Mothers & Mothering

“An Example of Untrammeled Maternal Instinct”

“In Ladakh, boys and girls are encouraged to develop their nurturing instincts.”

“Belovedness Is…”

Belovedness is the blessed state of Knowing you are beloved. Basically, by your mother – as she always yearned to give to you to Know.

“Going Down to Come Up”

In John Blofeld’s worshipful book "In Search of the Goddess of Compassion," he writes on Kuan Yin, Tara, Amida – but never mentions his own mother.

“The Start of Shaktism”

In the Hindu religion, Shakti (energy, power) is Divine Power personified as a feminine principle.

“Our Task in Life: to Transmute Kali”

Kali: the Hindu black goddess; she of the black, horrible tongue. She wears a belt made of dismembered arms and a necklace of skulls. She wanders through cremation grounds, being the mistress of a world rushing uncontrollably toward death.

“Holding the Twig ‘Just-So'”

Holding the twig “just-so.” The Japanese is sono-mama which naturally I particularly like because of the mama.

“The Ambivalence of Goddesses”

The most interesting recurrent image is the ambivalence of so many of the goddesses: they could help or harm, cure or curse, promote life or destroy it.

“Mencius and My Mother’s Love”

I will believe, with Mencius, that my inherent nature is to love, as it is the inherent nature of water for it to flow downstream.

“Helping the Children of Mothers with Schizophrenia”

I remember back in 1960 attending a lecture by a visiting psychiatric dignitary, I believe it was E.J. Anthony. His subject was the children of schizophrenic mothers.

“Would That We Were All Philomators!”

There were seven Cleopatras, the last one – the one of our fantasies – was Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Egypt. The name is Macedonian meaning “Famous in her Father.”