Pico Iyer thought he would find what is truly real by going off to a monastery, but he was really fleeing it. Dropping his spiritual romaticism, he found it in ordinary life.
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 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.
Pico Iyer loves reading spiritual books, but he’s found just as much good dharma in the books of three favorite novelists.
In the back streets of exotic Kathmandu, Pico Iyer and his friend Kristin hear a prophecy that shatters their youthful dreams. The Royal Astrologer knows them better than they know themselves.
“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.
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.
Photo by Mike McCune.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.
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.
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