Receive a 20 percent discount on the Art of Gratefulness retreat coming up this August 29-31 near Charlottesville, VA. 

"Every moment we have more than enough—if we are open to receive," writes Gunilla Norris.   

Did you ever consider that "by simply making a little space inside of nowhere, we can transform it into NOW HERE"?  This and other insightful word plays await you in these X-Z keywords. 

What do we do when we have loads that we can’t imagine carrying for another step?  June's newsletter offers perspective.

This banner by Claire Prucher Epperly and poem by Stephen Levine both capture a "terrible delight."

In Grateful News:  Marveling at what remains, coexisting without losing our uniqueness, older brains growing wiser,  and a disarmingly honest approach to poverty reduction. 

Celebrate the Solstice (Friday, June 20th) by sending seasonal ecards to friends and family.

The flyer for Br. David and Chungliang Al Huang's evening lecture in Zuerich is now available.  There is a wait list for the preceding weekend retreat at Mattli, which filled rapidly.

"To fully enter into the movement of Reality":  This goal for which many of us long can become surprisingly approachable in the face of terminal illness, as Jessie Dolch's poem shows.

Pathways to experience the Divine, grace as cosmic wisdom flowing between thoughts:  Br. David touches upon these topics and more in video clips from the 2007 Greek Isles trip.

Alice Walker writes, "It no longer bothers me that I may be constantly searching for father figures; by this time, I have found several and dearly enjoyed knowing them all."  Enjoy our Father's Day (and Graduation!) ecards. 

Our May newsletter looks at what to do when life doesn't turn out as you expected.

Enjoy magical performances by Jane Hirshfield, Coleman Barks, Drew Dellinger, Roger Housden, Annette Cantor and more, through free video clips of the Poetry of Gratefulness event and an opportunity to order the DVD or CD.

Who can measure the significance of an "ordinary" life?  Daria Donnelly's – as a mother, wife, and editor whose life was cut short by a fatal illness – was surely a gift, reminding us not to take each other for granted.

What can we do to ease the suffering that clings to our image of perfection?

Send a Mother's Day ecard to someone nurturing in your life or (in keeping with the day's origins) someone who works for peace.  If your mother has passed on, light a candle in her memory.

This month you can find Grateful News covering the gamut from a hopeful diplomatic shift to an intrepid role model, from malaria protection to a long-overdue reunion.

Send an Earth Day ecard, and gather fresh inspiration through the practice sessions and links in our Caring for the Earth and Simple Living topics.

"We can escape from absurdity by learning to listen to the word in everything we encounter," including these new keywords: way, wonderment, word, and work/play.

Bring new light to your gratefulness practice through the offerings in our April newsletter.

Gain courage from the thousands of organizations working to Light Up the World.  If you have one to recommend which is not yet on our map, please let us know.

"There is a mercy making its way/up through the ocean of the earth/to the shores of our feet," writes Stephen Levine.

Light a candle for Tibet and the universality of the Tibetan people's struggle (learn more).

Stop by our Caring for the Earth topic and check out what's new!   The resource links now include "12 Steps to Practical Problem Solving" by Paul Polak, an innovator in creative solutions to complicated social problems.

Jane Addams connected the dots between service to humanity and a strong pacifist stance, even when Teddy Roosevelt – whom she had considered a friend – denounced her as “the most dangerous woman in America.”

You can now view six video clips of Br. David's 2004 interview at the Synthesis Dialogues in Rome, including his thoughts about a life-preserving and healing Godview.

Our "At Home in the Body" topic has another new offering:  to neuro-anatomist Jill Bolte Taylor's powerful story of recovery and awareness after a stroke. (Scroll down to Links on this page.)

Equinox blessings to you!

In this month's Grateful News: a colorful Vietnamese pilgrimage; the work skills of blind professionals; help for writing thank-you notes; a courageous woman alleviating the pains of war; and how compost can protect against global warming.

Our sister site, Spirituality & Practice, is offering an e-course on "Practicing Spirituality During Illness," April 1-May 10, 2008. To learn more, visit our "At Home in the Body" topic and scroll down to "Links."

Visit our video section, which now includes an hour of teachings by Br. David and Joan Halifax Roshi on gratefulness, compassion fatigue, and letting change guide you; plus a short, inspiring video on peace.

"May you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more."  And may you always find the perfect e-card for St. Patrick's Day, the turning seasons, and Easter.

Imagine needing only a spoon to get through life!

Join us in April for a retreat in West Virginia or come to Switzerland with us in September!

Thank you for brightening people's lives through more than five million candles lit since the beginning of our Light a Candle feature.

Listen to an interview on "Why Gratefulness Matters" with Linda Larsson and Dale Biron, board members of A Network for Grateful Living (ANG*L).

February's newsletter looks at some of the fascinating contradictory truths around us.

» click here for previous news

Jul 5,  Birthday of Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882 - 1927) — Hazrat Pir-O-Murshid Inayat Khan founded the Sufi Order of the West (1910), now known as the International Sufi Movement. His musical skill brought him renown on the Indian subcontinent; and his message of love, harmony, and beauty spread worldwide. more »

May 12 - Jul 10,  08donate — If you live in the United States, you actually can do a world of good with your 2008 Stimulus Rebate. Give it to a cause you believe in. That's the simple idea behind 08donate. more »

Jul 6,  Birthday of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama — Traditional political and spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama’s all-embracing compassion reaches out to all people everywhere. more »

Jul 6,  Sir Thomas More executed (1535) — English lawyer, great humanist scholar, and writer Thomas More was found guilty of treason and beheaded on July 6, 1535. We give thanks for all who live with integrity even when it puts them in political danger. more »

Jul 7,  Devi Puja — A day to fast from grains and meat and make offerings to Devi, the Divine Mother of the Hindu cosmos. Her creative power takes both benevolent and fierce forms, reminding us to see the divine in all circumstances. more »

Jul 7,  Birthday of Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985) — Russian-born French painter and stained glass artist, appreciated for his murals, sets, and costumes for ballet. Chagall incorporated into his art fanciful figures of fauna and flora and symbols of Jewish folklore and religious significance. more »

Jul 7,  Birthday of Gian-Carlo Menotti (b. 1911) — Italian-born American composer and librettist, recipient of two Pulitzer prizes, admired for prolific creativity in diverse genres. Menotti notes that we only become wise when we begin "to calculate the approximate depth of [our] ignorance." more »

Jul 8,  Birthday of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, MD (1926-2004) — Swiss-American psychiatrist and distinguished thanatologist whose understanding of the grief process has profoundly influenced the hospice movement. Kübler-Ross' books include On Death and Dying (1969) and To Live Until We Say Good-Bye (1997). more »

Jul 9,  Birthday of Nikola Tesla (1856 - 1943) — Serbian-American physicist who discovered the rotating magnetic field and principles seminal to developing radio and harnessing electricity. Remember him gratefully when you next switch on the light. more »

Jul 10,  Birthday of James A. McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) — American expatriate painter, whose subtle shades were influenced by traditional Japanese art. He wrote, “Paint should not be applied thick; it should be like a breath on the surface of a pane of glass.” more »

Jul 11,  Birthday of John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848) — Sixth U.S. president; senator, foreign minister, secretary of state, and for 17 years congressional representatives following his term as president. Adams’ legacy is distinguished by his opposition to slavery and support of the arts and sciences. more »

Jul 12,  Birthday of Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) — American writer and transcendentalist whose works include Civil Disobedience and Walden. “Rather than love, than money, than fame,” he wrote, “give me truth.” more »

Jul 12,  Birthday of R. Buckminster Fuller (1895 - 1983) — American engineer, inventor, and architect famous for creating the geodesic dome as innovative shelter. He worked tirelessly to stop war -- "either man is obsolete or war is" --and to overcome people’s poverty and hunger through wise use of resources. more »

This is by far the most generous, loving, inspirational and breathtaking site I have discovered, and the only one I feel confident sharing with my entire circle of family friends and clients who are from ALL faiths, cultures and creeds. THANK YOU!  — Dianna Butler, Ph.D., Denver Colorado, USA

What a great site. This is the perfect way to take a cleansing breath in the middle of the day and refocus. Thank you!  — Karen, MI

Really wonderful & gracious with catholic spirit.  — m.george, Coimbatore, India

Thank you it is an oasis in the middle of cyber space...I am grateful for it...I have not visited for a long time and am glad, blessed to be back..in remembrance of who I am...  — Elaine Moore, Los Angeles, California

Thank you! "See your self in others, then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?" Loving word of Buddha.  — Vera Krassman, Sweden

I think this is a great site especially for those that can't get out to pay their respect to friends or relatives, this allows them to do just that and show that they care.  — Terry, Saugerties, NY

Hi, I am the 9,849th person who walked your wonderful labyrinth. Thank you.  — Frankie Holman, an island in western Finland

Like a breath of cooling air, in the humid heat of the tropics. Grateful for your resonance Brother David; Contemplation in cyberspace was...unexpected. A profound "thank-you"  — Fiona Edwards, Bahamas (Nassau)

This is a lovely site full of love compassion and hope. It has given me wonderful solace today and I feel a kinship with all the other people who have written. It has really struck a chord in me. Bless you all.  — Lynda, Devon UK

Fantastic site! A site to think for some moments about your friends, family, maybe problems but also about the lovely and good things in your life.  — Tiny Damen-van Silfhout, Nederland

Beautiful, calm, serene site. Somewhere you can have peaceful contemplation remembering your loved ones. God Bless.  — Jessie Nuttall, Cornwall, UK

Beautiful concept - I finally realized I had never allowed myself to grieve about a friend that had passed earlier this year, until today. Then the tears came for awhile...  — GDW, San Antonio, TX

This site puts joy and hope into my heart. Great way to start the day! Thank you for your vision. Peace.  — Angi Kempken, India

Ich komme immer wieder gerne hier her. Manchmal gibt es Trost, manchmal macht es nur Zufrieden und strahlt Dankbarkeit aus. Danke! (Again and again, I like to return here. Sometimes I find consolation, at other times it just makes me content and radiates gratefulness. Thank you!)  — Ynnette, Wiesbaden, Germany

Excellent!! The cards are beautiful and the site as a whole, is very good.  — Anne, Curitiba, PR Brazil

I am so happy to have discovered this site!! I think that the concept of gratefulness is wonderful. I have always known this but never had it expressed to me in this light. Now I feel grateful forever and for everything!! Thank you.  — Arlee, Florida US

this is a wonderful site...it brought tears to my eyes and tugged very gently at my heart  — ac, desoto

I love your site and if you permit me to say... I have fallen in love with Br. David. His voice is like a warm hug from a grandfather drowned in wisdom. Love and light.  — T.C., Georgia

A wonderful site. May it continue to be a source of inspiration to the world, and a reminder to live lives of gratitude every moment of every day.  — Br. Dominic, OSB, Arkansas

My first visit leaves me filled with joy that my brothers and sisters all over the world are coming together in such a significant way. Peace be with us all as we journey on in faith.  — nb, Michigan