Spirituality & Practice

“You are your baby’s favorite rock star. “This is a phrase I use often with parents. It started by accident when I was talking to a parent who just didn’t seem to be moved by all the scientific research I was sharing with her. There was something about being her daughter’s first and favorite rock star that set her free from her self-imposed judgment. Maybe there was even a little strut as she walked away from me! “From an evolutionary perspective, music and singing have a very ancient human history, at least as old as language. Babies understand the world through their ears as rhythm, pitch, contour, and timbre and they use sound to identify the important things, like who are their primary caregivers, who is part of the family or tribes and, possibly most importantly, who they can trust. One of the most effective mechanisms humans have to convey that information is through song. “Why song? Why not interpretive dance or pictures? The simple answer is that babies need to know who the people around them are as soon as possible. At birth, babies can only see vague shapes, identify faces, some movement, and strong colors. Although identifying different faces is a high priority for babies from birth, they still struggle with facial expressions for the first six months of their lives. Similarly, they can’t move with great control or intention and their smell and taste libraries are only just starting to gather information. But their brains are wired for sound, and the sound of your voice is their favorite station. “Each voice has a specific auditory signature, a combination of resonances unique to you. Typical babies’ brains have the capacity to process and attribute their significant people’s voices to their role in their lives. This is why on meeting a new adult who speaks to them they may look a little dumbfounded. However, what’s really happening is that the baby’s auditory system is working very hard to answer questions like: 'Who are you?' 'Where do you fit into my world?' 'Can I trust you?' ”

There are three kinds of spiritual practices. Some are ways to connect with the divine (however you define and name that "something more" beyond yourself). Others are designed to deepen your relationships with your family, neighbors, community, and the world around you. And others help you identify and cultivate your own values, the needs of your soul, and the ideas and ideals you want to encourage in yourself. The second two kinds of practices are valuable when you participate in politics — whether you are choosing a candidate to support, voting, running for office yourself, making your opinions known to elected officials, or engaging in some other activities in the democratic process. The following practices came to us after we watched the first of what will be many debates in the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign. We have organized them under key practices of the world religions in S&P's Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy. We hope you find them useful as you watch the debates. DEVOTION Politics is a holy endeavor, if you make it so. Choosing the people you want to support for office is a sacred process because those elected will make decisions that affect you, your loved ones, and future generations. Prepare for watching a debate with a few moments of silence. Breathe in, breathe out. Say a prayer for insight and discernment. BEING PRESENT Turn off your phones. Shut the doors. Focus your entire attention on the candidates. See what you can learn about them from what they say and how they say it. How are they dressed? Notice their facial and physical gestures. Remember, your encounter with these candidates is like going out on date. Nothing or everything could happen. Watch for surprises. GRATITUDE It is hard to run for public office. Say a word of gratitude for the women and men you are watching, acknowledging all the time, energy, and anxiety that went into their getting up on that stage in front of the cameras. Consider the other daunting challenges these people have faced over the past months. Think of a concrete way you can express your gratitude for their courage and perseverance. CONNECTIONS Consider how this ritualistic time enables you to connect with the candidates and their teams. Many will share stories of how they got to this point in their lives, giving you a way to connect to their histories. Ask yourself, how am I connected to this candidate? Perhaps you share a geographical connection or a generational one. Imagine what it would be like to work on a candidate's team; what role would you play? Remember, too, the millions of other people who are watching this debate. You are connected to them too. LISTENING It is easy to be distracted by the dynamics of a debate. Who's making the best impression? Who is getting the most screen time? Are the moderators being fair? But you are there to listen to what the candidates have to say in response to the questions and the statements of others on the stage. Set the intention that you will give the candidates your "listening heart." At the same time, listen to your own inner voices of intuition and conscience. REVERENCE Reverence is the spiritual path of radical respect, courtesy, civility, and manners. One way we practice this spiritual quality is by looking for signs of it. How are the candidates relating to each other, the moderators, and the audience? Are they respectful, civil? Notice specific behaviors. What could they do differently? OPENNESS Sometimes the most important people we meet in our lives are strangers we did not expect to encounter. The same goes for ideas. Openness means being receptive to new possibilities, without prejudging them. Unfortunately, politics has the reputation of attracting narrow-minded people who are determined to make sure that the old ways are honored. See what happens when you open your heart to something suggested by one of the candidates that you never considered before. How does open-mindedness feel? JUSTICE America's democracy aspires to the value of "freedom and justice for all." We should expect the candidates to reveal their positions on and plans for ensuring a free, fair, and just economy and political system. Take notes on these ideas, and if you don't hear them, after the debate, come up with a plan to get your ideas to the candidates. QUESTING Questions are an important part of the spiritual life. We ask questions to clarify what we believe and what we want to do. As seekers for purpose and meaning, we use questions to focus our journey. Debates are also built around questions. As you watch, make a list of the questions asked of the candidates. Then ask yourself, is this what I want to know? If not, make up your own list of questions and plan to spend some time researching answers to them on the candidates' websites. SHADOW We all have parts of ourselves that we find despicable or embarrassing; we try to deny them by pushing them into the shadow. It could be our anger, pride, impatience, negativism, narcissism, or sense of entitlement. Pay attention to how you react if one of the candidates exhibits any of your shadow qualities. How does this influence your assessment of them? TEACHERS A debate gives the candidates a chance to defend their positions by referring to history, public policies, or world events. They may use stories from their lives or anecdotes about people they have met on the campaign trail to further explain what they believe should happen. Be a willing student of these teachers. From a spiritual perspective, everything is part of the divine curriculum! VISION In most debates, the candidates will be given the opportunity to make a closing statement in which they talk about the way things are and what they can be. This is their vision. After listening to all the candidates' statements, write your own vision statement about what you want to have happen as a result of this election. YOU At the close of the debate, take a few minutes of quiet to reflect on what you have heard and seen. Avoid the temptation to join the pundits assessing who won and who lost. Instead, use the Quaker term and ask yourself, What have I heard that "speaks to my condition?" And what have I heard that speaks to the condition of the nation? Find a word or a phrase that stood out to you and write it on a piece of paper to carry with you for the next few days. Use it to remind yourself of the values and visions you most cherish and want to see preserved and expanded.

11/8/16 will be screened in some theaters beginning November 3, 2017; it will also be available on-demand on that date. Political talk has a long tradition in the United States. Since the days of the founding fathers, the view has persisted that the political health of the country depends upon the open exchange of ideas, opinions, and perceptions about the nation's identity, goals, and actions both home and abroad. Benjamin R. Barber put it well in his book Strong Democracy: "Talk is the principal mechanism by which we retest and thus repossess our convictions." Without constant dialogue about American democracy's value and meaning, it will become a static condition rather than a dynamic political process. In fact if democracy is to thrive, we all need more practice in political talk as a critical ingredient of active citizenship. 11/8/16 is a timely collaborative documentary by Jeff Deutchman that focuses on the political talk, thoughts, and feelings of supporters of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and two third party candidates on Election Day. This wide-ranging film follows in the spirit of the director's previous film 11/4/08 which focused on followers of Barack Obama on the day he was elected President. Jeff Deutchman, who curated both of these snapshots of a deeply polarized nation, has said of this film: "I wanted to attempt a reckoning with America at large, in all its vastness, its chaos, and its confusion. I enlisted an army of filmmakers who had ties to different regions of the country so that we could create a sweeping canvas of a single day. We wanted to make sure that we captured as many aspects of American life, and of American opinions, as possible – no other country contains such multitudes; that's the source of many of our strengths and our weaknesses. Where that nets out is the subject of this film. There is no such thing as 'too soon' when it comes to confronting and trying to understand the country that we live in. We need this now.' " Paul Davidson, executive V.P. of film and television at the Orchard, agrees with this thematic emphasis and even goes one step further: "I view this almost as the 'Titanic' of election docs. We all know how it's going to end, but when you meet these people, you become invested in their lives. There are so many fascinating stories, that at the end of the day, you have a greater understanding of what was on people's minds." This portrait of election day was created by eighteen accomplished filmmakers, including Alison Klayman (Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry), Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze), Bassam Tariq (These Birds Walk), Martha Shane (After Tiller). They sought out stories in 27 states with people from a variety of class, ethnic, and religious perspectives. Here are some of the 16 individuals who are featured. They share their responses to the candidates, the long and contentious political campaign, and the surprising outcome of the race for President. Anthony Ray Hinton, a former death row inmate cleared of all charges and looking forward to his restored right to vote. Adrian, a former combat veteran who thinks that Trump should be elected "because he's willing to start a dialogue" about all kinds of things. Eric Hayhurst, who shares his worries about the poor shape of West Virginia's coal mines and vows that Trump will reform the industry and Clinton won't. Amrit Palsingh, a Sikh taxi driver who lives in Queens, New York and will vote for Clinton. Calene Van Noy, a Utah housewife, who is stumping for Independent Evan McMullin. Hana Barkowitz, a Kent State University student, who is a true believer in Hillary Clinton and her programs. Tom Erdmann, a small business owner in Massachusetts, who believes Trump's promise to "Make America Great Again" and wears a hat with that slogan, over his wife Gina's objections. Jesus Ruiz, a community organizer from San Jose worries about Dreamers- like himself--who are facing grave challenges to their established lives in America. Sierra Kos, who worked on Hillary Clinton's video team and spends the day with no doubts about her candidate's eventual victory. Adrian Ojeda, a Miami Dade County Republican who intends to vote for Trump even though he differs with his views on several issues. Boots Wardinski, a third party candidate in Vermont's lieutenant governor race who sees both Trump and Clinton as "abominable." Vetress, a Chicago business woman turned activist, who tries to ascertain which candidate will help her friends and neighbors most. After listening to the political talk of these citizens, we watch journalists at the Los Angeles Times and Philadelphia's public radio station WHYY scramble when they realize they must set aside their headlines and stories about the election of the country's first woman president and announce Trump's triumph instead. By the end of the day, the mood for many of the featured people has changed. We see the weeping and the sadness of Hillary's supporters fill the gigantic Javits Center in New York City where her victory was to be celebrated, whereas elsewhere, Trump supporters hoop and holler when they realize their man has pulled off an historic upset. Not bothered or bewildered by Trump's win or Hillary's defeat, a homeless Honolulu man sits beside his tent by the beach and basks in the silence of the evening with the ocean nearby. Like millions of others, he stands for those who have opted out of participation in the political system. For Further Reflection Be Kind to Each Other A year after the election, Americans are still talking about the surprising result. The polarization evident in the political talk on election day has not abated. It's time that we take another look at each other. In his New York Times column, Nicholas Kristof wrote in April: "Nothing I've written since the election has engendered more anger from people who usually agree with me than my periodic assertions that Trump voters are human, too. But I grew up in Trump country, in rural Oregon, and many of my childhood friends supported Trump. They're not the hateful caricatures that some liberals expect, any more than New York liberals are the effete paper cutout that my old friends assume. "Maybe we need more junior year 'abroad' programs that send liberals to Kansas and conservatives to Massachusetts." Bring Joy to the Voting Booth In a pre-election Ted Talk, Eric Liu, a former political speechwriter, notes that many people talk about voting as a civic duty and the responsibility of an adult. But he also thinks it is time to bring joy into the activity. Watch his talk here. Among many good points, he makes this one: "What we need today is an electoral culture that is about being together, in person, in loud and passionate ways. … Imagine if we had, across the country right now, in local places but nationwide, a concerted effort to revive a face-to-face set of ways to engage and electioneer. … Around the world, today, millions of people are voting like this. In India, elections are colorful, communal affairs. In Brazil, election day is a festive, carnival — type atmosphere. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, there is a spectacle, eye-popping, eye-grabbing spectacle to the street theatre of elections."

James Hoggan has been immersed in the challenges of "how we create the space for higher-quality public debates where passionate opposition and science shape constructive, mind-changing conversations." A Canadian, he is a public relations specialist, chair of the David Suzuki Foundation board, founder of the influential website DeSmogblog, and the author of books on science propaganda and misinformation campaigns. This timely book takes a hard look at the widespread pollution of public discourse and its result in political gridlock. We need to aim for common ground instead of polarization, dialogue instead of demonization, and a change of behavior from being name'em, blame'em, shame'em advocates to becoming collaborators working with others on the many global problems facing us. In the "Prologue," Hoggan draws on the ideas and perspectives of Deborah Tannen who lambastes the combative style of public debate about climate control, immigration, and gun control which has led to a public atmosphere of mistrust and disinterest. He further explores his subject through interviews with leading thinkers in the field. Jonathan Haidt sheds more light on the moral matrix that both binds and blinds; he affirms empathy as a commendable factor in seeking a deeper understanding of the world around us. Other rousing essays are those by George Lakoff on why facts are not enough; Jason Stanley on silencing the voices of others; Otto Scharmer and Anne Giardini on deep listening; Paul Slovik on psychic numbing; and spiritual perspectives by Karen Armstrong, Joan Halifax, Thich Nhat Hanh, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

During the fourth and fifth centuries, the workshops for Christian monasticism were in Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Arabia. Many of these desert communities emphasized drawing closer to God through silence, solitude, and prayer. These monks and hermits were spiritual athletes who practiced fasting, renunciation, and other forms of asceticism. Christine Valters Paintner, a Benedictine Oblate and author of five books including The Artist's Rule, has annotated and explained the early Christian wisdom sayings of the desert fathers and mothers in this paperback in the Skylight Illumination series. In her absolutely brilliant introduction to the desert fathers and mothers, Paintner does a wonderful job explaining the desert as a place of deep encounter; the significant figures in this monastic tradition; the spiritual importance of the cell and the heart; the value of surrender and humility in relationship to the unceasing presence of God; and the challenges of viewing the wisdom sayings of the desert fathers and mothers as Zen koans — "texts to be pondered and chewed on slowly and then integrated into your life." Paintner has divided these early Christian wisdom sayings, translated by Sister Benedicta Ward, into thematic sections: • Give Me a Word • Your Cell Will Teach You Everything • Heart-Centered Spirituality • Thoughts, Desires, and Passions • Humility, Simplicity, and the Beginner's Heart • Spiritual Elders and Soul Friends • Tears of Compunction • The Necessity of Practice • Virtues, Charity, and the Service of Love • Solitude, Silence, and Hesychia • Three Essential Things • Prayer and Differing Gifts • How to Become a Monk In her engrossing commentaries on these sayings, Paintner shares how they have influenced her life, such as her listening for a word from the world of nature; her adoration of trees and their connection with saints; her role as an urban monk; her frighteningly close encounter with death; her love of books and her sense of the shadow side of them; and the need to be very honest with herself as a teacher, writer, and spiritual director. This is one of the brightest and best resources on the desert fathers and mothers.

America has become an adversarial culture where competition and winning at any cost are rampant in all departments of life. The hatred and paranoia of talk-radio hosts fills the airwaves with toxins that adversely affect anyone who hears these rants. Now this phenomenon has spread to large media operations like Fox News where ratings and corporate sponsorships seem to be dependent upon just how much the on-air personalities denigrate the opposition; tune in and you'll soon be treated to a smorgasbord of right-wing rhetoric about big government and other pet peeves of angry political analysts. Meanwhile, on the road, candidates smear each other in TV ads and casually call it all part of the game of getting elected. What we have here is a scary dumbing down of democracy, now regarded as an unsavory blend of entertainment and blood sport. Gone are the days of civil discourse or a mature debate about the issues facing the nation. A survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service in November 2010 — before the shootings of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson, Arizona — found that eight-in-ten Americans say the lack of civil or respectful discourse in the political system is a serious problem; nearly six-in-ten Americans believe that people are more divided over politics than they used to be. Sadly, this combative brand of political discussion has filtered down to ordinary citizens who shout at each other and show no interest whatsoever in listening to the ideas or opinions of others. Discussions of issues such as abortion or gun control turn into shouting matches and personal attacks. This development has spread to the Internet where the crankiest readers unrelentingly trash bloggers, columnists, and movie reviewers. "Comment" fields, intended to give the writer feedback on his/her ideas, are filled with vile and vicious attacks. In his speech at the memorial service in Tucson on January 12, 2011, President Barack Obama pointed to a different way. He said: "At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized, at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do, it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds." The world's religions point us to those healing words. They offer practices that can help us get beyond adversarial fighting, fear, hatred, paranoia, and dirty tricks. They show us how we can be spiritually literate and civil in this "war" time. In her book Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters — and How to Talk About It, Krista Tippett said: "We have had few models in our public life for religious speech that does not proselytize, exclude, or offend." She is right but there are spiritual teachings from Buddhist and Christian monks about practices to restrain the tongue, renounce hurtful speech, and eschew judgmental thinking. They also emphasize ways of speaking from the heart and lifting the spirits of others through sacred speech which is characterized by love, kindness, openness, humility, and reverence. What all people on a spiritual path acknowledge is that words do matter and we must be very careful what we say. We have gathered some spiritual resources on right speech: a sampling of quotes, readings, and practices. Quotes "Thich Nhat Hanh advises us to be mindful about every word that we speak to another person. If we use language that does not hurt people but that affirms people, we will lead people to greater peace, happiness, hope, and consolation. If we use the language of violence and fear, we will speed up the culture's downward spiral." — John Dear in Mary of Nazareth, Prophet of Peace "The mystic doesn't seek to avoid a disagreement so much as to infuse it with grace. A disagreement is a cut on the skin. You need to treat it gently and not cut further. So it should be, when we see things differently, that the gentleness of spirit guides our speech. Emotional havoc usually comes not from the issues that divide us so much as from the things we say and do because of the issues that divide us. Indeed, it's often fairly simple things that we disagree about. Learning how to disagree with love is an important skill on the mystical path." — Marianne Williamson in Everyday Grace "A singular characteristic of sacred speech is its openness. It is humble. It is less interested in being right than in being linked, less interested in self-protection than in self-expression, less interested in cages and doors than in decks and windows. Sacred speech wants clarity and it wants justice. Sacred speech loves a good, honest boundary. But is also wants to maximize love and minimize fear. Sacred speech understands and acknowledges that, in the world that God has made, we need not fear. We may require many fewer locks, keys, borders, and boundaries than we think we do." — Donna Schaper in Sacred Speech "Do not gossip or listen to gossip (lashon hara). This is one of the biggest mitzvot. You are not to gossip, insult, lie, deceive, or slander. When you listen to gossip, your fellow man is brought down. This can be so serious that when you insult someone in public and he blushes, you are considered to have killed a part of that person's soul." — Brenda Shoshanna in Jewish Dharma "One of the elders used to say: In the beginning when we got together we used to talk about something that was good for our souls, and we went up and up, and ascended even to heaven. But now we get together and spend out time in criticizing everything, and we drag one another down into the abyss." — A Desert Father in The Wisdom of the Desert translated by Thomas Merton See spiritual quotations about speech. Excerpts Sylvia Boorstein on How Words Hurt Speech is potent, Boorstein writes in It's Easier Than You Think. Discussing the Buddha's category of Right Speech, she recalls her students' responses when she asked them if they felt pain over something someone said to them, proving the adage that "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can always harm me." Joseph Goldstein on Speech's Effect on the Mind What happens when you decide to refrain from wrong speech? When this Buddhist teacher decided not to speak about any third person, he was surprised by the results. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin on Good Speech Just as important as not engaging in negative and critical speech is engaging in positive speech and praise. In A Code of Jewish Ethics: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, we find very concrete examples of how to do this. Practices Keeping Custody of Your Tongue Here is a simple but not always easy practice from the Benedictine monastic tradition. In this article, we suggest that it is particularly useful when winter drags on and irritability levels rise, but it should be an all-year-round practice. Count Your Words In Hasidic Tales Rami Shapiro writes that the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, said that a person is born with a fixed number of words to speak in his/her lifetime. When that count is reached, the person dies. So here is the practice: The next time you about to criticize someone, to engage in gossip, or to utter any negative and hurtful words, ask yourself: Are these words worth dying for? Responding to an Irate Person Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche in Change of Heart notes that lashing out at a person who insults us is a very common reaction. But this habit can be overcome by meditating on impermanence and the possibility that this angry person may have been a friend or family member in a previous life. A Vow to Practice Right Speech Barbara Ann Kipfer in 201 Little Buddhist Reminders describes a simple everyday practice as a reminder to practice wise speech. While brushing her teeth, she vows to speak purely and lovingly during the day. A Gatha for Using the Telephone In The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh offers a short verse, called a gatha, to reinforce the intention to cultivate right speech. Try repeating this as you pick up your telephone: "Words can travel thousands of miles. May my words create mutual understanding and love. May they be as beautiful as gems, as lovely as flowers."

Professor Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington) teaches at Wiley College in the small town of Marshall, Texas, in 1935. It is a segregated community, and Negroes are in danger when traveling alone. At the beginning of the school year, Tolson chooses four new members of the college's debate team. His standards are very high since he's convinced that blacks must have strong and active minds to stand up for their rights in the Jim Crow South. The team consists of Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams), who has been on the team before and quits before the major competition; James Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), a fourteen-year old prodigy whose father pushes him to excel; Samantha Brooke (Jurnee Smollett), who has transfered to Wiley with the dream of being the first woman debater; and Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), an independent student whose passion for justice is fierce and unwavering. All are very smart and aggressive students whose dreams of success are fueled by Tolson's energy and idealism. But outside the classroom, they face a world of huge and hurtful racial bigotry. James gets a first-hand glimpse of this when his father James Sr. (Forest Whitaker), a renowned scholar at Wiley College, accidentally runs over a pig while out driving with his family. Two white men with guns demand an exorbitant payment for the lost animal and do their best to humiliate the city "nigger." Another time, on the way to a debate, the team comes upon the scene of a lynching. Meanwhile Tolson leads a secret meeting of white and black workers from the area, trying to get them to join the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. When he is jailed by the racist sheriff (John Heard), James Farmer Sr. intercedes for him, even though he doesn't share his support of unions as the best means to achieving basic human rights for workers. Denzel Washington made his directorial debut with Antwone Fisher, and he has chosen another superlative African-American story again; this one is inspired by the real-life passion, dedication, and teachings of Melvin Tolson. It is very gratifying to watch this skilled educator draw out the best in his three eager students. Denzel Whitaker does a fine job conveying the vulnerability and lack of self-confidence in James Farmer Jr., who has a crush on Samantha and the burden of proving himself to his impressive father. Jurnee Smollett is outstanding as the first woman debater at Wiley College; she gathers momentum in each contest as her talent and intelligence become more apparent. But the heart and soul of the film is the astonishing performance by Nate Parker as the very smart outsider who marches to the beat of his own inner drummer. He shows real leadership ability, which Tolson uses when after a series of local victories the Wiley team gets the chance to prove their powers of persuasion in a debate with the national debate champions from Harvard. One of Tolson's slogans is "We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do." Very few movies honor the unstinting determination it takes to succeed in a competitive world. The Great Debaters does that and much more. Special DVD features include deleted scenes; The Great Debaters: an historical perspective; "That's What My Baby Likes" music video; "My Soul is a Witness" music video; The Great Debaters: a heritage of music; scoring The Great Debaters with James Newton Howard and Peter Golub; Learning the art: our young actors go to debate camp; Forest Whitaker on becoming James Farmer, Sr.; the 1930's wardrobes of Sharen Davis; the production design of David J. Bomba; and the poetry of Melvin B. Tolson.

CHRIST IN MY SPOUSE You surprise me, Lord, when you touch me unexpectedly with the hand of my beloved. You comfort me, my Shepherd, when you speak reassuringly through the voice of my true spouse. You strengthen me, my Friend, when you look upon me knowingly through the eyes of my companion. You inspire me, O Holy One, when you breathe your life so gently through the breath of my dear love. You guide my steps, O Dancer, as you urge me on so gracefully through the leading of my partner. May I find you each day anew in the presence of my spouse.

Olive Pendergast (Emma Stone) is a smart and sassy California high school student who keeps a low profile among her peers. Her mother (Patricia Clarkson) and father (Stanley Tucci) are liberal, funny, and witty parents who steadfastly support her stubborn individuality and creativity. Her best friend, Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka), is a looker who is worried about Olive's sexual inexperience, and when she pushes this button again, Olive decides to fabricate a story about losing her virginity over the weekend with a college boy. The only trouble is that this lie is overheard by Marianne (Amanda Bynes), a fundamentalist Christian. Like wildfire the news spreads across the campus and Olive is branded a slut. Although Rhiannon congratulates her friend for losing her virginity ("V-card"), everyone else revels in the gossip which gathers new twists as it spreads. Then a strange thing happens: A closeted homosexual who is persecuted turns to Olive for help, and they pretend to be getting it on in a bedroom at a well-attended party. An overweight loser follows, and soon Olive has become the savior to the school's male rejects and losers. Rumors spread about "Olive the bimbo," as she continues her service, getting payment in the form of gift cards to various chains and superstores. Olive even takes the blame when Mrs. Griffith (Lisa Kudrow), the school's guidance counselor, has an affair with a student and is about to lose her husband (Thomas Haden Church) and job. Add to this that many of the students are reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, so Olive decides to create her own clothing make-over with an "A" on her blouse. Easy A is an imaginative and frolicsome comedy that is very appealing on many different levels. The screenplay by Bert V. Royal is funny and clever. For example, Olive decides to read the Bible and asks the bookstore clerk where to find it: in the bestseller section next to Twilight. Emma Stone gives a tour-de-force comic performance similar to the one by Reese Witherspoon in Election. It is so refreshing to see an intelligent young woman try to work her way through a tough situation of her own making. It is also quite pleasing to think about Olive as a Jesus figure who helps bring losers and pariahs into the center circle. Her service to others is contrasted with the judgmental actions of Marianne and her conservative Christian friends who separate themselves from others by condemning them to hell. Best of all is the way Easy A gives imagination, pluck, and playfulness a good name! Special features on the DVD include a gag reel; Emma Stone's audition footage; and a commentary with director Will Gluck and Emma Stone.

Sylvia Boorstein, one of our Living Spiritual Teachers, is a co-founding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and a senior teacher at the Insight Meditation Society. She writes a regular column in Shambhala Sun and is the author of the national bestseller It's Easier Than You Think. She has been meditating for 30 years and is convinced that the mind-training steps in the Eightfold Path — Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration — can lead to a caring connection with the world and bring out the best in ourselves. According to Buddhism, restoring the mind to its natural wisdom and kindness leads to happiness. Using her knack for telling engaging stories, Boorstein shows how the mind can respond to ordinary situations with goodwill, to frightening situations with compassion, and to beguiling situations with appreciation. The foundation for all is the spiritual practice of equanimity which enables us to see things clearly. In an example, the author points out that she is not bothered by stage fright when speaking in front of a large audience of strangers. She just reminds herself that they have come to enjoy hearing what she has to say; they are not critics but friends and allies. It is possible to sweeten the mind by this kind of positive attitude. Boorstein realizes that all of us have trouble dealing with afflictive emotions, such as desire, anger, fatigue, worry, and doubt. She calls herself "a recovering fretter." But nowadays she is giving less airtime to worrying. Keeping the mind as steady as possible is a good practice for dealing with these emotions. One of her favorite prayers is: "May I meet this moment fully. May I meet it as a friend." Giving 100% of ourselves to what shows up right now is a key to happiness. Boorstein invites us to join her in practicing for a joyful life.