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Berkana

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To See with Eyes Unclouded by Hate

Simple Wisdom for Difficult Times

Swarnali Mukherjee's avatar
Swarnali Mukherjee
Nov 07, 2024
∙ Paid

"These days, there are angry ghosts all around us. Dead from wars, sickness, starvation, and nobody cares. So you say you're under a curse. So what. So's the whole damn world."
— Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke

Meet my favorite spiritual ancestor. This ancient wood-apple tree has witnessed three generations of the Mukherjee family spread their wings into the world. She knows a few things for sure.

Namaste Friends,

We launched ourselves into a world of uncertainty the moment in history we decided it was wise to let an elected few control the global fate. I admit that in times like ours, when our collective anticipatory grief for the world yet to come has taken desperate turns, we humans have often found some solidity in faith. Whether that faith is steeped in religious, political, or sectarian ideologies is of small consequence. Yet the seed of our faith has always manifested in ways far beyond our individual influence.

Take, for example, the juxtapositions of the medieval plague and w…

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