In The Spirit Of Philosophy

An Interview With Jacob Needleman

The more you realize what it actually means to be awake, the more alive all your functions will be. New thoughts, new visions, and new insights come to you, and those can be seductive; so you have to remember that awareness is the vehicle for all of them. That’s why the great spiritual traditions tell us not to get swept away even if someone like the Buddha appears to us; the smart thing may be to tell him to go away. It’s your own consciousness that counts. That’s the Buddha-nature within you.

The Law Of Relation

(Part Two)

They are lovers. He told me last night at 3 a.m., after we had taken several long walks, talking and coming to no resolution. After weeks of fighting, absolutely at cross-purposes, as though we were speaking entirely different languages.

Leaving The Dead

My mother wanted to flush our pet goldfish down the toilet. My brother and I thought we at least ought to look after its death since we hadn’t done much for its short life.

Yahbo The Hawk

Again and again he flew against the window so mercilessly I was scared he would break his neck. Then his eyes glowed with wrath.

The Things We Learn

I know what he learns in church: Jews killed Christ. He knows what I learn in Temple: how to kill Christ and get away with it.

Devotional Poem