There is a Japanese word, Hara hachi bu. It means "eat until 80 percent full." If you're trying to lose weight it is a wonderful philosophy to abide by. Be forewarned, however, it isn't easy to follow. This is because it takes the brain 20 minutes from the time the stomach is full until the [...]

One day the student asked the traveler whether he was prepared for Judgement Day. He only smiled and replied, "I don't know but if I faithfully practice non-judgement every day I think I'll be prepared."

I heard ... more money will make me happier. I heard ... whoever ends up with the most toys wins. I heard ... it's all about me. I heard ... you can never have enough. I heard ... you can never be too rich or too thin. I heard ... a rumor. I heard ... [...]

The phrase "navel-gazing" has, at least in today's western culture, come to refer to self-absorbed pursuits. This is ironic because if you really do contemplate your belly-button you're likely to be reminded that you were once physically connected to another human being. This reminder of our "connectedness" is a far cry from self-absorption. After our [...]

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard Feynman Richard Feynman, the Nobel-prize winning physicist, who uttered these wise words also kept "a notebook of things I don't know." One way to remain open to the need for unlearning is to similarly keep "a [...]

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." --Mark Twain The path of unlearning can be steep and, often, the first step is the most difficult. The reason this is so isn't necessarily because the journey ahead is so arduous (although often it can be), it [...]

The student and the travel were about to part ways when the student asked, "As I continue my travels, who else should I listen to as I continue my journey? Who are the best teachers?" The traveler thought about the question for a moment and replied, "It's been my experience that the wisest counsel has [...]

"If I were to want one thing," asked the student, "what should I want?" "Not to want," replied the traveler.

The traveler and the child were resting under a tree when the child asked, "What new insights have you come to lately?" The traveler looked up at the child and paused a long time before answering. "It's not so much that I've come to any new insights lately as it is I've learned to drop [...]