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Sloww Sunday Newsletter 064 (June 6, 2021) — Humanity’s Development, Zen Koans, Integral Theory, & More
Hi friends,
Sloww Sunday is a free newsletter delivering the latest from Sloww along with the most interesting modern knowledge and timeless wisdom I discovered last week.
To respect your time and attention, every newsletter can be read in under 5 minutes. Enjoy!
New News
😃 “The Hierarchy of Happiness” eBook just crossed 2,500 downloads! If you haven’t already downloaded your free copy, sign up for the email newsletter and get it today.
👕 A second Sloww article was featured on Optimal Living Daily (OLD). This one covers five things I learned from my “buy nothing year” of no clothing purchases. You can listen to the audio narration (OLD Podcast), or read the original article (Sloww).
Sloww Stuff
New Public Post:
If you want to better understand what’s going on in the world, read this. You may even be able to figure out your own level of development while you’re at it!
Pair with this Premium Post:
🔒 Behind the Scenes: My Ego Development Theory Self-Assessment
Modern Knowledge
🌀 What is Integral Theory?
(YouTube)
Integral Theory is touted as possibly the “first truly comprehensive world philosophy.” Maybe you’ve heard of it or the founder Ken Wilber. But, ever wonder how it came to be, what it really is, or the state of it today? I recently came across two videos that will get you up to speed on all things Integral.
Pair with: An Introduction to Integral Theory: “The Integral Vision” by Ken Wilber (Book Summary)
“The Integral Approach involves the cultivation of body, mind, and spirit in self, culture, and nature … What if we took literally everything that all the various cultures have to tell us about human potential—about spiritual growth, psychological growth, social growth—and put it all on the table?” — Ken Wilber
Timeless Wisdom
🧘 The Zen Riddle No One Can Solve
(8 mins | YouTube)
This is an introduction to the Zen kōan—a story, dialogue, question, or statement used to provoke the “great doubt” and to practice/test a student’s progress.
Popular Zen Koans:
- Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. Here’s my interpretation.
- Two hands clap and there is a sound. What is the sound of one hand clapping?
- I asked people to share their favorite koans on Twitter.
“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense.” — Shunryu Suzuki
🤯 Mind Expanding
Mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring content has the power to shift your perspective in an instant.
The Northern Lights filmed in real-time (bonus: it’s in 4K Ultra High Definition). You’ve probably seen the northern lights (aurora borealis) in a photo or time-lapse video. But, what would it actually be like to see it in person? Thanks to the team who ventured out into knee deep snow in the extreme cold and wind to capture this wonder of nature.
💭 Deep Quote
“Stoics would sleep in the dog basket once a month and drink the dog’s water. For a few days, you live like a dog. And you realize that it’s possible and it’s fine. And that removes fear. Often what stops us from realizing our ambitions is fear. If we make ourselves totally at home with failure and utter disgrace we will feel a curious lightness and sense of possibility because we won’t be held back by the constant thought, ‘What happens if…?’ We will have fully explored the question.” — Alain de Botton
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Support: Sloww is a one-human labor of love. If you’re interested in supporting my work, there are several financial and non-financial ways to support.
Feedback: Have something you want to say, or just want to say hi? It’s always much appreciated. Just send me an email or reach out socially.
Have a fearless week!
Kyle Kowalski
Solopreneur & Synthesizer, Sloww
