by Leatrice Evanne Asher We think of a humble person as someone who is modest and lacks self-importance. A person of false humility may seem just as unpretentious because they are exhibiting similar characteristics. The difference is that these characteristics are contrived to satisfy an imagined ideal of how one is supposed to be. This … Continue reading True and False Humility
by Leatrice Evanne Asher (This is a condensed version of the original article published in The Word Magazine) Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth ―Albert Einstein Spiritual vanity is one of the more elusive forms of self-deception—elusive, because when we adjudge something to be “good” or praiseworthy it is more difficult … Continue reading Students and Teachers: The Roles We Play
by Leatrice Evanne Asher However reasonable and rational we may be in most areas of our lives, we often have unreasonable expectations of our parents. We can accept imperfections in ourselves and our friends that we can’t seem to accept in our parents. How many of us find ourselves doing things we wouldn’t think of … Continue reading Parents and Pain
By Leatrice Evanne Asher Language is a medium of communication, but the words we choose to convey our thoughts and feelings often reveal much more than the information we are explicitly conveying. They also reveal our beliefs, our prejudices, our partialities—our inner world. They reflect who we are, what we have become. We all know … Continue reading Changing Our Language to Change Our Pain
by Leatrice Evanne Asher One of the beautiful elements of friendship is the compassionate clarity a friend can bring to situations that may leave us feeling overwhelmed. Most of us have had times when we feel consumed by the sensations of pain that we can barely function. At those times, when we feel stuck, … Continue reading The Blessings of Friends . . . and Enemies
by Leatrice Evanne Asher The way we handle pain is a good indication of how we are likely to handle our dying—both the anticipation of it and the process itself. Like pain, death becomes troublesome only if we are not present in the reality of it. Death is something we can, even should, be preparing … Continue reading Death and Dying
by Leatrice Evanne Asher “Man always travels along precipices. His truest obligation is to keep his balance.” ―Jose Ortega Gasset Balance is a fundamental principle in the universe. We know that imbalances in nature (which primarily arise through human thinking) can create dramatic effects such as drought, severe storms, global climate change, earthquakes, and fire. … Continue reading Pain―Bane of Our Life or Catalyst for Transformation? – Part II
Pain – Bane of Our Life or Catalyst for Transformation? Part I by Leatrice Evanne Asher What is it that has such power over us that we cower before it, would trade all of our wealth to have it banished from our lives, plead and bargain that it be removed? What is it that we … Continue reading Pain – Bane of Our Life or Catalyst for Transformation? Part I
―By Leatrice Evanne Asher What we refer to as “love” relationships may vary widely—from a parent’s feeling of unconditional love for a child to excessive and enthusiastic adoration for another person. All expressions of love that are fettered with attachment will result in pain and suffering, but the focus of this article is on what … Continue reading Love and Suffering
Leatrice Evanne Asher 