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I no longer pray— now I drink dark chocolate and let the moon sing to me. I no longer pray— I let my ancestors dance through my hips at the slightest provocation. I no longer pray— I go to the river and howl my ancient pain into the current. I no longer pray— I ache, I desire, I say “yes” to my longing. I no longer pray as I was taught but as the stars crawl onto my lap like soft animals at nighttime and God tucks my hair behind my ears with the gentle fingers of her wind and a new intimacy is uncovered in everything, perhaps it's that I’m finally learning how to pray. ... [Read more] Seed questions for reflection: How do you relate to the notion of prayer as finding an intimacy with everything? Can you share a personal story of a time you recognized intimacy with everything? What helps you feel your connection to all that is? |
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Couple of stories from our KindSpring community this week ...
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New AI Detects 13 Deadly Cancers With 98% Accuracy From Tissue Samples While cancer remains the leading cause of death, most cancers are treatable, and early detection and intervention are key. A new study from the University of Cambridge and the Imperial College of London details how artificial intelligence may be used to identify cancer before it fully develops. As noted by Shamith Samarajiwa, lead author of the paper, “This will provide better patient outcomes.” Read the full story here.
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I Spent A Week At A Chat Bench. Here's What I Learned. Chat benches first appeared in 2019, in response to scams targeting the lonely. Since then, they've begun popping up worldwide. In a special article, Annabel Abbs-Streets recounts her experience with the chat bench as she faced an empty nest. "Daily walks to the chat bench softened the pain of an emptying home. They became a pilgrimage to possibility -- offering me radically different perspectives." Read the full article here.
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Demetrio wanted to find his own joyful higher purpose. He became a surgeon, and was inspired by his experiences with humanitarian services in the military to help the less fortunate. After much soul searching and some stumbling, he created a program where people have the option to pay for their surgery by volunteering at a local non-profit. Studies demonstrate that “people who are invested in their outcome get better outcomes.” Demetrio said if he did their surgery “without that investment on the part of the patient, I'm taking away one of the most important tools for a successful result.” He invests in success, and it creates a ripple effect: the patient gets the surgery without crushing debt and possible bankruptcy; because they had to invest, they take better care of themselves; they regain or enhance their dignity and self-esteem; and both the non-profit and community benefit from the service. Demetrio hopes to inspire others to develop creative ways to invest in their neighborhoods and help those the current system leaves behind. [Read more ...] |
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Enjoy a couple of recent stories from our KindSpring community ...
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How Germany's 'Orchestra Of Change' Inspires Action The Orchestra of Change, founded in 2020, is a collective of classical musicians using the power of music in creative ways to support sustainable living and the environment. “Scientists reach brains but artists touch the heart” said Detlef Grooss, a co-founder of the group. Read the full story here.
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Past research suggests that paying attention through savoring and mindfulness can help curb addictive behaviors. These studies may advance understanding of binge eating, excessive social media use, and similar problematic behaviors. While there is much to learn, researchers caution that “given that we live in an ‘attention economy,’ where we’re constantly bombarded with ads and potentially addictive technology, it may be wise to take note.” [Read more ...] |
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Honored to have Jyoti nominate Harshida and Dinesh Mehta for India Current's "50 over 50". Below is her write-up.
For more than twenty-five years, every Wednesday evening, about 40-60, PhDs, professors, authors, doctors, teachers, yoga teachers, entrepreneurs, technologists, engineers, students, activists, gardeners, homemakers, tourists, and people from all walks of life come to sit in silence and meditate together at Awakin Circles, that started at the Kindness Temple. Harshida and Dinesh spend the week planning, preparing and cooking a homemade vegetarian meal that they serve to all meditators, to be eaten in silence after the circle. The ripples from this kindness have spread to Awakin Circles being hosted in faraway countries with the ethos of spreading random acts of kindness. Silicon Valley innovations change the world in more ways than makes the news headlines. This movement for spreading kindness towards strangers and meditating together in community is the most consistent peace-building work that I am aware of. The world needs this more urgently now than ever before. Awakin Circles is the inspiration for many other projects, such as Karunavirus, Dailygood, Kindspring, etc. Harshida and Dinesh are both immigrants from Gujarat. They have held full-time jobs in the Valley and raised two sons. Their sons have been instrumental in using technology to create this global ecosystem of ServiceSpace, which used to be called CharityFocus earlier. Yet, the values these technologies enable everywhere are deeply rooted in the home & what Harshida and Dinesh taught their sons. I am glad that IC celebrates 50 over 50 so I get the honor and pleasure to nominate this exceptional couple. Cannot separate them for individual nominations as their love and teamwork is the open secret to what they have accomplished. [For more, visit Awakin Circle website.] |
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In grappling with degenerative autoimmune disease, I often wished for a speedy redemption, for something meaningful to come out of my pain and suffering. But every time I tried, I’d be humbled by exhaustion and confusion. One day, I received the following dream: I dream that a tree of great significance is struck down by lightning. A bolt from above splays the giant tree in a star-like pattern. It is a numinous event which stops me in my tracks. Before I can take in what’s happening, men come efficiently and quickly to buck up the tree into firewood. It all feels too fast and unfeeling, as if the grandeur of this loss isn’t being properly recognised. One never imagines one can be struck down by lightning, but such as it is, disease is indiscriminate. An intervening force from nature shatters our deeply established way of life. It is swift and unforgiving, and ... [Read more] Seed questions for reflection: What has helped you bear witness while facing a fog of confusion? In times when you haven't been "hasty to make events of heartbreak meaningful", what new lessons did life reveal? Share a time when you fully grieved the grandeur of a loss, and felt bewilderment in returning home after a long exile. |
Thousands of young adult meditators call Harshida and Dinesh Mehta – ServiceSpace Mama and Papa. Many more people from around the world call their home in Santa Clara California, the Kindness Temple. 