Zen Moments

“Practice Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty”

The Kindness Offensive was born earlier this year on Hampstead Heath (London, UK), when James Hunter, David Goodfellow and David Crane, set up a desk on Parliament Hill and asked passing members of the public to describe what act of kindness they would like done for them.

As a [...]

“I had a great time…”

11 year old Brenden Foster was diagnosed with leukaemia, three years before this video was made.
“The boy who once rushed through homework so he could play outside was now confined to a bed.
“I had a great time. And until my time has come, I’m going to keep having a good time,” [...]

A man surprises people at a gas station and offers to pay for their gas. He selects his target cars almost at random and tells his amazed recipients: “Just do something nice for somebody else…”

“Who is this man?”

Mary Menth Andersen was 31 years old and had just married Norwegian Dag Andersen. She was looking forward to starting a new life in Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold with him. But first she had to get all of her belongings across to Norway. The date was November 2nd, 1988.
At the airport in Miami [...]

“How can something so sad be beautiful at the same time?”

On Feb.2.2007, a series of tornadoes ripped through Volusia and Lake Counties in Central Florida, killing 19 people, injuring more than 50 and destroying hundreds of homes. This is their story through the eyes of an affected journalist.
It’s the kind of call you hope never [...]

“…the man found himself deeply affected…”

The events that led to the creation of The Mandala Trust were set in motion when a man travelling in India met and became friends with a local man, who worked as a shoe wallah.  The two would sit together each day on the side of the road as the [...]

“No thanks, I don’t need anything right now… was like shutting a door in their face…”

I learned a lot about receiving when I was a monk.
I lived as a Buddhist monk without money for 17 years – where everything I consumed (apart from water and toothpaste) actually had to be put into my hands – I [...]

“…it was about having faith and believing in magic…”

Many years ago I went to the cinema with my young son to see a film called “The Little Princess”. The story derives an element of magic from the wise but silent Indian fairy godfather who watches over Sarah, whose Indian tutors have instilled in her a [...]

“This gift of kindness made my day and I will never forget it!”

I work as a part-time waitress in New York.  I am also a part-time Grad School student.
Two guests of mine last week were an Indian couple from NYC, who I had never waited on before.
I am always complimenting my guests, and I [...]

“His smile…I felt I was shown a glimpse of heaven on earth.”

I reside in India and some of the descriptions are specific to the locality. Child labor might be a hard thing to imagine in the US but very common in India. This story is about how a 5 yr. old pumped high spirit, dignity [...]