Author: Michael Stevens

One of the common themes of religions is the importance placed on the role of clergy or religious leaders. This varies from high regard for priests to ‘leaderless’ traditions with a place for respected...

An algorithm is a procedure or formula for solving a problem or creating a specific outcome,  based on conducting a sequence of specified actions. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms incorporate sophisticated...

We all have personality disorders. There are times when we experience a ‘disordering’ of our so-called functional self. The core of the disorder is a fixation, a conditioned habit of mind, upon which we...

There is an old adage in Buddhism that suggests the importance of having a guru, a spiritual teacher, the person we trust to guide us along the path. Then, when our practice ripens and...

“When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” I have come across this quote in various forms, from various sources. It surfaces in the arena of racial, gender, and socio-economic identity but...

I am hiking in an ancient river bed and notice an odd shaped rock. Barely visible, camouflaged by a blending of earth tones, the specimen invites me to stoop down and discover. I reach...

As I write at the tea shop today, I take a moment to look around. I see colorful art work hanging on old brick walls and mottled textures of a concrete floor. A wide...

I heard about another scientific study on the negative side-effects of smart phones, especially with regard to social media. Beyond the addictive qualities inherent in scrolling and other aspects built in to applications, involvement...

I am dreaming and I observe the six bardos floating in space. The six bardos, or “in-between” states are: this life, dreaming, meditation, death, the luminous space between death and rebirth, and birth. In...

One of my spiritual mentors noticed how many people struggle with finding harmony in relationships. He said, “You will never find harmony until you are able to give what you want.” This is one...