Tibetan buddhist teacher Pema Chodron offers some very useful wisdom about living a spiritual path, and guidance for navigating through rough passages and avoiding pitfalls.
Pema Chödrön (born Deirdre Blomfield-Brown on July 14, 1936) is an American Tibetan Buddhist. She is an ordained nun, acharya and disciple of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Chodron has written several books and is the director of the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Another interesting video from The School of Life, positing a secular view of the concept of “Higher Consciousness.”
The term “dark night (of the soul)” was originally used in Roman Catholicism for a spiritual crisis in a journey towards union with God, like that described by Saint John of the Cross. It has since been adopted by many spiritual practitioners across many modalities of spiritual practice and refers to a turbulent period of darkness encountered along the spiritual path.
“I reserve the expression ‘dark night of the soul’ for a dark mood that is truly life-shaking and touches the foundations of experience, the soul itself. But sometimes a seemingly insignificant event can give rise to a dark night: You may miss a train and not attend a reunion that meant much to you. Often a dark night has a strong symbolic quality in that it points to a deeper level of emotion and perhaps a deeper memory that gives it extra meaning. With dark nights you always have to be alert for the invisible memories, narratives, and concerns that may not be apparent on the surface.” – Thomas Moore, A Dark Night Of The Soul And The Discovery Of Meaning Continue reading RAM DASS ON THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
Episode 1 of the 1988 PBS documentary: Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth, originally broadcast as six one-hour conversations between mythologist Joseph Campbell and journalist Bill Moyers.
About Campbell, hero types, hero deeds, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Krishna, movie heroes, Star Wars as a metaphor, an Iroquois story: the refusal of suitors, dragons, dreams and Jungian psychology, “follow your bliss,” consciousness in plants, Gaia, Chartres cathedral, spirituality vs. economics, emerging myths, “Earthrise” as a symbol.
“Passing through life, progressing to old age and eventually death, it is not sufficient to just take care of the body. We need to take care of our emotions as well.” The Dalai Lama
“In daily life, before death actually happens, it’s important to accept that sooner or later death will come.” The Dalai Lama
In ‘No Regrets: Advice for Living & Dying’ His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses the profound importance of preparing for dying & how to live a meaningful life. This video provides a rare insight in HHDL as he gives advice to the terminally ill, medical professionals & general public on issues, including grief & loss and emotional & spiritual support at the end of life. Filmed in Australia at Karuna Hospice Service, HHDL brings compassion, practical advice & wisdom to outline the path for a fulfilling life & a peaceful death. – Karuna Hospice Service, 2008
The Incubator 