Locke Rush

The other night I was watching 60 Minutes and saw a segment on sugar. It fit neatly into this piece that I had started on a few days earlier. It seems medical researchers are now finding that sugar, far from the sweet angel that serenades us, is Satan in disguise....

Dear Alexander:

Do you remember when we talked in the TV room about different religions and God? The conversation was pretty short because you were busy with the TV and I remember thinking: I should write you a letter that might explain better about religions that might help you understand...

I have worked in the addiction field for over 30 years and at one time owned and ran a successful Chemical Dependency Clinic. Over time I have come to know hundreds of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts and have seen a familiar plot unfold in each of their lives. The...

Looking at the world around us, much of what we see is disheartening.The rich are richer, the poor are poorer, innocent men, women and children are being killed by the thousands in a meaningless war, billions are being spent on pleasure and irrelevant projects while vital issues as health...

I am more confused than ever. I read and hear daily about the core values of our founding fathers. Mixed in with this is the strong undercurrent of their "Christian" values. Much of this verbiage comes from the right (be it the Christian or Republican) side, from those of us...

When asked about the different religions and their respective virtues or faults, the Sage answered in this way.

"At different times in the history of humankind, God has sent different prophets to bring the Truth for that age. He did not send prophets such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammed...

This morning I went to the local store for my newspaper. While chatting, my friend the manager mentioned that her 20-year-old son was having a down spell, mildly depressed but mainly pondering why each day seemed the same -- off to work, back home, off to work etc. -- same...

Once, for six months, I lived on Patmos, a Greek, Dodecanese Island off the coast of Turkey. I had heard of a lovely beach several miles from my cottage and one day I walked there. As I descended the path towards the beach I was struck by the sound,...

There is an old tale about God, who was walking along a country road, followed several steps behind by Satan. He saw something shining in the dust and picked it up. Immediately, Satan asked, "God, what is it you are holding?"

God answered, "The truth."

Two weeks ago I passed out. Fainted. Me, a health food nut, someone who fast-walks three miles a day, gardens and meditates -- all to no avail. I passed out. Granted, it was over 90 degrees and I had been doing strenuous work outside. I had come in shortly before...

I grew up on a farm in the "Great Valley," about 35 miles west of Philadelphia. My mother's favorite spot to perch was in the kitchen next to the stove where she put her feet up and did the New York Times crossword.

Many guests who came and went...

The words of this blog's title have been attributed, by some liberal/jocular scholars, to the Buddha, who as you may know, sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree for seven years as the last necessary step before attaining enlightenment.

Any serious student of Buddhism will acknowledge that the essential...

After many years of seeking, opening and closing many doors, I found what I had been looking for; a real teacher, a true father, a saint -- an enlightened being. He was the kind of person I had read about in dozens of spiritual books but had never encountered. His...

I think Vince Lombardi once said,"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. Our lives have come to thrive on competition: the Super Bowl,The World Heavyweight Championship, Dancing with the Stars; much of our entertainment is derived from the importance of who wins. Second place is a no no, almost a...

For most of my childhood and adolescent years I was intent on developing a sense of identity/persona. In the decade after college I sculpted and polished it. In NYC, practicing that persona, I became deeply immersed in the party life of wine, women and song. It titillated me and gave...

Often, the most difficult experiences carry within them hidden blessings. In the process of undergoing difficulty we struggle mightily, seeking to avoid the pain, only to discover later, to our surprise, we had received a gift of great value.

Basic Training USMC Quantico Va. -- summer, 1955.The temperature was...

I was driving along Route 1, a busy four lane highway near Philadelphia a year ago,when I noticed in my rear view mirror a car several lengths behind -- weaving in and out of traffic. It was coming up very fast behind me. As I clicked my blinker to move...

One day, in the monastery*, I was walking in the courtyard with my Zen Master. He saw a monk at the far end of the enclosure and said to me,"You see that monk....he is a very good monk." I nodded and the Roshi continued."He married last year, you know." After...

In the Middle East we often hear the word Jihad used. It has even migrated to these shores where we talk daily of Jihadists.

It is of interest and important to understand the origin of this word. In the original arabic (in The Koran) the word translates...

I live in the country 100 yards off a small lane. A few days ago the snowstorm came through and as it finished depositing its 24" of snow, I looked out the window at the driveway and thought to myself, we're snowed in for at least the next four days....