open.substack.com/pub/ericjcun...
#algorithm #attention #awareness

Hope of revitalization was still alive in the village then. Like so many things in Japan’s rural communities, today hope is on the decline.

Read the full essay on Substack at ericjcunningham.substack.com

#Japan #RuralLife #Community #Food #Anthropology #Culture #Nagano #Rural #Hope

What unfolded was a poignant glimpse into the social dynamics of a changing village: the gap between longtime residents and newcomers, the challenge of passing down traditional knowledge, and the delicate work of community building in the face of uncertainty.

As this rural community faced depopulation and economic decline, 25 neighbors gathered to learn traditional recipes like houba-zushi (sushi wrapped in tree leaves) and wild vegetable tempura, hoping to preserve their culinary heritage while building a sustainable tourism future.

A story about finding the sacred in the ordinary, and discovering that what we seek outside ourselves has been within us all along.

Read the full essay at ericjcunningham.substack.com

#Sobriety #Spirituality #Recovery #Mindfulness #Faith #Awareness #God #Divinity

What happened next—involving a wind-whipped motorcycle cover—changed everything I thought I knew about God, stillness, and the unchanging presence that holds us through life's storms.

From mindfulness apps to social media algorithms, capital has found ways to monetize our inner lives. How do we resist when the colonization happens from within? I explore these questions in my latest essay, part of a series called "The Enclosure of Spirit." open.substack.com/pub/ericjcun...

#ethicalbusiness #sloweconomy #mindfulness #attentiveness #spirituality #meditation #ego #awakening #awareness #emotionalintelligence #spiritualintelligence #EQ #love #compassion #empathy #service #cosmos #research #recovery #acceptance #surrender #aliveness #consciousness #contemplativestudies