Understanding Zen after 35 years of practice Plus: Also on Aeon this week ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ View in browser Forwarded by a friend? Subscribe here Saturday 2 August 2025 Essay / Rituals and celebrations A life in Zen Growing up in countercultural California, ‘enlightenment’ had real glamour. But decades of practice have changed my mind Anshi Zachary Smith Also on Aeon this week Essay / Politics and government We need a planetary system of diplomacy for the 21st century David Van Reybrouck VIDEO / Love and friendship What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving? Directed by María Luisa Santos video / Music A riveting audiovisual dive into what makes sounds harmonious, or not Video by MinutePhysics You can’t teach creativity; all you can do is let it blossom, and it blossoms in play — Peter Gray, a psychologist and research professor at Boston College, and the author of the Freedom to Learn blog, Free to Learn (2013) and Psychology (2011) Read the Essay Have you discovered the new Psyche? Psyche is a digital magazine dedicated to helping you know your self and live well. Understand Relate Heal Transcend Share this newsletter with a friend You have received this email because you signed up to the Aeon Newsletter list.©Aeon Media Group Ltd. 2012-2025. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Preferences | Unsubscribe
