A reader from the Netherlands asks:

Teachers and books about spirituality always say that human life is suffering. I don’t feel I am suffering. What is this suffering that we all supposedly feel?

When I first came to spiritual practice, I didn’t know I was in a state of suffering. I thought I was enjoying life and just looking for more. I had a lot to learn about myself and Reality! (more…)

A reader from Oregon asks:

A lot of our behavior, even when it seems selfless, is really about feeding our self image. At the same time, I think that when we become more aware of our connection with others, the self is expanded. And then that which is “self serving” is also the best thing for others.  What is selfishness?  Is it so wrong?  Are we all acting selfishly all the time, even when we think we are not?

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Back in the 16th century, the Christian mystic St. John of the Cross wrote about the dark night of the soul. He captured for every age thereafter the essence of an “arid and dark night of contemplation” during which spiritual seekers are inevitably confronted with the reality of their own misery. (more…)

Much human behavior is approval-seeking.

We want validation. We want someone to tell us we are good, ok, smart, cool, the best at X, Y or Z, indispensable, important, and on and on.
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