Chasing That Most Important Point

Stephen Kiesling and Zen priest Edward Espe Brown converse about Zen, Tassajara, the beginner's mind, and more.

Explore CBD

In our special section we explore CBD from a variety of angles. Dive in to get up to speed on this huge trend.

Our 20th Anniversary “Heroes in Action”

Read about inspiring people transforming the world — with a little help for S&H.

Four Keys to Unlock the Wisdom of Anxiety

I wouldn’t have expected the ER doctor to say, “Welcome, you’ve just entered your dark night of the soul.” But if he had sent me on my way with information about what was happening, it would have been easier for me to arrive at the why.

Inner Climate Change

The world is inflamed, and so are we. Maybe the two are connected, and maybe healing our own bodies can help heal the world.

Would Humanity Be Better Off With Only One Religion?

In the latest installment of Roadside Assistance, Rabbi Rami answers questions about morality, atheism, and enlightenment (and that Allstate commercial).

What’s Next on Your Awareness Test?

When we see people in need of help, do we respond in the way that a friend, brother, or sister would? If not, we can and must do better.

Carrying the Water

"Keeping the acequia clear and flowing is a useful metaphor for interdependence and cooperation. Keeping the acequia clear—both the actual acequia and the acequia of humanity—bears learning how to do well."

The Moments That Make Us Human

"How many of us have entered a doctor’s office only to be met by an unemotional individual with very little time for us who mostly stares into a computer screen?"

Prehistoric

"In the poem, I set the vast scale of geological epochs against the quick movement of children. The poem encompasses both measures of time and holds them in suspension."

5 Questions with Erling Kagge

From the Editor

"We’re celebrating 20 years of S&H, and I find myself sorting through old stories, trying to make sense of things. What’s real? What matters? What did I miss?"

Someone Stole My Buddha!

Reader M.C. Coolidge shares the story of a stolen Buddha statue.

How to Swim in Our Sea of Fake News

"Looking back, taking on the president of Random House, the Times, and Cronkite was not a great career move for a journalist. I had to self-publish my book and almost lost my faith in having a career in journalism. Fake news seemed everywhere—and coming from the top."

10 Concerns about Supplements

Dr. Deborah Gordon dives into the controversies and misperceptions surrounding supplements.

5 Foods to Keep You Cool Inside

Cooling foods help you beat inner inflammation.

Is It OK to Hog a Table at Starbucks?

Looking closely at our small actions can help us move closer to who we want to be.

Should You be True to Yourself?

"Doing unto others based on what we would want them to do unto us implies a quid pro quo exchange of self-interests, not a fulfillment of duty. It reflects a noble aspiration to place decision-making beyond self-interest, but it may remain rooted in it."

To Zen and Back

"A pilgrim sets his or her sight on a place where the veil between the ordinary and the transcendent has been lifted. Each step moves the pilgrim away from the structures that have bound our lives, and each step moves the pilgrim closer to knowing the whole of reality as for the first time."

Book Review: The Wisdom of Anxiety

"Though commonly labeled a disorder, anxiety, for Paul, is simply evidence of the imagination and an invitation to wholeness. She shares tools and mindsets that allow us to approach anxiety with curiosity instead of shame, so that we may decode its messages, wherever they surface."

Book Review: To Stop a Warlord

The author recounts the pursuit of Joseph Kony, a brutal warlord whose guerilla group killed more than 100,000 people. She also writes about balancing her activism against Kony with her own family life.

Book Review: Holy Envy

"Contrary to popular assumption, Taylor argues, all religions are not alike. They peer at humans from different vantages, and thus propose different solutions to problems. Exploring this with her students, many of whom are evangelical Christians, showed Taylor that her true calling is to find bridges between her own faith and that of others."

Book Review: Walking

The act of walking is the most human thing we can do. Recover your appreciation for walking in this insightful book.

Music Review: India.Arie

"Arie, who approaches songwriting as a spiritual practice, intersperses Worthy’s many romantic songs with contemplative tunes like 'Hour of Love,' which advocates Buddhist lovingkindness meditation."

Music Review: Patty Griffin

Patty Griffin's latest album contains 13 songs of self-reflection, spiritual attunement, and social awareness.

Rosa Parks: Pure Love: An Oratorio of Seven Songs

"'She was an activist long before the incident of the bus and the boycott,' Smith told S&H. 'Throughout history, human beings have always found the courage to not just resist injustice, but to dare to change the movement of human history.' The song 'No Fear' features lyrics based on Parks’s own words."

Film Review: The Mustang

Superb acting and tight directing elevate this film about an inmate training a wild mustang.

Film Review: Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

This powerful, poetic film shows the stunning beauty (and horrific impact) of humanity's creations as we leave the Holocene Epoch and enter the Anthropocene.

Film Review: Honeyland

This movie about Europe's last wild beekeeper is complex, resonant, and visually magnificent.