The Gates of Paradise
In the following passage from his new autobiography, Becoming Who You Are, Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow) relates to David Kopacz, M.D., some of his extraordinary shamanic experiences.– The Editors Some people call me a shaman or a medicine man.…
Wonder is a Level Within Us: A conversation with Rabbi Dr. Raphael Shuchat
Parabola reached out recently, via a Zoom link, to Raphael Shuchat at his home in Israel. We had met him with his family at a vacation spot in upstate New York in summer 2021, not far from his original home…
Make This Moment a Diamond
Father Guidalberto Bormolini asks people to take a new view of death—and life. After training as a lute maker, he became a priest and monk and studied extensively about both ancient and modern spiritual and religious teachings. He has created…
Pure Gold
The Bhagavad Gita—the “Song of Spirit”—has been a living scripture and moral doctrine, a veritable “golden rule” of Indian civilization for thousands of years. Its seven-hundred verses are a sacred dialogue between the Lord Krishna in his role as Cosmic…
Awakening in the Yard D Sangha
As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home. —Jack Kornfield, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry The premise behind the Buddhist precepts is freedom from suffering,…
Stroked
“Are you sick?” Jai asked. When I couldn’t articulate a response, Jai said to tap with the phone, once if I was okay, twice if I needed help. I kept…
The Meaning of Tradition: A Conversation with Huston Smith
Remembering Parabola contributor, Huston Smith who left us on December 30, 2016 at the age of 97. Parabola’s first issue, Winter 1976, included the magazine’s first interview. Conducted by then-editor…
Longing for Wholeness: An Interview with Satish Kumar
Photograph of Satish Kumar courtesy of The Resurgence Trust Satish Kumar: When you accept the state of being a stranger, you are no longer a stranger.…
To Live With Gratitude, an Interview with Robert Kennedy, S.J., Roshi
“We shall not cease from exploration,” wrote the Catholic poet T.S. Eliot. “And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place…
To Let the Light In, a Conversation with James George
James George is a retired Canadian diplomat who served with distinction as High Commissioner to India, and Ambassador to Nepal and Iran. Chögyam Trungpa called him “a wise and benevolent…
A Path of Love and Freedom
Born in London in 1953, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee has followed the Naqshbandi Sufi path since he was nineteen. In 1991 he became the successor of Irina Tweedie, author of Daughter of…
Grace is Here!, A Conversation with Ram Dass
Ram Dass. Photograph by David Ulrich Recently we had the opportunity to visit and interview Ram Dass in his home amidst the exceptional natural beauty of the…
Common Sense, An Interview with Peter Kingsley
From Parabola Volume 31, No. 1, “Coming To Our Senses,” Spring 2006. This issue is available to purchase here. If you have enjoyed this piece, consider subscribing. OVER 2,500 YEARS AGO,…
The Privilege of Living: A Conversation with Viral Mehta, by Pavithra Mehta
Viral Mehta In mid-August 2015, Viral Mehta, a co-founder of ServiceSpace.org, was diagnosed with an acute form of bone marrow suppression. In the passages below, his…
Worshipping Illusions: An Interview with Marion Woodman
Emil Nolde, Dance Around The Golden Calf, 1910 Marion Woodman (1928-2018) has left us a rich legacy of material for those in search of understanding feminine…
The Tree of Life, An Interview with Wangari Maathai
Green Belt Movement tree nursery in Tumutumu Hills, Kenya. Photograph by Ariel Poster In the Fall of 2007, Parabola sat down with Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari…
The Yoga Master at Ninety, an Interview with B.K.S. Iyengar
EKA PADA VIPARITA DANDASANA (ONE LEG REVERSED STAFF POSE) Born in India in 1918, B.K.S. Iyengar has been teaching yoga since the age of seventeen. An…
The Gates of Paradise
In the following passage from his new autobiography, Becoming Who You Are, Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow) relates to David Kopacz, M.D., some of his extraordinary shamanic experiences.– The Editors…