Culture

Culture 01/08/19, 10:28

Legend has it that a noble Japanese man named Bakufu, after accidentally and carelessly breaking a bowl that he loved dearly, stumbled across the ancient art of Kintsugi. He was disappointed to see the work of the Chinese artisans when examining their attempt at repairing the bowl. All of the ...

Culture 01/07/19, 06:44

As he did every night, little Wu Meng approached on tiptoe to the room where his parents rested. Without making a sound, he unbuttoned his shirt, looked for a suitable place to rest his head and, bare-chested, waited for the swarm to arrive. The day had been hot and humid ...

Culture 01/07/19, 06:17

In the 1990s, a psychologist named Martin Seligman led the positive psychology movement, which placed the study of human happiness squarely at the center of psychology research and theory. It continued a trend that began in the 1960s with humanistic and existential psychology, which emphasized the importance of reaching one’s ...

Culture 01/05/19, 03:14

It was a warm and breezy August morning when we interviewed Dan Skorbach on the banks of Lake Ontario. When we found Dan he was meditating alone on a large rock. The vast body of blue water in front of him merged to become one with the clouds on the distant ...

Culture 01/04/19, 00:15

One day, a man named Walt was going into town for business. In the train station he was met by a shoe shine boy who offered him the service of shining his shoes. Walt looked down at his feet and saw that his shoes were neither dirty nor in need ...

Culture 01/03/19, 04:14

Hans Christian Andersen is a famous Danish writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems but is most prolifically known for his morally alined fairy tales. Andersen's stories are a combination of fantasy and reality. The characters in his stories consist of both real people from all social classes, and strange ...

Culture 01/02/19, 09:47

During his early years, Sterling Campbell, a NYC-based drummer for British rock star David Bowie, lived an unrestrained lifestyle—drinking alcohol and smoking pot every day. He couldn’t break out of the vicious cycle until one day in the 90s, when he stumbled across something precious that completely turned his life ...

Culture 01/01/19, 08:52

It was so quiet in the garden late at night, fireflies flew in a flock, their blinking lights making the night air glisten. Yi Chan stepped onto the cool wet grass with his bare feet. The grass was deeply sodden by dew, which pleasantly cooled his feet. Yi Chan joyfully skipped ...

Culture 12/30/18, 21:49

Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was a man of virtue and mercy and also a master of martial arts. He is typically considered to be one of the greatest emperors in China’s long and colorful history. Featured in the book ‘Zizhi Tongjian’ (roughly translated to ‘Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of ...

Culture 12/29/18, 10:48

Many people this holiday season will experience the joy of attending a local performance of “The Nutcracker” ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It’s the most implausible American tradition imaginable, an import from fin-de-siècle Russia straight to your hometown. It’s living proof of the capacity of music and the art of ...

Culture 12/29/18, 05:59

After taking pitying on an old miserable beggar, Victor instinctively decided to give away his last penny to the man. This selfless act of kindness was later rewarded tenfold. The story that follows is a reminder that good deeds are always rewarded with exponential good in return.

Culture 12/28/18, 08:13

If you are a parent or a teacher, you most probably read stories to young children. Together, you laugh and point at the pictures. You engage them with a few simple questions. And they respond. So what happens to children when they participate in shared reading? Does it make a difference ...

Culture 12/27/18, 10:48

A virgin who receives word from God; a crucified Christ; medieval knights and maidens in typical postures. These ancient paintings represent timeless beauty and universal significance. But if we stop to look closely we might sometimes spy curious and disturbing objects in the far distance of the pictures, with seemingly ...

Culture 12/26/18, 11:20

It’s generally accepted that early Christians adopted December 25th as the day of Christ’s birth to co-opt the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Some believe this fact undermines Christianity. But according to Professor William Tighe, this “fact” may actually be a myth. Based on his extensive research, Tighe argues that the ...

Culture 12/26/18, 04:52

In the devastation that followed the earthquake and resulting tsunami in the Indonesian city of Palu in Central Sulawesi, many Muslim religious sites were destroyed. Two mosques, however, survived, with little to no damage to their structure. In a province where 85 percent of the 3 million residents are Muslims, the survival ...

Culture 12/26/18, 04:38

Through the narrow and dusty lanes of Sarnath city in India, amidst homes behind the massive Buddhist stupa, one can walk into a small guest house run by a German woman. She defines it as a humble and simple abode, but there’s a palpable calm at her place that embalms ...

Culture 12/26/18, 03:26

The falcon is the longest living bird in the world. Its life expectancy can reach up to 70 years. In order to prolong its life, at the age of 40, it must go through an essential and critical turning point.

Culture 12/25/18, 03:51

On April 3, A.D. 33, when Jesus was executed, five planets in the solar system moved to position, forming the image of a man on a cross. According to many researchers, April 3, A.D. 33, is the day Jesus was crucified. It was on that day that Saturn, Jupiter, Earth, Venus, ...

Culture 12/24/18, 10:22

One of the most popular classic Christmas songs is “The Little Drummer Boy,” also known as "Carol of the Drum" written by musician Katherine K. Davis in 1941. The song became well-known not only because of the sweet, mellow melody but also the profound meaning, imbued in every word of ...

Culture 12/23/18, 08:05

From drugs and despair to becoming a good person, living a normal life and striving to do even better When Mateusz Filipkowski was a boy in Poland, he believed in the existence of a wonderful realm, transcending all the pain and suffering of the world. He looked for the spiritual ...