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Omar Khayyam, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Perfect Days, Einzelgänger, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Omar Khayyam, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Perfect Days, Einzelgänger, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 11, 2024

Sunday Supplement #170 (August 11th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

– Omar Khayyam

Book of the Week:

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig

Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a fictionalized autobiography of a 17-day motorbike journey with his son in 1968.

During the trip, the father examines how we live as a species and meditates on the meaning of quality. He recounts an earlier form of himself’s pursuits of this information and how he views the experience of life at the present moment.

Pirsig’s book is dense, and I recommend it only for those interested in tackling a challenging read.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance received 121 rejections before being accepted by a publisher who didn’t believe the book would sell. It’s sold over 5 million copies so far.

Movie of the Week:

Perfect Days

The Wim Wenders film written by Takuma Takasaki and Wenders follows the life of Hiriyama, a man who cleans public toilets in Tokyo, lives a life in simplicity, and encounters that lead him to reflect on himself.

I found it a slow-burn story with a powerful reflection of life. Sometimes, people watch movies for intense action with extreme highs and despairing lows. This isn’t that kind of movie.

Koji Yakusho portrays Hiriyama brilliantly, embodying a man who finds tranquility and beauty in his simple existence yet doesn’t block out the sadness and frustrations of life.

Perfect Days was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Yakusho won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s a film worth checking out for those whose interest has been piqued.

Brainfood of the Week:

Don’t Worry, Everything is Out of Control | Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger’s YouTube channel creates videos that explore different people and ideas of history with the aim of inspiring, resonating, and entertaining.

In this video, Einzelgänger discusses how our busy lives can lead to stress, exhaustion, and burnout, which can cause illness and depression. He then highlights Taoist writings that offer solutions that can help relieve stress.

There are five different Taoist antidotes Einzelgänger goes over in the video. The two I’ll preview here are to stop looking for happiness and the internal law.

The video explains how worrying about getting or not getting happiness leads us to forever look outside of ourselves for it. The internal law explains how it’s not the world that decides how we feel; it’s our minds.

I’ve featured Einzelgänger’s channel in previous Sunday Supplements. If you enjoyed this video, check out the other posts or his channel on YouTube.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Nature doesn’t make long speeches. A whirlwind doesn’t last all morning. A cloudburst doesn’t last all day. Who makes the wind and rain? Heaven and earth do. If heaven and earth don’t go on and on, certainly people don’t need to.”

– Tao Te Ching (Verse 23)

The Tao Te Ching is a central Taoist text associated with the philosopher Lao Tzu. Taoism holds that humans should live in balance with the universe (the Tao – the Way).

In this verse of the Tao Te Ching, I’m reminded to live in the moment. We can often get lost in thoughts of the past or worries of the future, but our world exists in the present.

I don’t believe we should completely ignore the past and future. Gathering clouds can be plans for the future, and storms can leave destruction in their path to remember them by.

However, this verse reminds us not to dwell too long on events outside our immediate control. It’s nice to connect to the moment you’re in.


Remember to ground yourself in the present moment when you’ve been caught up in a narrative that has pulled you away from it, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Carl Jung, Ikigai, Napoleon Dynamite, The School of Life, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Carl Jung, Ikigai, Napoleon Dynamite, The School of Life, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 5, 2024

Sunday Supplement #156 (May 5th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“The most intense conflicts, if overcome, leave behind a sense of security and calm that is not easily disturbed. It is just these intense conflicts and their conflagration which are needed to produce valuable and lasting results.”

– Carl Jung

Book of the Week:

Ikigai – Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

I kept passing Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Healthy Life when I went to Barnes and Noble. The self-help book is an international bestseller, selling over 2 million copies.

I finally picked up the book and found the concept of ikigai— a reason for living — what you love, what you’re good at, what you get paid for, and what the world needs all overlap.

The book’s authors interviewed residents of a Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds and delved into the secret of their longevity.

I found some of the concepts explored in the book well-worth reading. That being said, the book came off as oddly mashed together. The chapters didn’t flow, and some worked while others didn’t.

Ikigai is a book that I’d recommend to people new to the self-help genre or interested in picking out some of its worthwhile chapters.

Movie of the Week:

Napoleon Dynamite

Jared and Jerusha Hess wrote the 2004 cult classic Napoleon Dynamite. Jon Heder became a breakout star in the leading role of Napoleon.

The movie follows a socially awkward sixteen-year-old high schooler who lives with his grandmother and older brother in Preston, Idaho.

Napoleon helps his new friend run for class president, awkwardly pursues a romantic interest, and deals with bullies.

Napoleon Dynamite wasacquired by Fox Search Searchlight Pictures at Sundance and made $46.1 million at the box office from a $400,000 budget.

I appreciated Napoleon Dynamite because it depicted the awkwardness of high school dynamics and the underlying desire for people to succeed.

Brainfood of the Week:

A West African Philosophy of Calm | The School of Life

This video focuses on the Yoruba people of West Africa’s concept of “itutu.” The Yoruba people inhabit Nigeria, Togo, and Benin, and they believe one of the most flattering ways to describe a person is to say they have much itutu.

Itutu denotes a particular approach to life: unhurried, composed, assured, and unflappable. It isn’t a divine gift. It is a quality that can be cultivated. It’s a particular view of existence.

The Yoruba people believe agitation and anger flow from an overambitious sense of what lies in our power to alter. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel emotions, but your response should be in your power.

I’ve featured around a dozen The School of Life videos in previous Sunday Supplements. They make content from psychologists, philosophers, and writers devoted to helping people lead calmer and more resilient lives.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“By not wanting, there is calm, and the world will straighten itself.”

– Tao Te Ching 37

Lao Tzu was a Chinese philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching, which became a foundational text of Taoism.

In this verse of the Tao Te Ching, the Way “the Tao” is shown to be something that should be effortless or, at the very least, something you shouldn’t fight.

I’m reminded of how often we can struggle against what happens to us at any given moment. Instead, accepting the present moment brings with it a sense of calm.

By not wanting anything else in the current moment, you are free to enjoy the moment or respond to your situation.

Seek the calmness in being present, do not deny the current moment, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Troy Palamalu, Tao Te Ching, Concussion, Jordan Peterson, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Troy Palamalu, Tao Te Ching, Concussion, Jordan Peterson, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 4, 2024

Sunday Supplement #143 (February 4th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Playing professional sports, it’s important to eat healthy and take care of your body. In the offseason, rest is really important to me.”

– Troy Polamalu

Book of the Week:

Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu (Ursula K. Le Guin)

Lao Tzu was a philosopher of Ancient China and is considered by some the founder of Taoism. The Tao Te Ching is a central Taoist text.

Ursula K. Le Guin studied the Tao Te Ching for over forty years. She consulted the literal translations and worked with Chinese scholars for her translation.

Le Guin’s version has wonderful footnotes of her thoughts on various verses. I’m a huge fan of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author and featured her in Sunday Supplement #44. 

In verse form, the Tao Te Ching describes the ideal existence, the Tao, the Way. The poems of the text have much beauty and depth.

Though the text is relatively short, I took my time reading it. I found myself pondering the contents of a poem for a while, sometimes putting the book down to let the verse sink in.

Movie of the Week:

Concussion

The 2015 biographical sports drama Concussion stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who goes up against the NFL for trying to suppress his research.

Omalu’s work focuses on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional American football players.

Peter Landesman wrote and directed the film based on the exposé “Game Brain” published in GQ magazine by Jeanne Marie Laskas.

Concussion didn’t get the best reviews or make the most money at the box office, but I thought it was a story worth portraying on the screen and that there was much to appreciate.

Brainfood of the Week:

Workaholics and the Importance of Rest | Jordan B. Peterson

I’ve featured Jordan Peterson in a couple of previous Sunday Supplements with the caveat that I don’t agree with everything he says, but his lectures are worth a listen.

Peterson is a clinical psychologist and author of bestselling self-help books and more than one hundred scientific papers.

In this clip, Peterson discusses the necessity of rest. He starts by quoting the Bible’s passage on God’s creation of the world and his resting on the seventh day.

He then discusses the utility of rest. The obvious is not burning yourself out so you can’t get back to work for an extended period. The other aspect I thought interesting was rest gives you a chance to reflect.

Give the video a watch if it piques your interest. You can take away what is useful to you and disregard the rest.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.”

– Bhagavad Gita 6:16

I think this Bhagavad Gita verse is an interesting insight into the necessity of moderation in our day-to-day lives.

A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga— not solely the physical exercise popular in Western culture, but rather an encompassing group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that aim to still the mind.

Depending on the circumstances, an occasional excess or deprivation seems perfectly reasonable to me.

However, the necessity of regular sleep and a steady diet seems obvious, but it’s something we can often ignore.


Make sure you’re resting appropriately, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Albert Einstein, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Dope, Ride the Wind, and a Rwandan Proverb

Albert Einstein, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Dope, Ride the Wind, and a Rwandan Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 15, 2022

Sunday Supplement #53 (May 15th, 2022)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Life is like a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

– Albert Einstein

Book of the Week:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin – Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography contains various aspects of the founding father’s life, including early stories, thought processes, beliefs, and plans.

The book is divided into four parts. The first recounts his early life, including his fondness for reading and his apprenticeship with his brother, a Boston printer.

After a dispute with his brother, Franklin left for New York, Philadelphia, London, and back to Philadelphia. Franklin continues his own writing and publication pursuits all the while.

In part two, Franklin goes over thirteen virtues he wishes to perfect and his practice of keeping a notebook to keep track of his offenses.

Parts three and four continue recounting Franklin’s later years. He writes about his study of languages, his beliefs around the essentials of all religions, and his government involvement. 

Many brilliant little pieces of wisdom can be picked up by reading the Autobiography. One of my favorites is leaving someone an “out” in an argument.

The book can be dry at times, but it is worth pursuing to get an insight into one of the founding father’s thoughts on life in the 1700s.

Movie of the Week:

Dope

Rick Famuyiwa’s is a brilliant coming-of-age comedy/drama. The film follows Malcolm, a geek living in a tough neighborhood, interested in hip-hop but not living the gangster culture. 

Malcolm and his friends are more interested in school, and Malcolm sets his sights on Harvard. However, his college plans get interrupted when he attends a private party and ends up with a backpack full of drugs.

The movie follows Malcolm and his friends as they get caught in the situation of being forced to sell the drugs while trying to get finish school and get into college.

Rick Famuyiwa wrote and directed the film. He crafted an entertaining and engaging story that explores themes of race and self-acceptance packaged in a wild ride.

Dope didn’t make a huge impact in theaters, but it made $17 million off a $7 million budget and received an 88% critics rating and 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie might not be for everyone (rated R), but the trailer is worth checking out to see if it’s something you’d want to put on your watch list.

Brainfood of the Week:

Let It Go, Ride the Wind | The Taoist Philosophy of Lieh Tzu

This video discusses the Taoist references to the life of Lieh Tzu. The Taoist sage is described as one who rode the wind with an admirable indifference to normal things.

The Liezi text is the primary source for the information in the video. It explores philosophical themes like the nature of reality, the purpose of life, and the workings of the mind.

The tendency of human beings to stand in their own way is a theme explored throughout the Liezi. The attempts to control the uncontrollable and fearing change are prominent.

There is an introduction in the video to Lieh Tzu, followed by a story of the legend of the Yellow Emperor and how he managed to learn to ride the wind like Lieh Tzu.

The video constantly reminds the viewer of the metaphors explored in the texts of a mental state where we move lightly through life when external circumstances don’t weigh us down. 

Many miracles are possible during this flow state. It’s when we doubt or overthink that we find ourselves failing or incapable of action. Worrying about outcomes burdens our experience.

The video explores much more of the Liezi text and the principles of Lieh Tzu.

Einzelgänger narrates and animates this video. I’ve featured his videos in previous Sunday Supplements and believe his channel is well worth checking out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building, or do you change the nail?”

– Rwandan Proverb

This Rwandan Proverb reminds me of how often we can get caught up in minor matters when we should continue moving forward.

The perspective the proverb shows is a fantastic example of looking at the scale of a small problem in the context of a larger goal.

I think it’s easy in a moment to feel frustrated with something that goes against our wishes. Whether it’s a person or an outcome, we can get wrapped up in something outside ourselves.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to move on with our days. Every moment passes, and it’s not worth letting something small negatively affect our course.

The Rwandan proverb creates the perfect image for me to remember to pick up another nail rather than quitting work on my house.

Move past little things in your way, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Plato, A Clockwork Orange, Howl’s Moving Castle, Alan Watts, and Quran 30:21

Plato, A Clockwork Orange, Howl’s Moving Castle, Alan Watts, and Quran 30:21

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 29, 2021

Sunday Supplement #16 (August 29th, 2021)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.”

– Plato

Book of the Week:

A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess is most recognized for the massive success of his novel A Clockwork Orange, which he gave credit to Stanley Kubrick for the movie adaptation. The film is a cinematic masterpiece for many reasons, but it is not a completely faithful adaptation of the novel. It also isn’t a great representation of Burgess’s work as a whole.

Most of Burgess’s creative writing was comedic, and he considered himself as much a composer as an author with over 250 musical pieces credited to his name. He was also a literary critic for The Observer and The Guardian and wrote studies of classic writers during his lifetime. For any who read A Clockwork Orange, though, it’s obvious why it’s his most famous work.

A Clockwork Orange takes place in a dystopian city that contains a youth subculture of acute violence. Gang leader, Alex, narrates his terrorizing journeys to the reader in a Russian-influenced English slang. Everything about the novel pushes the boundaries of good and evil and the meaning of human freedom. The primary arc of the book follows Alex’s adventures, his imprisonment for his crimes, and his subsequent release after he has been “reformed.” 

What most people will miss if they’ve only seen the Kubrick film is the final chapter the famous director omitted. This chapter brings an entirely different perspective to the end of the story and is worth the whole read to find out where Burgess intended to leave Alex. The novel takes a chapter or two to get used to the language, but it is well worth pursuing. It is on many top lists of “Greatest English Novels” and deserves its place in literary history.

Movie of the Week:

Howl’s Moving Castle

A shy young woman is cursed to an elderly age by a spiteful witch. Her only chance of reversing the curse is in the hands of a self-indulgent, insecure young wizard and his bizarre walking castle. 

I highlighted Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke in Sunday Supplement #2, and this is another gem from the acclaimed Japanese animation studio. Any one of their films is worth checking out, but this is one of their best. The theme of self-belief throughout the film creates an uplifting and wonderful watch.

The movie creates a beautiful blend of magic and realism. The internal journeys of each character have depth and meaning that come from a brilliantly adapted story. The scenery is breathtaking, and the magic in the film allows director Hayao Miyazaki to bring out the best of his creativity. I highly recommend the Japanese version, but you get Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, Emily Mortimer, Blythe Danner, and Lauren Bacall voicing the characters if you choose the English audio.

If you missed my post about Princess Mononoke, check it out, and add Howl’s Moving Castle to your list of animation films to watch. The former wasn’t nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, but the latter was one of the picks, and both were deserving of the win. They are considered animated classics and wonderful films.

Brainfood of the Week:

An Alan Watts clip “Life is NOT a Journey” — animated by After Skool.

After Skool is a YouTube channel that animates videos as the backdrop to various life lessons presented by various individuals and texts.

Alan Watts is most known for breaking down and popularizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for the Western world. He became known through his role as a volunteer programmer at KPFA radio station in Berkeley, California. Throughout his life, he wrote over 25 books and articles about religion and philosophy. The Way of Zen was one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. Various of his other works put forth ideas and philosophies about human consciousness and existence.

In this video, Alan Watts talks about existence in the universe. He maintains that the universe is meant to be playful. He explains this through an analogy of music and art. The meaning in both is not determined by any destination but by the act itself. However, this concept is not something we see reflected in everyday conduct. The idea of a destination is brought on by many constructs in our society but often leaves the individual missing out on a deeper experience of life.

The After Skool video provides a cool animation of a brilliant monologue by Watts. It is a short clip and puts forth a positive perspective on engaging the world around us.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.”

– Quran 30:21

This passage from the Quran can be broken down in many different ways. One is the idea that we need companionship. From this, I take the word mate as meaning both intimate relationships and also the British slang for friend. I believe both provide significant meaning to our lives and help us be our best selves, have peace, and find purpose in life.

Another thing I pull from this passage is the idea of affection and mercy in love and friendship, meaning being there for support, especially in vulnerable moments. This isn’t always easy when you aren’t at your best, but it reminds me to be clear with my communication and inquire what is the best way to support them.

This coincides with the last part, which mentions the signs for people who give thought. In my opinion, meaningful relationships come when you give them thought and are present. You always have the time to be there for everyone at every moment, but I believe when you are with someone, you should give them your full attention and support.

I enjoyed coming across this passage from the Quran and hope you take something away from it that brings a positive perspective to your life.

Give the people you’re with your full attention and have a blessed week ahead!

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