallen asleep.

When we get overwhelmed with the state of the world or the state of our lives, it’s important to take time in sanctuary. Whether it’s a physical space in your abode or a brief traffic light, time in sanctuary can recalibrate our thinking. We sit quietly with our deep breath, receiving the gifts to steady us.

We seek pleasure in worldly things, believing these things can relieve our suffering. But the more we accumulate, the more attached we become. Thomas Merton suggests that our experience with God is inversely proportionate to our attachments.

You don’t have to take holy orders to become a monk in ordinary life. If you have a longing that fails to be satisfied with material or temporary things, it could be a call to experience God. Contemplation is this experience, and although many writers have tried to express it, it, like God, can only be revealed when the student is ready.

It’s easy to get caught up with media that nourishes our seeds of afflictive emotions. If that is the case, we shouldn’t be surprised if we react to others—and ourselves—with these afflictive emotions. If we can instead catch ourselves in these moments and say, “I don’t have time for this,” we can nourish the seeds of compassion and truth.

Many will eschew “mainstream religion” because it has “too many rules.” But we recognize that certain rules guide us on the road of life. Rather than criticize those who attend religious institutions, we should recognize the areas in our life where we need discipline.

Many of us are told to “follow your passion.” However, this fails to tie us with a deeper purpose. At a graduation speech several years ago, Walter Isaacson told the graduates to “Aim higher,” and tie our passion to service to others. Rather than be consumed with our own needs, why not start each day by asking, “How can I serve?”

Many spiritual traditions will use their texts to open their hearts to The Divine. This episode employs Lectio Divina from the Christian tradition. The passages are drawn from the book, “Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings” by Richard Hooper. If you’re interested in interfaith dialogue, this book does a marvelous job in bringing these faith traditions together.