On January 1 I was invited to speak at an interfaith summit of religious leaders in New Delhi. Organized by Dr B.K. Modi, a renowned Indian businessman and humanitarian who was instrumental in the founding of the UN's World Council of Religious Leaders, the event convened leaders of all the major religions of India in an attempt to...

On February 5, I visited the 24th military zone in the state of Morelos, Mexico, where I taught 200 members of the Mexican armed forces my system for inner peace. I have shared these simple teachings with people from many different walks of life, including high-security prisoners, ex-guerrilla soldiers and...

Addictions come in many shapes and sizes. Some are more obvious, such as drug or alcohol addiction; others we may not commonly consider to be addictions, such as the addiction to being right, or to receiving approval. Yet all addictions have this in common: They are an attempt to escape...

Many of us have been through ordeals we would have rather avoided in life. How can we overcome the pain and disillusionment they leave in their wake?

Firstly, allow yourself to feel the emotions that come up in relation to what happened. These feelings will come with memories, sometimes...

A relationship based in mutual growth is a wonderful adventure of discovery.

To cultivate a deeper sense of self, to develop the values of integrity, honesty and transparency; to uncover the life force that beats within each of us and inspires us to be the best we can be as...

In honor of last week's World Peace Day, let me begin this column with an excerpt from the UNESCO website: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defense of peace must be constructed."

Last week's celebration brought a multitude...

Just days before the 10th anniversary of the mortifying September 11 attacks, a plane crash off the coast of Chile rocks a nation, and here in Uruguay we are all reminded of the pain and sorrow of loss. It reminds us of the unpredictability of life, how every day surprises...

For most of us, the search for the ideal partner has become an obsession: the principle goal in our quest for love. Yet our relationships often peter out after the brief fireworks of romance. Then the false hopes of the mind are exposed for what they truly are -- an...

For most of us, our mother is the earliest and most significant influence in life. She is likely our first encounter with unconditional love. The service and selfless giving that mothering universally represents are qualities that we all must learn to emulate on our journey to self-realization.

In order to...

Are you a rigidly structured person? Do you feel trapped within your own ideas, as if you were in a box? If so, the big question is, are you ready to change?

Just becoming aware of this rigidity within yourself is a very good thing; until you are aware of...

In order to free ourselves from fear, we must leave behind that which we understand and face what lies beyond: we must make the unknown, known.

If we stay within the confines of knowledge, we can never experience our full capacity. Even Einstein was aware of the limits of the...

Over the last few weeks, catastrophe and conflict have jostled for attention on newsstands around the world. It has been a periods of great confusion and uncertainty, but also a reminder of just how connected we all are. When tsunami alerts reached the coasts of so many different countries, it...

In life, attitude is everything. The circumstances that have shaped our lives are as unique and individual as our personalities -- no two are the same. Yet our ability to grow as individuals, to evolve into more compassionate, loving and conscious people, depends not on what has happened to us,...

When shyness overshadows our talents, we miss out on opportunities to grow and advance. We become trapped in a vicious circle of insecurity and frustration.

Shyness is often masked as disinterest or indifference, yet its root is much deeper.

If we go deep into the feeling of shyness, we will...

We are never completely satisfied with what is happening in this moment. In fact, the idea that we need something that is not present right now is the root of our discontent. Even when we achieve everything we always wanted, we feel there is something missing. Why? Because we are...

The disparity of giving and receiving is often the cause of conflict in a relationship. There is almost always one who gives, gives, gives, and then is disappointed when nothing comes in return, and another who takes, takes, takes, but cannot truly appreciate what they are receiving. Resentment ensues, and...

The modern world is an uncertain place. Sliding stock markets and new technologies transform society at a dizzying pace, and no one can say what tomorrow will bring. Of course, this has always been true: the future has always been marked by uncertainty; such is the mystery of life. But...

Our mothers influence us more than anyone else in our lives. Even in adulthood, as the years go by, their legacy lives on within.

Some of us adore our mothers, others fight or compete with them. Some are attached, others cannot bear to even speak to them. But no matter...

We all have desires. If we are on a spiritual path, what attitude should we take towards them?

Many spiritual traditions interpret desire as counterproductive, something that must be conquered in order to experience realization.

Other schools of thought, such as positive thinking, consider the fulfillment of desire...

Have you ever got to a point in your life where you felt you had everything, yet there was still something missing? In my twenties, my external success should have been enough, yet I wasn't happy. The things I had accumulated, my social status and professional achievements, all seemed too...