pixel

The Wolf of Hate

I once heard a teaching story in which an elder, a grandmother, was asked how she had become so wise, so happy, and so respected. She answered: “In my heart, there are two wolves: a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. It all depends on which one I feed each day.” This...

The Evolution of Love

How did we evolve the most loving brain on the planet? Humans are the most sociable species on earth – for better and for worse. On the one hand, we have the greatest capacities for empathy, communication, friendship, romance, complex social structures, and altruism....

5000 Synapses in the Width of a Hair

How much change in the brain makes a difference in the mind? That's the issue raised by a very interesting comment regarding my previous blog, "The Brain in a Bucket." So I've taken the liberty of posting the comment here (hoping that's OK in blog etiquette; still...

The Brain in a Bucket

Have you ever seen a real brain? I remember the first time I saw one, in a neuropsych class: the instructor put on rubber gloves to protect against the formaldehyde preservative, popped the lid off of a lab bucket, and then pulled out a brain. It didn’t look like...

Eddies in the Stream

Eddies in the Stream

Like eddies in a stream, all things—stars, thoughts, moments—arise and pass. Resting in this flow, we find freedom, peace, and deep belonging.