I have been buying books faster than I can read them for a long time now and, of those that I have read, I have forgotten a lot. So, I have challenged myself to read (or re-read) every single one of my spiritual books. As I show you my bookshelves, you’ll appreciate the enormity of the task! In my bedroom I have a bookcase entirely devoted to spiritual books. Along with a...

The Pavamana Mantra is a Hindu mantra introduced in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (1.3.28). The text of the mantra reads, “asato ma sadgamaya, tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, mrtyorma amrtam gamaya.” This translates to, “from the unreal lead me to the real, from the darkness lead me to the light, from the dead lead me to the immortal.” The Velveteen Rabbit, a children’s book written by...

I recently stumbled upon the hymn “Have I done any good in the world today?” written by Will L. Thompson (1847-1909). In a world full of heartache where just watching the news is enough to send me into a downward spiral of depression, it can be easy to lose hope. I am just one among so many, after all. But, no! Each one of us has the opportunity, every single day, to do good....

A smile costs nothing, but it really can make such a difference to a person. Consider doctors mumbling amongst themselves at the foot of a patient’s bed before moving on with their ward round without so much as a greeting or friendly smile, let alone praise or explanation. Consider the loneliness of the city where, despite the crowded streets, everyone is on their phone, or...