Tremendous Insight
How do we measure culture? “By how much spiritual substance there is in its everyday existence…We gauge culture by the extent to which a whole people, not only individuals, live in accordance with the dictates of an eternal doctrine or strive for spiritual integrity; the extent to which inwardness, compassion, justice and holiness are to be found in the daily life of the masses.”

Reflect on your experiences and biases
How much time do you spend (hours per week) watching television, on the internet, listening to music, on the phone?
How does a work of art make you feel? Do you feel recognized by it? Does it address what is best in you? Does it make you feel human? Or does it make you restless? Does it inflame your ego? Does it reinforce stereotypes? Does it make you compare yourself to a standard you didn't think you cared about? Does it divide or heal?

Take the Pledge for Visionary Culture
Participate actively at every show, exhibit and song that you experience.
– Think about how art affects you and society.
– Understand what a work of art says.
– Try to understand the purpose and motive of the piece.
– Seek the good, true and beautiful.
– Don’t participate harmful cultural activities
Look for an invisible reality. Put soul at the center of your concerns. Put the fair and good into your mind.

Transform: Beautiful Books event. Beautiful Books is a counterpart to Banned Books. Instead of selecting works because they had been banned, Beautiful Books has readings, discussion and performances of works that are considered beautiful by members. Beautiful Books supports works of art that express the deeper dimensions of our humanity. Beauty is adrift, under assault, in need of a friend. Let us be a friend to beauty. Freedom of the expression of ideas is always valid, but we also need to know what is really worthy of being expressed.