For twenty-five years, Pico Iyer has covered His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan situation for Time, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and The New York Times Op-ed page. An author of ten books, Iyer has traveled from Jerusalem to Koyasan and from Tibet to Central Australia for his work.
The writer’s job, says Pico Iyer, is to watch his moods and thoughts, as captivating yet passing as the seasons, and decide which are worth sharing.
“God is a fire,” said Nikos Kazantzakis. “He burns and we burn with Him.” Art, passion, and Zen are fires too—burning the self, leaving behind only ashes and essence.
So-called objective reality, Pico Iyer finds, is as fickle as the weather. Maybe that’s because it’s as much mind as matter.
The Dalai Lama with student speakers during a visit to a high school in Fukuoka, Japan. Photo by Taikan Usui.
In this exclusive and heartfelt essay, Pico Iyer reveals the simple human secret that makes the Dalai Lama the most beloved spiritual figure in the world.
Not knowing the future helps Pico Iyer keep his hyperactive mind at bay. Then, whether it snows tomorrow or dawns radiant, every moment is a happy surprise.
Photo by James Duncan Davidson, via TED Conference.
Experience may be how we decorate our homes, our lives, but stillness is how we give them meaning and make them something to inhabit.
Some choice pieces of wry wisdom from years of Cohen’s sessions with his intimates and the press. Herewith, a few enduring Cohenisms.
When a friend is dealt a heavy emotional blow, Pico Iyer suggests to her that silence and stillness might be the best medicine.
Graham Greene. Photo via Wikipedia.
Pico Iyer’s name is likely familiar to you; he’s been a frequent contributor to Lion’s Roar, writing about the Dalai Lama, music, travel.