Karen Maezen Miller was torn when her daughter entered the Barbie stage. But what was worse—the doll’s commercialism or Mom’s grownup judgments?
Turn Your Thinking Upside Down
We base our lives on seeking happiness and avoiding suffering, but the best thing we can do for ourselves is to turn this whole way of thinking upside down.
Still Life
Review of “Into Great Silence”, directed by Philip Gröning.
Movies That Matter May 2007
Angela Pressburger reviews movies that premiered in May 2007.
The Big Wakeup Call
Review of The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization by Thomas Homer-Dixon.
2007 May Books in Brief
Short reviews of books released in May 2007.
Out of Fear
Meditation wasn’t the great panacea Susan Piver had hoped for, but it did lead to a surprising discovery: to fear less you’ve got to open more
Training the Mind to Transform Adversity into Awakening
Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche explains how obstacles can be brought to the spiritual path and become opportunities for awakening.
We Live in the Best of All Times: A Conversation with Alice Walker
This is the best time to be alive, says Alice Walker, because there is so much work to do—so much opportunity for self-realization.
Suffering Too Insignificant for the Majority to See

Alice Walker describes the great toll, both personal and societal, of racism in America, and how Buddhism has helped her heal its wounds.