Spirituality & Practice

We certainly can use more empathy in a world where national polls have shown an increase in narcissism (self-interest) and a decline in concern about the well-being of others. In an article in Yes Magazine, Roman Krznaric says that empathy is not kindness or the Golden Rule but "the ability to step into the shoes of another person, aiming to understand their feelings and perspectives, and to use that understanding to guide our actions." He points out that science has added value to empathy through research proving that human beings are wired for social cooperation and mutual aid.

To make the most of . . .

"Have a conversation with the author as you read. Underline passages that catch your fancy. Or, if you are reading a borrowed book or a library copy, copy favorite phrases into a notebook. Consider your underlines and notes as the equivalents of standing ovations at a musical performance. Know that a heavily notated book is one that you have taken to heart." These are recommendations from "Making Reading Sacred," an essay we wrote for S&P's books section.

In an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education . . .

Boredom is like a fog that periodically moves in and drenches everything with a mist; it becomes hard to see clearly. Sam Keen calls boredom "the common cold of the psyche" whereas many psychologists take it much more seriously, seeing it as a prelude to depression. This spiritual malaise has been charted by Georges Bernanos in Diary of a Country Priest, in the poetry of T. S. Eliot, in the contemplative writings of Evagrius of Pontus, and in the philosophical musings of Blaise Pascal.

Several articles we found . . .

The bonds between companion animals and their humans is a spiritual matter than involves love and deep connections. We thought of this again when we read the incredible account of a four-year-old tortoiseshell cat named Holly who was traveling with her humans as they attended an R.V. rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, She got out one day and, perhaps frightened by fireworks, disappeared. Despite several days of searching she wasn't found. But two months later, Holly showed up just a mile away from her West Palm Beach home. This strong-willed previously indoor cat had traveled 200 miles to get there. She had lost a lot of weight and was dehydrated. Judging from the condition of her paws and claws, she made this journey walking; she didn't catch a lift.

In this article about Holly's amazing feat, Pam Belluck quotes Marc Bekoff, a behavioral psychologist at the University of Colorado: "I really believe these stories, but they're just hard to explain. Maybe being smart, maybe reading animal clues, maybe being able to read cars, maybe being a good hunter. I have no data for this."

Rupert Sheldrake, an English biologist . . .

In an article in The New York Times, Michael Kimmelman pays tribute to the long and commendable career of Ada Louise Huxtable who started writing on architecture for The New York Times in 1963 becoming the first full-time critic writing on architecture for an American newspaper. She was critical of "trophy" buildings by "signature" architects which are the result of a money-driven culture where status is all-important. Huxtable saw buildings as something more than giant monuments sticking up in the sky. She was interested in the roles that buildings play in the lives of those on the curbs and the corners of the city.

This versatile writer . . .

A week after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the National Rifle Association announced its solution to stemming the tide of school shootings. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," said Wayne LaPierre, the vice-president of N.R.A. at a news conference reported in an article for the New York Times. The organization wants to arm security guards at every school in the country and blamed violent video games, the news media, and law enforcement for all the mass murders that have happened in the U.S. Since 23,000 schools already have armed guards, the N.R.A. said it would help develop a plan to carry out a national program involving the rest of the nation's 99,000 schools.

It is clear to us that the wealthy and powerful National Rifle Association has no intention of working with the President and Congress on any new gun control measures. Their solution is to protect children with more guns! This pro-gun approach will probably appeal to those who support the N.R.A.'s erasure of restrictions on carrying concealed weapons and President Obama's signing into law a bill allowing guns in the national parks.

Violence has become as American as . . .

Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund, is saddened and appalled by the worst mass shooting in a public school in American history. It took place on Friday, December 14, in Newtown, Connecticut. In an article on Common Dreams she reminds us that there is no safe harbor for our children. How many more will die before we stop the proliferation of guns and the killing of innocents in the United States?

Here are some shocking statistics: in 2010, 2,694 children and teens were killed by gunfire; 1,773 were victims of homicide, and 67 of those were elementary school-age children. Since 1979 when gun death data was first collected by age, 119, 079 children and teens have been killed by gun violence. Edelman points out that this horrific number exceeds the number of American battle deaths in World War I, in the Vietnam War, the Korean War, or the Iraq War.

The questions she asks are worth thinking about:

The questions she asks are . . .

On his blog Dharma Roundup, Victor M. Parachin (Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds, Swami Vivekananda: Essential Writings) salutes Cesar Chavez as not only a labor activist but also as an outspoken activist for animal rights. He quotes him as saying:

"I became vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry and unhappy like we do. I feel very deeply about vegetarianism and the animal kingdom."

It often amazes us to read a book by a theologian, a scholar, or a spiritual writer where he or she waxes poetically about human superiority above all other creatures in the universe. It is about time to give up and abandon once and for all this entitlement view of humanity. As Chavez puts it: "We need to work twice as hard to make all people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them and love them as we love ourselves."

Chavez goes on to make the point . . .

In this eye-opening article in The New York Times, Sonya Lyubomirsky reveals some shocking details and insights into marriage. American and European researchers found that the joys and pleasures of marriage last only two years and then wear off. If couples are lucky the early yearning and passion can then morph into companionate love, "a less impassioned blend of deep affection and connection."

Scientific findings show . . .

According to an article by Stacy Kennelly published on the Yes Magazine website, a new study shows that experiences of awe ("the feeling we get when we come across something so strikingly vast in number, scope, or complexity that it alters the way we understand the world") may help get rid of feelings of being time-starved and impatient; we actually begin to feel there is more time in the day. And it might make us feel more generous.

The researchers on this project found . . .