Podcasts about Ramana Maharshi

In this Satsang, Swamiji shares from the teachings of the great sage Ramana Maharshi.  The podcast was recorded live at The Ashram in Mount Eliza on the 23rd of May, 2026. Watch the full Satsang program with Swamiji and Devi Ma at The Ashram with a weekly subscription to The Ashram Online! This subscription will give you access to a library of over 100 hours of Swamiji's talks, meditation and chanting programs, hatha yoga classes and more. Click here to learn more.

6th May 2026In this Satsang, Sanjay delivered a spiritual teaching on the futility of searching for permanent happiness and immortality in the external world. Drawing on a story from Buddha's time about a warrior seeking a physical place where no one dies, he explained that true immortality and eternal bliss (Satchitananda) can only be found by turning inward and realizing the unchanging, formless Self. He highlighted how the mind constantly divides and creates "fake news" of discrimination, urging seekers to treat all worldly projections like an illusory movie and to abide instead in the unified silence of the heart. The session beautifully concluded with a guest speaker, Lakshmi from Nepal, who shared her transformative journey from practicing Vipassana to discovering profound inner silence through Ramana Maharshi's teachings via Conscious Circle, culminating in her writing a book and devoting her life to solitude. Sanjay celebrated her dedication, discussed the idea of an inclusive spiritual center, and announced upcoming Hindi Satsangs for the community. These are teachings and pointers from ongoing NDA(Non-duality awareness)/Advaitic Satsangs held at Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya !

MUSINGS

29th April 2026In this Satsang, Sanjay led a spiritual gathering focused on Advaita (non-duality) teachings, emphasizing that the true self is Brahman—unchanging, pure awareness beyond body and mind. Multiple participants shared devotional songs about Ramana Maharshi and Arunachala, reinforcing the magnetic pull of spiritual seeking. The session concluded with teachings on dispassion after realization and living in harmony with divine energy rather than ego-driven desires. These are teachings and pointers from ongoing NDA(Non-duality awareness)/Advaitic Satsangs held at Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya !

Trechos do livro “The Mala of God”, de Mooji.Mooji, nascido Anthony Paul Moo-Young em 1954 na Jamaica, é um renomado mestre espiritual associado ao Advaita Vedanta. Ele se mudou para Londres na juventude, onde trabalhou como artista e professor de arte. Após uma experiência espiritual transformadora nos anos 1980, iniciou sua jornada interior. Posteriormente, conheceu seu guru, Sri H.W.L. Poonja (Papaji), discípulo de Ramana Maharshi, que o guiou na realização da consciência pura. Desde então, Mooji tem compartilhado seus ensinamentos em satsangs e retiros, atraindo buscadores de todo o mundo.O cerne dos ensinamentos de Mooji é a autorrealização por meio da investigação da verdadeira natureza do ser. Ele convida seus seguidores a descobrir quem são além da mente e das identificações pessoais, apontando para o "Eu sou" como o estado de presença pura. Mooji utiliza a simplicidade e o silêncio para guiar as pessoas a reconhecer sua essência divina, destacando que a libertação é acessível aqui e agora, sem práticas complexas.Mooji é amplamente reconhecido como um dos mais influentes mestres vivos do Advaita Vedanta. Seus satsangs, livros e vídeos continuam a inspirar milhões, promovendo a paz interior e o despertar espiritual. Seu ashram, Monte Sahaja, em Portugal, é um centro global de meditação e Autorrealização.

This meditation guides you through a process of calming the mind in order to begin the process of self inquiry based on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. After establishing a degree of calm and settledness, it invites you to explore and question the nature of this mind-body experience and the relative and ultimate truths. The meditation is grounded in the principles of Bhagavan's teaching and interspersed with some direct quotes of his.

18th April 2026 In this Satsang, Sanjay and the participants engaged in a profound Satsang exploring the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, specifically focusing on self-inquiry and shifting one's perspective from the external world to the internal source of awareness. The discussion highlighted the realization that the internal "I Am" projects the mind, body, and world, rather than the world causing our experiences. Sanjay also emphasized that seekers often fall into the trap of chasing temporary spiritual experiences, advising them instead to anchor into the pure, uninvolved silence that is present even in deep sleep. By holding onto this unchanging awareness during the waking state, the ego and the illusion of a separate "doer" naturally dissolve, leading to a state of profound peace, spontaneous compassion, and a direct recognition of the ever-present True Self within.These are teachings and pointers from ongoing NDA(Non-duality awareness)/Advaitic Satsangs held at Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya !

A reading for meditation of selected verses from the 'Essence of Ribhu Gita'. Translated by Professor N.R. Krishnamoorthi Aiyer.The Ribhu Gita is a revered Advaita Vedānta text that teaches the direct realization of the Self as pure, indivisible awareness. It is presented as a dialogue between the sage Ribhu and his devoted disciple Nidagha. The teaching is uncompromisingly non-dual, declaring that the Self alone exists and that all apparent multiplicity is merely a superimposition upon that reality.The text is famous for its radical simplicity and repetition, repeatedly affirming the truth that Brahman alone is real and identical with the Self.The Ribhu Gita has been especially cherished in the tradition of Ramana Maharshi, who often recommended its study. Portions of the text were translated into Tamil by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, and it became an important scripture for many non-dual practitioners.Music: Meditative Mind

Ogni notte, quando viviamo quello che Ramana Maharshi chiama "il sonno senza sogni", è un dono, un momento di "Bardo", di passaggio (che accomuna il sonno, alla morte e alla meditazione), durante il quale abbiamo la possibilità di sperimentare direttamente “Chi realmente Siamo”, perché è il momento in cui la persona svanisce ed emerge la nostra Reale Natura. Ogni mattina al risveglio, se ci fermiamo un attimo a osservare anziché rituffarci subito nel mondo delle percezioni, abbiamo la possibilità di cogliere un'occasione preziosa, che ci viene offerta, per saltare dalla coscienza personale alla Consapevolezza, che non può essere definita o capita mentalmente (come quando impariamo ad esempio una lezione o un argomento di studio), ma solo sperimentata direttamente da ciascuno di noi, e non tramite l'esperienza di qualcun altro che l'ha vissuta. Questa realizzazione come non ha bisogno di essere capita, definita, neanche ha bisogno di essere trasmessa a parole, ma accadrà da sé che si trasmetterà agli altri, come si colgono i buoni frutti di un albero quando la maturazione è avvenuta.

In diesem Video nehme ich dich wieder mit nach Indien, an den Arunachala – einen der kraftvollsten Orte für Meditation und spirituelle Erfahrung. Nach über 100 Stunden Meditation im Feld von Ramana Maharshi teile ich meine tiefsten Erkenntnisse über Selbstverwirklichung, das wahre Selbst und die Frage, was Bewusstsein wirklich ist. Diese Zeit hat nicht nur meinen inneren Frieden verändert, sondern auch mein Verständnis von nondualem Bewusstsein, Achtsamkeit und echter Transformation.In dieser Reise geht es um integrale Bewusstseinsentwicklung: die Verbindung von innerer Tiefe und äußerem Erfolg, von Persönlichkeitsentwicklung, Trauma-Heilung und bewusstem Leben. Wenn du dein Bewusstsein erweitern, echte Klarheit finden und Spiritualität nicht als Flucht, sondern als Kraft im Leben integrieren willst, ist dieses Video für dich._____► Alle Videos aus Indien: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3GQbnpBMNpOyA_YZJu_7b-6QXwfSWCGg_____► Jetzt zur Challenge kostenlos anmelden: https://tinyurl.com/yc7wm6pa_____► Bewusstseins-Ebenen PDF: https://start.patrickreiser.com/bewusstseinsebenen_____► Dokumentation Ramana Maharshi: https://youtu.be/hVYv9ktilQw?si=ryOGFEdU0pmHoXe4_____► Elevation Camp 2026: Befreie dich von allem was dich noch zurückhält und lege das Fundament für ein glückliches und selbstbestimmtes Leben: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://elevationcamp.de⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_____► Kostenlose Achtsamkeitsmeditation für tiefere Verbundenheit und mehr Klarheit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://start.patrickreiser.com/meditation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_____► Kostenloser Klarheitstest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://klarheitsquiz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_____► In 12 Wochen zu tiefer Verbundenheit, Sinnhaftigkeit und Lebensfreude: Hier geht es zu meinem Mentoring: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patrickreiser.com/human-elevation-mentoring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_____► Das exklusive Retreat in den Schweizer Bergen, welches die Grenzen deine Wahrnehmung sprengt und dich in eine zielgerichtete Umsetzung deiner Vision bringt: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patrickreiser.com/retreat⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠______► Jetzt Patricks zweites Buch versandkostenfrei bestellen

Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) compte parmi les plus grands maîtres de l'Inde contemporaine. Sans aucune étude ni initiation, il atteignit l'illumination et vécut en ermite dans la sainte montagne d'Arunachala. Son enseignement principalement oral attira à lui des milliers d'Indiens et d'occidentaux. A la fois conforme à la vérité la plus profonde des textes sacrés de l'hindouisme et détachée d'une érudition sclérosante, sa parole s'autorisait des excursions dans la pensée évangélique qu'il éclairait d'un jour nouveau. En maître socratique, il ne donnait jamais de leçons magistrales, mais se contentait de répondre aux questions qu'on lui posait et d'en susciter de nouvelles. Plus de trente ans après la première traduction française de ces entretiens, voici enfin une édition critique et intégrale de ce classique de la spiritualité vivante. Bibliographie: L'enseignement de Ramana Maharshi, édition intégrale (https://www.babelio.com/livres/Maharshi-LEnseignement-de-Ramana-Maharshi/270057) Musique: The Lovely Moon (https://thelovelymoon.bandcamp.com/track/the-stone-of-rejuvenation) Narration et réalisation: Bruno Léger Production: Les mécènes du Vieux Sage Que règnent la paix et l'amour parmi tous les êtres de l'univers.  OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. 

Send us Fan MailRegister your free place for the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji: https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/online-satsang Paths of Spirituality  | In Quest of Truth - Babaji Q&A, No. 263Recorded on 7 March 2026 with worldwide participants0:00 Intro0:35 What are the different paths of spirituality?7:59 What is the right path for a rational, scientific temperament?12:00 In Yoga Vasistha, through explanations only, Rama is able to achieve Self Realization.  Is that a valid path for this Kali Yuga?15:08 What kind of mindset is needed for one to be successful in Dhyana marga (path of meditation)?23:59 How does the path of self-enquiry, as recommended by Ramana Maharshi, compare to Jangama Dhyana?26:20 Some saints recommend the path of Nama Japa, repetition of a chant.  Is this a valid path and how does it relate to Jangama Dhyana?31:13 Some teachers advocate pranayama techniques, controlling of the breath.  Is this a valid path for Self-Realization?36:11 Institutions established by Shankaracharya recommend the traditional Vedic path; learning the vedas, following the various ritual etc. Is this a valid path in this current age?41:18 Is the path of tantra a valid path for Self-Realization?44:37 Can one follow multiple paths simultaneously?46:21 How do I know what is the best and quickest path for me for Self-Realization?50:42 Has 'yearning' for the truth of existence more depth to it than intelligence or rational thinking?52:08 Is wisdom through the path of enquiry through intelligence?54:23 In meditation is our attention on the attention?56:08 Where to focus in meditation57:06 If we make our body absolutely still, our mind becomes still. How to avoid our attention being divided between attention on the point in-between our eyebrows and on our body being still?58:22 Do we need to put some effort in to keep the body still?59:01 How to eliminate pain in the body so that we can keep our attention in-between the eyebrows?___Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6YHFKcPK_XT96VO7xuk6RQWebsite: http://www.srby.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogiTwitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmissionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivarudrabalayogi/Register your free place for the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji: https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/en/online-satsang Website: http://www.srby.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogiTwitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmissionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivarudrabalayogi/

Trechos selecionados de discursos de Ramesh Balsekar.Ramesh S. Balsekar (1917 - 2009) foi discípulo de Nisargadatta Maharaj. Desde a infância, Balsekar foi atraído pelo Advaita, particularmente os ensinamentos de Ramana Maharshi. Ele escreveu mais de 20 livros, foi presidente do Banco da Índia e recebia hóspedes diariamente em sua casa em Mumbai até pouco antes de sua morte.Balsekar ensinava a partir da tradição do não-dualismo Advaita Vedanta.Seu ensino começa com a ideia de uma Fonte definitiva, Brahman, da qual surge a criação. Uma vez que a criação surgiu, o mundo e a vida operam mecanicamente de acordo com as leis divinas e naturais.Tudo o que acontece é causado por esta fonte, e a identidade real desta fonte é pura Consciência, que é incapaz de escolher ou fazer. Por tanto, o livre-arbítrio é na verdade uma ilusão. Essa falsa identidade que gira em torno da ideia de que "Eu sou o corpo" ou "Eu sou o executor" impede a pessoa de ver sua identidade real, que é a Consciência livre.

In diesem Video nehme ich dich mit auf meine Reise nach Indien an den heiligen Arunachala Berg und teile meine Erfahrungen mit Meditation, innerer Stille und Selbstfindung. Inspiriert von Ramana Maharshi erforschen wir, was es bedeutet, über das Ego hinauszugehen und echten inneren Frieden zu erfahren – jenseits von Gedanken, Rollen und Identität.Du erfährst, warum Indien Chaos und Klarheit zugleich ist, wie tiefe Selbsterkenntnis entsteht und warum echte Transformation nicht durch Content, sondern durch Erfahrung passiert. _____________________________________________► Zur Dokumentation über Ramana Maharshi: https://youtu.be/hVYv9ktilQw?is=LkCP8A9HwCNANIu-_____________________________________________► Sichere dir jetzt dein Ticket fürs Elevation Camp: https://elevationcamp.de_____________________________________________► Kostenloser Klarheitstest: https://tinyurl.com/zmv5jfu6_____________________________________________► Kostenlose Achtsamkeitsmeditation für tiefere Verbundenheit und mehr Klarheit: https://tinyurl.com/4b54hmn4_____________________________________________► Jetzt Patricks Buch "Erfolgreich & (endlich) glücklich" versandkostenfrei bestellen

Citações e trechos do livro “The Collected Works” de Robert Adams.Discípulo de Sri Ramana Maharshi, Robert Adams (1928 - 1997) foi um professor americano do não-dualismo, amplamente divulgado entre aqueles que investigam a filosofia Advaita e entre os devotos ocidentais de Bhagavan.Seu ensino baseava-se no caminho de Jñāna Yoga, com ênfase na prática da auto-investigação (Atma-Vichara). Ātmā Vicāra (विचार), é um termo sânscrito que significa o processo de investigar quem realmente somos, a investigação sobre a Natureza do Ser.Esta técnica é a que melhor exemplifica o Jñāna Yoga, o Yoga do Conhecimento sobre Si Mesmo.A meditação da auto investigação é a constante atenção para a consciência interior do “eu” ou “eu sou”, recomendado por Ramana Maharshi como o maneira mais eficiente e direta de descobrir a irrealidade do pensamento “eu” .Adams não escreveu nenhum livro nem publicou seus ensinamentos, pois não desejava ganhar muitos seguidores, em vez disso, preferiu ensinar um pequeno número de buscadores dedicados.Adams afirmou que não existia um novo ensino, e que este conhecimento pode ser encontrado nos Upanishads, nos Vedas e em outras escrituras milenares.

Trechos do livro “An Invitation to Freedom”, de Mooji.Mooji, nascido Anthony Paul Moo-Young em 1954 na Jamaica, é um renomado mestre espiritual associado ao Advaita Vedanta. Ele se mudou para Londres na juventude, onde trabalhou como artista e professor de arte. Após uma experiência espiritual transformadora nos anos 1980, iniciou sua jornada interior. Posteriormente, conheceu seu guru, Sri H.W.L. Poonja (Papaji), discípulo de Ramana Maharshi, que o guiou na realização da consciência pura. Desde então, Mooji tem compartilhado seus ensinamentos em satsangs e retiros, atraindo buscadores de todo o mundo.O cerne dos ensinamentos de Mooji é a autorrealização por meio da investigação da verdadeira natureza do ser. Ele convida seus seguidores a descobrir quem são além da mente e das identificações pessoais, apontando para o "Eu sou" como o estado de presença pura. Mooji utiliza a simplicidade e o silêncio para guiar as pessoas a reconhecer sua essência divina, destacando que a libertação é acessível aqui e agora, sem práticas complexas.Mooji é amplamente reconhecido como um dos mais influentes mestres vivos do Advaita Vedanta. Seus satsangs, livros e vídeos continuam a inspirar milhões, promovendo a paz interior e o despertar espiritual. Seu ashram, Monte Sahaja, em Portugal, é um centro global de meditação e Autorrealização.

Trechos do livro “The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words”, de Ramana Maharshi.Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), nascido Venkataraman Iyer, foi um dos mais venerados sábios da Índia. Nascido em Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, viveu uma infância comum até, aos 16 anos, experimentar uma profunda transformação espiritual ao confrontar a ideia de morte. Essa experiência o levou à realização do verdadeiro Eu e à renúncia de sua vida mundana. A partir disso ele se estabeleceu na montanha sagrada de Arunachala, onde passou o resto de sua vida em meditação e transmitindo ensinamentos, atraindo discípulos de todo o mundo.Ramana ensinava a prática do “Atma-Vichara”, “Self-enquiry” (auto-inquirição ou auto-investigação), baseada na pergunta “Quem sou eu?”. Ātmā Vicāra (विचार), é um termo sânscrito que significa o processo de investigar quem realmente somos, a investigação sobre a Natureza do Ser. Esta técnica é a que melhor exemplifica o Jñāna Yoga, o Yoga do conhecimento sobre Si Mesmo.Ramana destacava que a libertação espiritual surge da dissolução do ego e da realização da unidade com a Consciência universal. Seus ensinamentos enfatizavam a simplicidade, o silêncio e a experiência direta como caminhos para a Autorrealização, rejeitando práticas ritualísticas e dogmas religiosos.Seus ensinamentos transcendem fronteiras culturais e religiosas, inspirando buscadores espirituais em todo o mundo. Seu Ashram de Arunachala continua sendo um centro de aprendizado e prática, e suas ideias sobre introspecção e paz interior permanecem profundamente influentes.

ANNAMALAI SWAMI était un disciple direct de Sri Ramana Maharshi, le grand sage du sud de l'Inde qui vécut au pied de la montagne sacrée Arunachala pendant plus d'un demi-siècle. Annamalai Swami vécut et travailla avec Sri Ramana de 1928 à 1938, supervisant la plupart des projets de construction entrepris dans l'ashram de son gourou. En 1938, Sri Ramana demanda à Annamalai Swami d'abandonner ce travail et de se consacrer plutôt à la méditation solitaire. Toutes ces activités de construction et les années de méditation qui suivirent sont décrites de manière vivante dans Living By The Words Of Bhagavan, l'autobiographie de Swami (« Une vie auprès de Ramana Maharshi » pour l'édition française).Dans les années 1980, un petit nombre de chercheurs spirituels, principalement occidentaux, ont commencé à rendre visite à Annamalai Swami pour l'interroger sur les enseignements de son gourou et sur leurs propres pratiques spirituelles. En réponse, Annamalai Swami a commencé à parler de ses expériences, de ses pratiques et des méthodes qui avaient fonctionné pour lui. La plupart des visiteurs ont été profondément impressionnés tant par la qualité de ses enseignementsque par l'aura de paix et d'autorité qui émanait de lui. Les enseignements présentés dans ce livre ont été donnés entre mars et octobre 1995, les six derniers mois de la vie d'Annamalai Swami. Ils représentent l'essence de son expérience et de sa dévotion de toute une vie à son gourou et à ses enseignements.  Bibliographie: Annamalai Swami - Final Talks - Edition David Godman(https://archive.org/details/annamalaiswamifinaltalksdavidgodman_610_m) Musique: Alex Michalski (https://axen.bandcamp.com) Narration et réalisation: Bruno Léger Production: Les mécènes du Vieux Sage Que règnent la paix et l'amour parmi tous les êtres de l'univers.  OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. 

Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) compte parmi les plus grands maîtres de l'Inde contemporaine. Sans aucune étude ni initiation, il atteignit l'illumination et vécut en ermite dans la sainte montagne d'Arunachala. Son enseignement principalement oral attira à lui des milliers d'Indiens et d'occidentaux. A la fois conforme à la vérité la plus profonde des textes sacrés de l'hindouisme et détachée d'une érudition sclérosante, sa parole s'autorisait des excursions dans la pensée évangélique qu'il éclairait d'un jour nouveau. En maître socratique, il ne donnait jamais de leçons magistrales, mais se contentait de répondre aux questions qu'on lui posait et d'en susciter de nouvelles. Plus de trente ans après la première traduction française de ces entretiens, voici enfin une édition critique et intégrale de ce classique de la spiritualité vivante. Bibliographie: L'enseignement de Ramana Maharshi, édition intégrale (https://www.babelio.com/livres/Maharshi-LEnseignement-de-Ramana-Maharshi/270057) Musique: Ethereal Ephemera (https://etherealephemera.bandcamp.com/album/the-slow-movement) Narration et réalisation: Bruno Léger Production: Les mécènes du Vieux Sage Que règnent la paix et l'amour parmi tous les êtres de l'univers.  OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. 

These profound teachings on the nature of pure consciousness as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi were taken from various sources/texts, including, 'Talks with Ramana Maharshi,' 'Day by Day with Bhagavan' and 'The Maharshi's Gospel'.Ramana Maharshi (1879 -1950) was an Indian sage and jivanmukta (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. In 1895, an attraction to the sacred hill Arunachala and the 63 Nayanmars was aroused in him and in 1896, at the age of 16, he had a "death-experience" where he became aware of a "current" or "force" which he recognized as his true "I" or "Self".Music: Arunachala Siva chant - produced by Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning, Bangalore - India._____________________________

Eckhart Tolle - Sanat ötede olanı gösterir 00:08 – Varlığımızın %90'ı: Being 00:43 – Sanat ve “O” Hissi 02:49 – Kendini Bilmek Ne Demek? 04:24 – Ramana Maharshi ve Sessiz Bilgi 07:30 – Bedensel Enerji Deneyimleri 10:08 – Algı, Beden ve Bilinç 15:31 – Sevgi ve Öz Varlık 17:49 – Düşünceler ve Medya Etkisi 20:02 – Ego, Teknoloji ve Evrim 23:30 – Uyanışın Tarihsel Döngüsü 28:16 – Meditasyon: Saf Farkındalık Bu bölümde Eckhart Tolle'un “being” kavramı üzerinden, varlığımızın büyük kısmının formun ve düşüncenin ötesinde olduğu ele alınıyor. Sanatın, sevginin ve gerçek bilmenin bu alana temas ettiğinde anlam kazandığı; düşüncelerin çoğunun bize ait olmaktan çok kolektif ve öğrenilmiş olduğu vurgulanıyor. Ego ve teknoloji ilişkisinin insanlığı kritik bir eşiğe getirdiği anlatılırken, tarih boyunca bilincin dalgalar hâlinde yükselip alçaldığı hatırlatılıyor. Bölüm, öz varlıkla teması destekleyen bir meditasyonla tamamlanıyor. Zeynep Aksoy, saygın bir yoga eğitmeni ve Reset platformunun kurucusudur. Web sitesi üzerinden canlı ve kayıttan izlenebilen dersler, üyelik programları ve profesyonel eğitimler sunmaktadır. Online Stüdyo üyeliği ile günlük çevrim içi derslere, geniş bir arşive ve topluluk desteğine erişim imkânı sağlar. Ayrıca Zeynep, katılımcıların hareket, anatomi ve farkındalık konularında bilgilerini derinleştirmelerine yardımcı olmak için yenilikçi Fasyal Yoga Uzmanlık Programı'nı yürütmektedir. Daha fazla bilgi almak ve sertifikalı eğitimlere katılmak için: www.zeynepaksoyreset.com

In this episode we review the core non-duality teachings of Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj, including their inquiries into the nature of the Self. These teachings have been among the most influential in the present-day satsang and nonduality movements in the West. • Includes a guided self-inquiry meditation to trace the "I" thought to its source as the knower of all experience, and to help the listener identify as pure, choiceless, allowing, loving awareness. A good place to get a feel for the teachings of both Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj is the YouTube channel, "Eternal Life | Non-Duality" from @EternalLife7, here:  https://www.youtube.com/@EternalLife7 The "Spiritual Laughter" YouTube playlist mentioned in this episode can be found here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5MGGRY0HO9ftghd8xwKE9pPL_LmJkz7G Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature. To learn more about Awareness Explorers, and to listen to all of our podcast episodes, please visit:  https://www.awarenessexplorers.com/ If you want to listen to the meditations alone, you can find all of our meditations excerpted either in this playlist:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLThffcko0gAVvivvVVGNfQgJxbWB6dF6Z Or on our Awareness Explorers website: https://www.awarenessexplorers.com/meditations To Support Awareness Explorers, please consider clicking the "Donate" button on any AwarenessExplorers.com page, or becoming a Patreon supporter:  https://www.patreon.com/awarenessexplorers NOTE: If you are a Patreon supporter and have not been receiving our bonus material, please check to make sure that the email address you have on Patreon is an active one. To learn more about Jonathan Robinson and Brian Tom O'Connor, please visit  https://findinghappiness.com/ and  https://www.playawarenessgames.com/ You can listen to all of our episodes on this YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLThffcko0gAXyaArC4OyY0y84CZ8uSb_n Enjoy,  Jonathan and Brian  

What is the meaning of religious experience? What do spiritual questers from the West find in India? Just what happened to Ramana Maharshi and others who are said to have awakened? And how does this fit with Christian teaching and belief?I talk with Clare Carlisle who has recently published a book the mixes the personal and the philosophical. Transcendence for Beginners raises many questions that press for those draw to explore the nature of reality and the presence of the divine. We talk about why Carl Jung didn't visit Ramana Maharshi when he visited India. We ask whether the doctrine of the unique incarnation of Jesus can be reconciled with the Indian intuition that there are many incarnations of God. We explore how these things can be written about and taught, if at all. We ask about the significance of miracles and signs - and the risks of pursuing certain types of spiritual, ecstatic experience.For more information about Transcendence for Beginners - https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=clare+carlisle+trasnedence+for+beginnings&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8For more information about Clare Carlisle - https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/clare-carlisleFor more on Mark's work - https://www.markvernon.com

This guided awakening meditation draws on Hridaya meditation and the self enquiry teachings of Ramana Maharshi. Through gentle heart based attention and simple enquiry, awareness is invited to turn back toward its source, allowing thoughts and identities to soften naturally. This is an embodied, nervous system led approach to awakening that supports integration, safety, and lived clarity rather than striving or peak experiences. An invitation to rest as what you already are, and to let awakening unfold in a grounded, sustainable way.   If you enjoy this audio you can save the link somewhere in your phone, or make a playlist for it so you have access to this practice with one click. Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness: www.functionalspirituality.com   Free resources: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.   Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality: Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration. Connect on Socials Where you can hear from us in daily life Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality  Studio: @spandaschool  Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals

In this teaching, Shunyamurti explores the paradox at the heart of all authentic traditions: Trika's Netra Tantra calls for “supreme effort,” while other scriptures insist there is no path and no separate one to realize God. Taking us through concepts from Kabbalah, Ramana Maharshi, and Dzogchen, he reveals the synthesis: you are not the seeker in the story but the unmoving screen of pure, total consciousness on which all worlds appear. When this is realized, effort and non-effort collapse into the natural state of the Self.

Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) compte parmi les plus grands maîtres de l'Inde contemporaine. Sans aucune étude ni initiation, il atteignit l'illumination et vécut en ermite dans la sainte montagne d'Arunachala. Son enseignement principalement oral attira à lui des milliers d'Indiens et d'occidentaux. A la fois conforme à la vérité la plus profonde des textes sacrés de l'hindouisme et détachée d'une érudition sclérosante, sa parole s'autorisait des excursions dans la pensée évangélique qu'il éclairait d'un jour nouveau. En maître socratique, il ne donnait jamais de leçons magistrales, mais se contentait de répondre aux questions qu'on lui posait et d'en susciter de nouvelles. Plus de trente ans après la première traduction française de ces entretiens, voici enfin une édition critique et intégrale de ce classique de la spiritualité vivante. Bibliographie: L'enseignement de Ramana Maharshi, édition intégrale (https://www.babelio.com/livres/Maharshi-LEnseignement-de-Ramana-Maharshi/270057) Musique: C. Paradisi piste 2 (https://archive.org/details/freefloatingmusic029) Narration et réalisation: Bruno Léger Production: Les mécènes du Vieux Sage Que règnent la paix et l'amour parmi tous les êtres de l'univers.  OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. 

In this episode we contemplated a quote from Ramana Maharshi, "What does one gain, you may well ask, by giving up the wealth immense of worldly pleasure and seeking only mere Awareness? The benefit of true Awareness is the unbroken prevalence of peace within the heart, the bliss of one's own natural being.".

In this episode we contemplated a quote from  Angelo DiLullo's, "Awake: It's Your Turn", page 136, "There is a side to us that has no intention. It is always at rest.", and a quote from Ramana Maharshi, "Let not your intellect become a slave to the mere sound and fury of controversy. Enter the heart with mind pellucid, concept-free, and realize your natural Being as the Truth. From questing inward in the heart comes knowledge which destroys all false illusions.".

Send us a textRegister your free place for the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji: https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/online-satsang The Real Meaning of Faith and Devotion | In Quest of Truth - Babaji Q&A, No. 251Recorded on 8 November 2025 with worldwide participants.0:00 Intro0:07 What is faith and why is it so important?5:28 Faith does not depend on any result.8:45 Without a guru would it be very difficult to overcome the ego?11:45 How does one get attracted to a real Self-Realized guru?14:20 If we follow the practice as taught by the guru, does our faith and devotion increase?16:00 As we progress on the spiritual path, does the Divinity throw us test to see if the devotion is genuine?27:09 Is it our attention that needs to be more complete to have surrender?31:15 How do we cultivate and keep our faith as we go about our daily lives?36:36 The remembrance of the guru comes as we go on practicing.37:51 Ramana Maharshi said, "It is by god's grace that you think of god." Is this true?40:35 Seeking validation after praying to there Divine.44:44 Is true guru the knowledge such as forbearance, acceptance, detachment, optimism and endurance that we gain while doing sadhana?45:44 How important is it to have a living guru?47:02 Not exactly focusing on one point in meditation.48:16 How to stop worrying about the health one's mother.49:48 Is tirobhava or concealment a function of the Divine or a consequence of our ego?51:35 Are we getting more in touch with the cerebellum and not the cerebrum?52:20 Faith that a surgery will go well but also fear as one cannot predict the outcome.  Is faith still there in the midst of fear?54:08 Faith in the Guru-Disciple relationship.55:07 Faith in our actions and expectations of the outcomes.57:37 Surrendering to the universe to achieve Self-Realization.1:00:46 How to get rid of the ego.___Website: http://www.srby.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogiTwitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmissionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivarudrabalayogi/Register your free place for the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji: https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/en/online-satsang Website: http://www.srby.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogiTwitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmissionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivarudrabalayogi/

Celebrating the release of There Is No Other, a new book of teachings from Ram Dass' lectures, Parvati Markus and Raghu Markus listen to and reflect on some of the material used in its creation.This special episode of Mindrolling celebrates the new book, There Is No Other, a collection of teachings taken from Ram Dass' lectures. In these times, Ram Dass' teachings on wholeness and unity are more needed than ever.We begin with a clip of Ram Dass exploring the mindset of “us versus them.” Who exactly is us? Who is them? Raghu and Parvati reflect on how this clip is central to the theme of There Is No Other.The next clip features Ram Dass talking about the balance of heart and mind. Sharing a powerful real-life example, he explores how we cut ourselves off when we veil our hearts. Raghu and Parvati share how the book is about walking a path to harmony and wholeness.The third clip finds Ram Dass examining Ramana Maharshi's concept of “God, Guru, Self,” and how we can begin to appreciate that the Spirit is everywhere. Parvati and Raghu discuss how Ram Dass' new book speaks to this really important moment in our lives.We end with a brief clip of Ram Dass talking about the path of love. “Finally,” he says, “you become an environment, a vibratory rate…”The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“So the mind, if it gets too strong, out of balance with the heart, shuts down all the information that the heart can give. It cuts you off from your wisdom, really. You don't even see all the stuff. I mean, you and I are simultaneously existing on so many planes of reality, but because of the power of our minds, we keep limiting which realities are real, and the rest of it we either treat as error or we don't even notice. It's so deeply unconscious, we just don't even notice all the rest of us, of ourselves.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) compte parmi les plus grands maîtres de l'Inde contemporaine. Sans aucune étude ni initiation, il atteignit l'illumination et vécut en ermite dans la sainte montagne d'Arunachala. Son enseignement principalement oral attira à lui des milliers d'Indiens et d'occidentaux. A la fois conforme à la vérité la plus profonde des textes sacrés de l'hindouisme et détachée d'une érudition sclérosante, sa parole s'autorisait des excursions dans la pensée évangélique qu'il éclairait d'un jour nouveau. En maître socratique, il ne donnait jamais de leçons magistrales, mais se contentait de répondre aux questions qu'on lui posait et d'en susciter de nouvelles. Plus de trente ans après la première traduction française de ces entretiens, voici enfin une édition critique et intégrale de ce classique de la spiritualité vivante.   Bibliographie: L'enseignement de Ramana Maharshi, édition intégrale (https://www.babelio.com/livres/Maharshi-LEnseignement-de-Ramana-Maharshi/270057)   Musique: Bruno Léger   Narration et réalisation: Bruno Léger   Production: Les mécènes du Vieux Sage   Que règnent la paix et l'amour parmi tous les êtres de l'univers.    OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.  

This is number 28 of a 30-part meditation series inspired by Adyashanti. This practice is simple, pointed, and powerful. It takes courage to love, to be honest, to understand another person, and yourself. Here you're invited to notice your sticking points, places where you hold on, become overly insistent, or pull back too far, and to meet those places with courage.These practices build on each other, so you can listen consecutively, but if there is one in particular that speaks to you, feel free to stick with it. Based on the teachings of Adyashanti, they can be used alone or as a companion to his audio series, The 30-Day Wake Up Challenge, or his book, The Direct Way: 30 Practices to Evoke Awakening. This meditation correlates to Day 28. In some cases, the meditations are also loosely inspired by the teachings of Andrew Holecek, Pema Chodron, and Eckhart Tolle.  I hope you enjoy.Music and audio by Eric Fischer. Support the showHost: Tess CallahanSubstack: Writers at the WellInterview Podcast: Writers at the WellMeditations on Insight TimerMeditations on YouTubeTess's novels: https://tesscallahan.com/Music (unless otherwise noted above): Christopher Lloyd ClarkAudio Editing: Eric Fischer By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening!DISCLAIMER: Meditation is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical healthcare or therapy. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to this recording. Use the material provided at your own risk. Do not drive or operate dangerous equipment while listening. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

What does it mean to “be awareness” rather than simply observing it? Dorothy Hunt invites us to see awareness not as something separate from thoughts, feelings, or experiences, but as the very ground of being that is already present. Grounding her reflections in both tradition and poetry, she illustrates how awareness reveals itself in every moment, whether through beauty, suffering, or the ordinary flow of life. Her teaching emphasizes that awakening is not about bypassing human experience but about embracing it with intimacy and compassion.Dorothy weaves together Buddhist wisdom, Zen stories, and personal reflections to show how awareness can meet even the most difficult aspects of life. She highlights key ideas such as:The two arrows: the unavoidable pain of life and the suffering added by our interpretations.Layers of experience: from rage to vulnerability, awareness can hold them all without judgment.Awakening and growing up: two sides of the same coin, integrating transcendence with human healing.The “pathless path”: each person's journey is unique, made by walking.Ultimately, she reminds us that awareness is not elsewhere—it is here, in the very act of living.______________Dorothy Hunt serves as spiritual director of Moon Mountain Sangha and was the founder of the San Francisco Center for Meditation and Psychotherapy. She is the author of Only This!, Leaves from Moon Mountain, and Ending the Search: From Spiritual Ambition to the Heart of Awareness, as well as articles published on nondual wisdom and psychotherapy.She teaches at the request and in the spiritual lineage of Adyashanti, who invited her to share the dharma in 2004. Dorothy has a long and deep connection to the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the nondual teachings of Zen, Advaita, and the Christian mystics. She invites a deep welcoming of the human expressions of the mystery. A licensed psychotherapist since 1967, Dorothy has now retired from her private practice. She is a mother and a grandmother. For more information, please visit: https://dorothyhunt.org or Dorothy Hunt - Moon Mountain Sangha on YouTube. ______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Today's special guest is Connirae Andreas, PhD.  Learning (and experiencing) her "Core Transformation" and "Wholeness Work" have helped me navigate every aspect of my filmmaking journey from script to production to the big screen and beyond.  On November 4, 2025, Connirae will be hosting a LIVE online training of The Wholeness Work.  To register, and I passionately recommend it to anyone and everyone, visit:https://www.andreasnlp.com/trainings/the-wholeness-work/live-online/level-i/Connirae has been an innovative leader, teacher, and author in the field of personal development and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) for over 4 decades. Connirae and her late husband Steve Andreas were early developers of NLP and wrote and edited many of the first NLP books and training materials, helping to bring NLP into the mainstream.She is best known for creating Core Transformation, a groundbreaking method that turns our limitations into a doorway to experiences many describe as "love", "peace", "presence", or "oneness". Her most recent work, The Wholeness Work, offers a gentle yet precise way to dissolve stress and ego-based patterns, resolving life challenges and opening the door to deep emotional healing. Connirae's discoveries were shaped both by a life-changing encounter with Dr. Milton Erickson in 1979 and by her own multi-year health crisis, which led her to explore the teachings of Indian sage Ramana Maharshi and uncover a profound path to healing and awakening.For more information, visit:https://www.thewholenesswork.org/https://www.andreasnlp.com/trainings/the-wholeness-work/I hope you enjoy this Special Bonus episode.Cheers!Get the Books:Filmmaking ConfidentialAccessing CreativityHow to Find InvestorsWatch the Films: DIKENGA Official Websites: SteveBalderson.comInstagram @dikengaTwitX: @sbaldersonFacebook

Celebrating the release of There Is No Other, a new book of teachings from Ram Dass' lectures, Parvati Markus and Raghu Markus listen to and reflect on some of the material used in its creation. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This special episode of Here and Now celebrates the new book, There Is No Other, a collection of teachings taken from Ram Dass' lectures. In these times, Ram Dass' teachings on wholeness and unity are more needed than ever. We begin with a clip of Ram Dass exploring the mindset of “us versus them.” Who exactly is us? Who is them? Raghu and Parvati reflect on how this clip is central to the theme of There Is No Other.The next clip features Ram Dass talking about the balance of heart and mind. Sharing a powerful real-life example, he explores how we cut ourselves off when we veil our hearts. Raghu and Parvati share how the book is about walking a path to harmony and wholeness.The third clip finds Ram Dass examining Ramana Maharshi's concept of “God, Guru, Self,” and how we can begin to appreciate that the Spirit is everywhere. Parvati and Raghu discuss how Ram Dass' new book speaks to this really important moment in our lives.We end with a brief clip of Ram Dass talking about the path of love. “Finally,” he says, “you become an environment, a vibratory rate…” “So the mind, if it gets too strong, out of balance with the heart, shuts down all the information that the heart can give. It cuts you off from your wisdom, really. You don't even see all the stuff. I mean, you and I are simultaneously existing on so many planes of reality, but because of the power of our minds, we keep limiting which realities are real, and the rest of it we either treat as error or we don't even notice. It's so deeply unconscious, we just don't even notice all the rest of us, of ourselves.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Satsang, Swamiji shares from the teachings of the great sage Ramana Maharshi.  This podcast was recorded live at The Ashram in Mount Eliza on the 11th of October, 2025. Watch the full Satsang program with Swamiji and Devi Ma at The Ashram with a weekly subscription to The Ashram Online! This subscription will give you access to a library of over 100 hours of Swamiji's talks, meditation and chanting programs, hatha yoga classes and more. Click here to learn more.

In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️‍

Send me your thoughts in a Text MessageWhat if awakening isn't about understanding concepts, but directly recognising presence through lived experience?In this episode of Awakening Now, I sat down with Alina Panteleev, a Non-Dual Teacher and Certified Somatic Repression Coach.Alina helps soulful, self-aware women and men who, despite years of inner work, still feel caught in cycles of self-doubt, emotional repression, and over-processing. Her work is for those ready to take full responsibility for their transformation, apply the practices with autonomy, and rise into embodied leadership, authentic expression, and soul-aligned impact.Together we explore how teachings from Ramana Maharshi and nonduality start to resonate, not through the mind's effort to “get it,” but through the body itself waking up.This conversation dives into how presence recognises itself, why intellectual understanding comes later in the journey, and what it means when the question “Who am I?” finally lands at a deeper stage of awakening.In this episode, you'll discover:-Why awakening isn't just an intellectual process-How the body “comes online” and shifts everything-The role of resonance in recognising presence-Why self-inquiry often arrives later in the path- How practice ripens recognition beyond the mindIf you've ever struggled to “understand” nonduality or wondered why the path feels backward at times, this dialogue will give you fresh clarity and encouragement.Connect with Alina Panteleev: Book a Clarity Call - https://presencealchemy.as.me/schedule/6ab7e889/appointment/30758776/calendar/6546380?appointmentTypeIds[]=30758776Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/soulfireunbound/Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/alinapanteleev108YouTube-  @soulfireunbound  Websiteshttp://ilonaciunaite.comhttp://liberationunleashed.com

Vince Fakhoury Horn: The Flavors of Jhāna—I can't remember where I first heard this term. I think it was from you or from Kenneth [Folk].Brian Newman: Maybe we should start there. You came to me and said, “What should we call the retreat?” And I said, “Hey, you're the one who wanted to do it in Portugal—what should we call it?” You threw it back at me, and I said, “Can we call it the name of my half-written book?”So folks, this all comes from a story that's part of a lineage. This is a Kenneth Folk story, and it's his way of demonstrating Jhāna on the spectrum.Kenneth says: imagine you've got a bunch of strawberries. You crush them into a strawberry smoothie, and you drink it. What does it taste like? A hundred percent strawberries.Now imagine a glass of clear water. You take a strong strawberry extract in concentrated form, drop in a single drop. What does it taste like? Strawberry—but just one tiny drop.And Kenneth's punchline is, “It all tastes like strawberry, motherfucker.” His point is that it doesn't matter where you are on the spectrum of Jhāna. On one end, you've got the Pa'auk tradition—completely absorbed, so much so that a gun could go off next to your head and you wouldn't notice. On the lighter end, you've got Leigh Brasington, teaching Jhānic factors in a very Sutta-based way, or even lighter approaches. But Kenneth's point is: it all tastes like Jhāna. Different flavor, same essence.Even the tiniest drop in the ocean still tastes like strawberry. That's how I understood the story when Kenneth told it.Much of this dialogue centers around an upcoming 10-day meditation retreat on the same topic, The Flavors of Jhāna, that will be co-taught by Brian Newman & Vince Horn.Vince: The Flavors of Jhāna—I can't remember where I first heard this term. I think it was from you, or from Kenneth [Folk].Brian: Maybe we should start with that, yeah. So, Vince, you came to me and you said—no, I said to you, “What should we call the retreat?” And you were like, “Hey man, you're the one that wanted to do it in Portugal, what should we call it?” And you put it back to me. And I said, “Can we call it the name of the book—my half-written book?”And so this is, folks, this is all coming from a story that's part of a lineage. And I promised we'd tell some of those today. So this is a Kenneth Folk story, and it's his way of demonstrating Jhāna on the spectrum.So Kenneth says this: imagine that you had—glass—imagine a few different scenarios. You've got a bunch of strawberries, and you crush 'em into a strawberry smoothie. And you just have a pure strawberry smoothie, and you drink that smoothie. What would that taste like? And the answer is, that would a hundred percent taste like strawberries, because that's all that's gone into the making of the strawberry.Now, what if you just had a glass of clear water and a pretty strong strawberry extract in a really concentrated form, and you dropped one drop of that into a glass of water? What would that taste like? And then the answer is, that would taste like strawberry—with just one tiny concentrated drop.And Kenneth's punchline on this is: “It all tastes like strawberry, motherfucker.” I believe that's the punchline. And his point is, it doesn't really matter where you are on the spectrum of Jhāna. And we could say, when we say the Jhānic spectrum, we're talking about on one end we have the Pa'auk tradition, which would have you completely absorbed, so much so that a gun could go off by your head.On the lighter end, we would have Leigh Brasington, who teaches Jhānic factors, a very Sutta-based approach—or maybe some even less rigorous, less absorbed type of Jhāna. And Kenneth's point is: it all tastes like Jhāna. What are you talking about? It's just a different flavor. And how much of that actual flavor do you need to be able to recognize it?His point is, the tiniest little millionth part in a glass in the ocean would still taste like strawberries, so to speak. Let me know if you have a different interpretation of that story. That's how I interacted with it when Kenneth told me.Vince: Yeah, no, I have a similar interpretation of what he was teaching there. He was kind of pointing to this depth dimension of Jhāna, and using the strawberry analogy to point out that, yeah, these states are patterns of mind. And even if you experience them at a great depth of absorption or focus, it's still the same pattern. You can still recognize that pattern. And that's what we're calling Jhāna, essentially.Brian: Yeah. So that's the “flavors” part. And then maybe we could ask—let me raise a question to you then, Vince. So, what is Jhāna? We've got this interesting word with this weird hyphen over the A, and even how I think about it over the years has changed. How do you view what Jhāna is these days, Vince?Vince: Yeah, for me too, it's changed. And I guess maybe that change is interesting. 'Cause I imagine this is the case for you as well, Brian. Maybe for everyone who takes up a Jhāna practice. At first you experience Jhāna in the very specific way that you're practicing with it—so you've got whatever tradition you're working in, you've got the meditation object that you've been working with, you've got the instructions, and you've got a bunch of ideas about what is supposed to be happening, and what constitutes Jhāna. And you're using all of that to try to get into the states that are being described in that practice system.So for me, like when I first started doing Jhāna practice, it was with Leigh Brasington. He was the first Jhāna teacher I worked with 20 years ago. I went on retreat. Sadly, I left my sick wife at home in the apartment—because I didn't want to. This is how self-absorbed I was at the time—I didn't want to get sick, at the beginning of a Jhāna retreat. So I just left her there suffering by herself, to go off and get—Brian: So you could go get concentrated.Vince: Yeah. So that should explain the emphasis on wishing all beings to be concentrated. That's what I needed a little more of. But yeah, for me it was working within Leigh's system. And like you said, the emphasis there is on—well, it's on the breath, but also on the Jhānic factors. And I started to notice when they get strong enough, you can turn toward those factors and just get absorbed in them, which is like getting absorbed in the strawberry.So, long story short though, as I expanded to other practices, and I was doing more vipassanā noting style—which I now call Vipassanā Jhāna—and I was doing other techniques in more depth, I started to notice there's a deep pattern or structure, which is the same regardless of the practice I'm doing, which object I'm working with, or even what definitions about the states that should be arising.There's still something that's the same that happens. And for me now, I consider Jhāna to be just meditation—the most—which is the literal translation of the term Jhāna. It comes from dhyāna in Sanskrit, which is also translated as Zen.Brian: So it goes dhyāna to Chan to Zen in China, then over to Chan. Yeah. Jhāna, Chan, Zen. And the Zen guys diss Jhāna all day long—but the name of Zen actually means Jhāna, which is hilarious.Vince: They just don't talk about it because they're being it, I think. So yeah, that's how I understand Jhāna now. It's just—yeah, this is what we're doing. It's meditation. And whatever you meditate on does change the contours of the state and the experience. And whatever ideals you have certainly change your relationship to what's arising.Sometimes a state could seem totally inadequate, or like a warmup to something deeper. Whereas for other people, that could be the thing that you're aiming for. Just, “Oh, I'm in it now, I'm just going to rest or abide.” So I think for me, the world of Jhāna has opened up and expanded a lot over time.Brian: You said there's some similar quality. Could you say anything more about what that similar quality is?Vince: Yeah. Okay, so, let's explore that together. Seems it consistent? It gets a little tricky. Yeah, it gets a little tricky because I learned it first through the noting maps, and so I'll tend to notice—I'll go there to describe things, even though that doesn't describe the universal quality. But the stuff you did with the eye posture, like pointing to that, there's something there where it seems like regardless of which state I'm in, the eyes are moving through this sort of progression.Brian: Yeah.Vince: That seems to be universal.Brian: Yeah. Yeah.Vince: The aperture of attention and how broad or open attention is, and how much it includes the field of experience—that also seems to be a chief characteristic, regardless of the state, or the object I'm working with. What else?Brian: Totally concur with you. Yeah. The aperture. I often call it maybe the—Ingram also says the width of the Jhāna, which is a really weird thing, like what width, how am I going to measure the width? But it's the width of the visual field essentially, is what's being pointed to—what's happening in that space when the eyes are closed. Yeah.Vince: Yeah.Brian: What else is similar there?Vince: I was going to say something about the body, but the body's something that seems like it changes. Like, the experience of the body changes a lot depending on where one is and the depth dimension. Maybe you could talk a little bit about that, having experienced those sort of really deep exclusive states, where the body is described as having dropped off or dissolved.Brian: Yeah, so similar to—so, let's say I've been doing Jhāna for 15 years, probably Vince a little bit less than you, and we've come to a similar conclusion, I think. Which is: I think we're just talking about meditation here, and Jhāna's maybe a placeholder for what sounds like a certain technique, but really it's more than that.And like you, Vince, I've come to really feel that Jhāna just means meditation. And from that perspective, when we call a retreat The Flavors of Jhāna, it's The Flavors of Meditation. And our meditation community is called The Meditation Community. It's not—Jhāna just meaning meditation. I think that's totally appropriate.And so the more that I teach, the more what I come to see is we have eight discrete Jhānic states that are sort of pitched in an order of progression. It's linear. So you start with one and you go to eighth. It makes sense.The practitioner might find something really different though, which is on any given day, in any given emotional state, a different state might be more accessible to me. For those of us that wake up in the middle of a lot of suffering and dukkha ñāṇa, we might find that a blissful third Jhāna is really accessible—maybe for some reasons we can talk about later. So as we start to explore that, then it's like, you don't actually have to start at the first to get to the third, do you? You can drop in there some days.There's many practitioners that will tell you how they can just do a cold start right into the fifth Jhāna. And so if you start following that to its logical conclusion, I think what we start to say is: is it possible that whole meditation traditions have been built out around a single Jhānic state? And my answer to that is absolutely yes.So, Vince, and I think you and I were speaking the other day about what would happen if we said that the best Jhānic state was the sixth Jhāna, and that if we reified that to be the maximum, only, best thing. Many meditation teachers are only teaching the best thing, so let's be one of those teachers who's only teaching the best thing. What would that look like? And I think you and I agreed—that would look a lot like Ramana Maharshi, wouldn't it? That would look a lot like Advaita.“I am the world creator. I'm the world destroyer. I am just pure, infinite, boundless consciousness.”And so my current thinking around this is: Jhānic states could all be reified, so much so that an entire tradition could be built around the fifth Jhāna, or the seventh, or the eighth. And in fact, I think they have been built around that. And if you really love the sixth Jhāna—yeah, go do Advaita. It's probably your perfect cup of tea. I think we'd say a very similar thing around the fifth or the seventh or the eighth as well.Vince: Yeah. That's really interesting. So you're describing how perhaps entire practice traditions might be centered around specific states as the starting point, and then exploring those states or the domain around those states.Brian: Yeah.Brian: And then, so we're going to—we'll teach eye postures, folks. And I think some of—but to talk about that real briefly, it's about the aperture. So, a really tight aperture is a first Jhānic eye posture. Then it gets a little bit bigger with second, a little bit bigger with third, and then real big with this more expansive fourth Jhānic eye posture.So the really interesting question for the formless realm practitioner—ooh, in general I think this makes you become interested in eyes. And then you start to look at other practice. Maybe some of you have a Six Yogas practice, or Dzogchen, you've done Mahāmudrā. And if you start to think about that a little bit: where do my eyes go? Or where do one's eyes go when they do Dzogchen? You start to play with that a little bit and you realize there's a very distinct eye posture for Dzogchen.If you look at monks, they'll often practice Dzogchen with their eyes open. Their eyes are flittering all around. They're doing the eye thing. What would that correlate to, a state in our Jhānic arc? Maybe there's not really a Dzogchen-like Jhānic arc, I'm not quite sure around that. But each practice seems to have a discrete eye posture—most of which, I think, can be correlated to one of the Jhānic states.That's a lot of how I think about non-Jhānic practice these days: what is the closest thing that makes me feel like this in the Jhānic practice, and I'm using the eye postures to triangulate around that.As I said all that, it sounded esoteric. Did that sound really esoteric?Vince: Yeah, but for me I was thinking of something very practical—like in the Dzogchen tradition, when I worked with Lama Lena. Her basic instructions are to take a, like, a pebble or rock first.Brian: Yeah.Vince: Yeah. And as you practice what's called shiné, which is like calm abiding, you focus on the rock, or the pebble. And then there's another phase of practice in which you just remove the pebble, and then you continue to focus. And so that to me gets at the eye posture of Dzogchen, where previously you had something you were focused on, and then now you're asked to continue focus without that thing.So that's like a very practical instantiation of that, where the eye posture is clearly one that's meant to be open and spacious, but somehow stable and focused as well.Brian: And I love that. So what would that be called? That's samādhi without object.Vince: Yeah, shamatha without a sign.Brian: And we don't really talk about that in the Theravāda lineage—which you and I have done probably most of our practice in, Vince. There's no samādhi without a sign. It's always a sign. So that's just so fascinating. That's really deeply aligned with the yogic tradition, where they have objectless samādhi. And it's a totally different feeling to do that.And yes—look at something, then take the thing away, and keep looking at it. What is that, other than an eye posture?My story on eye posture is from a lineage—like a very deep practitioner. I'd love to share it with you. I've shared it before, but it's worthwhile to share again.So one of my main teachers, Sayalay Susīlā, who was the chief attendant for Pa Auk Sayadaw for a couple decades while he was traveling around Asia—she would spend time with him in Sri Lanka, several years there cooking his food and being his chief attendant. So very close to Pa Auk Sayadaw, really deeply absorbing his teachings.And one day—I learned eye postures from Kenneth Folk, and I didn't really need to talk about that with my Pa Auk teacher because she was very traditional. I didn't want to bring too much stuff in that might make her feel uncomfortable. But one day I accidentally said—I mentioned that I was using eye postures, and I said something about looking toward something.And she said to me in great shock, she goes, “You're looking with your eyes?” Eyes closed, but still looking. I said, “Yeah.” She goes, “You're looking with your eyes, like your actual eyes? Not some internal drifty—?” And I said, “Yeah, I'm looking with my actual eyes. I'm like taking a gaze.”And she goes, “If you're doing it already, just keep doing it.” I thought she was going to chastise me and say, “Never do that again.” But she essentially blessed the practice. So there was something there that was quite profound, I thought. Even from the Pa Auk tradition, they seemed to—I got a little wink, nod, nod on that one.Vince: Nice. I had a similar experience, although it turned out a little differently, with Daniel Ingram. I think I've shared this with you, Brian, where I was wanting to explore the kasina object, using the circular orb as a visual focus point. And Daniel Ingram had written the Fire Kasina book, and had been talking a lot about fire kasina in the years leading up to that.But I wasn't really that into the flame. I was wanting to do it, like, on my computer or whatever. And his instructions were very much to take the kasina object, close your eyes, and then see the afterimage, the eidetic image, and focus on that. And that by using that subtle— which I guess in your tradition would be like the nimitta—by focusing on that sort of internal nimitta, you eventually get absorbed. Well, you go through a process with that, but eventually it's a kind of a complete absorption in the nimitta.And I understood that, but for some reason I wanted to keep my eyes open doing the practice. It was just like a sort of intuition or an instinct. And maybe it was like a rebellious thing—“I'm going to rebel against what one of my teachers is telling me to do and see if he's right.”And I found, actually—this was so interesting—that moving through the third Jhāna, which he calls the murk, which for me I experienced as the kasina breaking apart and moving around and dissolving and being difficult to focus on—eventually my eyes actually settled so much that they were just barely open. It was almost like just a tiny slit of my eyes were open.And at some point it shifted into the fourth Jhāna, where all I saw was the color. It was like where I was looking and how my eyes were—and it wasn't like I was trying to engineer this, I was actually just moving through the state—and I found suddenly that my eyes were closed at just the right amount and looking at just the right place, that all I saw was the color from the kasina and I was completely absorbed.Brian: This is what was supposed to happen.Vince: Yeah, exactly.Brian: That's a full absorption. How beautiful. With eyes open. So amazing.Vince: And I was like, “Oh, my teacher's wrong. You can't just do this—or you don't only have to do this—with your eyes closed, taking the internal image. You can work with the external image the entire time, through the whole process.”Brian: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Maybe that's a great transition.Vince: Sorry, Daniel.Brian: No, and we all love Daniel, and great respect for everything he's done. It's nice to have people trying different things out and telling us what actually works.Vince: Yeah.Brian: Maybe we could talk a little about the fact that there are a lot of concentration objects and what we will be offering in the retreat as far as what people might like to do around that.Vince: Yeah, that's cool.Brian: So folks, actually I don't have my list on me and I wouldn't be able to remember this because it's just too many, but there are traditionally 40 concentration objects. And the breath is one of those. The brahmavihāras, like loving-kindness, would be included. Things like contemplating the foulness of the body—contemplating pus, or contemplating urine or feces—would be considered part of that as well. And then you have all the kasinas, which are really traditional, and also contemplating the dharmas would be a concentration object as well.And so there's this premise that there are only 40, but every single sutta, or everything in Buddhism, there's always a sutta that says the opposite. And so what it turns out, there's a beautiful story where the Buddha meets a person, and the Buddha had the ability to see into people's past lives.And when he met this person, he could see this person had been a jeweler in a previous life. And so when the person came to him to request his object of concentration—which is how it was done in the old days, you go to your teacher and they give you the most suitable object, which is how it happened for me too in Malaysia, she will tell me what to do, I don't get to pick, she's going to pick based on her supreme knowledge, right?—and the Buddha to the jeweler, he says, “Clearly you were a jeweler in a previous life. I'm going to have you concentrate on this big, beautiful red ruby,” because he knew this guy was just going to be fully, really love the jewel, the ruby.So that—so apparently we could say the ruby is the 41st concentration object. But what I think we can actually take away from that story is: you can choose anything as a concentration object. Vince, maybe you want to talk later about your story—about Vince taking the number 1 as a concentration object on a full retreat, which is, whoa. How—where would that go? What's the sign of the number one, the nimitta? That's really fascinating.So there are all these different concentration objects. The breath is a wonderful object. I really promote the breath simply because I always have it with me. I don't need to take a bench with me. I don't have to have a cushion. I don't have to have a fancy colored thing. I don't have to have my computer. I can do it anywhere I am. It's always with me—the breath.And the breath produces this nimitta, this visual sign that allows us to get fully absorbed as well. Some of the other concentration objects wouldn't take one to that level of nimitta.And so for our retreat that's going to be happening on January 2nd, Vince and I's idea is we would like—we're very non-dogmatic teachers and we really like a spirit of openness and exploration—and we're going to invite all the participants to choose their object of concentration.I think probably, Vince, both of us will be teaching from one object. I'll be teaching from the breath for sure, because that's my preferred object. But you're welcome to choose a kasina. You could choose flame if you want. I think we could find a way to have you do a fire kasina somewhere if you wanted, et cetera, et cetera. Water, whatever you might like to work with. Vince, anything you want to add to that? Just how we're hoping to really keep it open for people on the retreat?Vince: Yeah, this is—it's an interesting experiment, because most concentration retreats, and I think in both of our experience, the whole group is being taught one object and is usually, though not always, doing one object focus together.And here, the idea is—what, yeah, we're all going to be focusing on one thing, but that one thing could be different depending on who you are and what you're resonating with, and where you want to go deep during that retreat. So it's a kind of interesting balance of the diversity of possible objects that one could be working with, and the universal experience of deepening with your meditation object.So we're going to be focusing on the universal patterns here, and the universal challenges that arise when trying to focus on anything—whether it be a jewel or a number, or the breath. And so yeah, I'm hopeful that we can weave those two worlds together. And my hope is that the deepening that happens often on retreat, that can be felt, that extra support—that we don't lose that just because there's a diversity of objects being worked with. But rather, that it creates something like a more complex field of concentration.Like the complexity of a wine when you drink—Brian: Yeah, complex harmonics.Vince: Yeah, exactly. There's a complexity there because of the way differences come together. And I guess I felt that in the Jhāna community, with your Śamatha Jhāna and the Vipassanā Jhāna and the Metta Jhāna. There's something I've seen with people that are going to multiple of these groups, where they're getting more of the flavor of the practice and what it could be like, by dipping into these different subjects.Brian: That's fascinating. And that metaphor of complex wine is really lovely. And complex harmonics tend to make interesting music. So that's great. Anything—should we talk about the breadth and the depth? So something that you and I often—so for those who are listening to this, Vince and I will often come across—so Vince and I are fairly non-dogmatic in the sense that we're really open to all doorways. And certain teachers that have been brought up in strong traditions, they have a really strong idea about what Jhāna is and what it isn't. Which I completely respect. And I really want to honor those classical traditions as well. I love that stuff and I'm completely drawn toward that as well. But Vince and I think we have a—we know we have a bit of a different approach. What should we say about the breadth and the depth that we're hoping to cover there?Vince: Yeah. Personally I can say I've struggled with this a lot over the years of practice.Brian: Totally.Vince: Having come up as a layperson, I decided not to go the monastic route because of my girlfriend—now wife. I didn't want to lose that relationship. It felt important. So I was always doing the thing—and I think you had the same experience for a while—going in and out of retreat.Brian: Totally.Vince: And going in and out of daily practice, doing an hour or two a day formal practice, going in and out of a month or so on retreat, coming back. And I experienced the oscillation between daily life and retreat life to be very fruitful on the one hand—where it felt like I kept plunging the depths and then coming back—but then also very challenging and confusing on the other end. Like, how do I bridge these two realities together? It almost could feel schizophrenic at times, coming in and out of that space.And part of what I learned really working with Kenneth—social noting exercises initially and teaching—was, oh, I need to be able to connect these states across my relationships now. That I need to be able to be present in relationship, not just by myself in silence on retreat. I need to find a way to bring this to bear on everything.And also be more okay not being in really concentrated states, since there are times where it's just going to be hard to do that. I know we've talked about your experience—I've laughed a number of times thinking about your experience going from super hardcore Pa Auk-style retreat practice to being in Tokyo with your wife, trying to maintain some of that depth while in an environment that just doesn't seem designed to do that.Maybe you could talk a little bit about your experience trying to maintain the depth.Brian: Just a general comment. This is less about Vince and I being meditation teachers and just trying to be skillful human beings in the world. If your partner's getting mad at you because of how you meditate, you're probably not doing it right. There's something going on that's probably out of sync.And so what that looked like for me was—I'm going to be the—clearly I needed to be the best Jhāna master ever to live who was a Westerner, I think. Second only or something like that. And what did that mean practically? Trying to live a life where I'm meditating four to five hours a day, while maintaining a full-time job and a marriage. And you know, that's sustainable for a certain amount of time.But what it actually means you need to do is you need to be dropping into the ānāpāna spot when your wife goes to the bathroom at dinner. And if you're thinking about that, you're probably actually thinking about it while you're eating dinner. And you might even take a moment to touch it while you're eating dinner. And then the wife will actually notice, and she'll say, “Stop meditating,” because she's sensitive to all your moods. Because she's been living with you. She knows when you're meditating, even if you think you're hiding it.And so this is actually failure mode. I don't think this is a good move. And so it's exactly what Vince is saying. There's something super beautiful about learning to get fully absorbed in a Jhānic experience, which tends to take some time for most people. There's a time-on-the-cushion element to that just because of the relative time it takes to build up the concentrated facility.But we also have lives to live. And there are certain things going on that make it impractical some of the time. So what's the happy medium? I think what's actually practical for us as laypeople.Now, one of my dear teachers is Tina Rasmussen. She's my first Jhāna teacher. And therefore I feel a really strong connection to Tina, who was one of my first Pa Auk teachers. But Tina won't think that what Vince and I are teaching is Jhāna. Because it—and some of the things that we're being taught in the Jhānic community—she wouldn't call Jhāna, because it's a little bit too far out of the rails of the Pa Auk tradition. And I totally understand that, and I respect that.And maybe Leigh would have his own opinions on that. And all these teachers have all these opinions. I think what Vince and I would like to offer you all is: we're going to hold all of that. We're big enough to hold all of that, accept all of that, agree with all of that, and be open to disagreeing with all of that. But we're going to say, that's all going to fit somewhere on the spectrum.We're happy. And in fact, I think within the community we hope we have teachers who could orient you to any part of the spectrum. Because at certain times of your life, some parts will be more interesting than others. If you're on a month-long at the Forest Refuge, go for full absorption with the nimitta. Why not? What a beautiful thing to have done in your life.If you're living a layperson's life and you meditate for about 20 minutes in the morning, maybe just get a little bit of nice pīti going, per Leigh Brasington's instructions. Because that's totally accessible in 15 minutes.What's going to make you feel good? Jhāna ultimately is really being offered as an episodic intervention to suffering. That's how the Buddha taught it. It's how he practiced it. And you can read that in the suttas. He entered Jhāna at the end of his life because he was sick. This is exactly how it was taught, and how he still can do it today.Vince: Brian, you mentioned the spectrum, and I know we've talked explicitly about the depth dimension as a spectrum. And here I'm like visually imagining this as like a vertical spectrum, where as you go down you get deeper. But I also have been thinking in the Jhāna community about another axis, which is the breadth axis.So if I were to map these together—like depth going vertically and breadth going horizontally—that would give like a bit more like a grid. And I think the breadth dimension—we were talking about this here, and it's good to make it explicit—which is, you can, and the way I understand the Pa Auk tradition really, is that it's focused on a very exclusive kind of breadth. Very hyper-focused on the object, and super deep. So it'd be like in the lower-left quadrant of this: super exclusive and super deep.Brian: Yeah.Vince: And what I've been realizing I've been trying to do in the last decade or so is live on the other side of the spectrum. Which is the more inclusive dimension of Jhāna, which I find you can actually take very deep. And maybe the Zen tradition is the best place where that's emphasized, where it's like your practice and your life are all integrated in one. And there's really an emphasis not on preferencing being in a particular posture or doing a particular thing—it's just like, your whole life is the meditation.And if that to me is—okay, that's a more inclusive kind of meditation experience, or Jhānic experience, where everything that arises is part of the practice. And like, thinking of The Karate Kid, it's like, at the beginning of The Karate Kid, what are they learning? Wax on, wax off. You're learning every basic movement can be kung fu. And so if you turn everything you do into the meditation, then you can have a kind of inclusive attention or awareness that doesn't get knocked off by the changingness of the content of experience.Brian: Say more about inclusive, exclusive. And I think you were doing one or the other when you did our guided sit today—you were talking a lot about “may concentration arise for all.” Were you even doing a little bit of a visualization? Visualization—what would the world look like, should we all be so concentrated? Can you point to what you were doing there—whether that was inclusive or exclusive, and how you see those two?Vince: Yeah, that's a good example, Brian. That was the move toward more inclusiveness. Including the imaginal capacity, which you'd already brought online really with the rails, feeling in the breath. So just working off of that. But also including in awareness more of a sense of others.And I think what I learned from Ken Wilber, of the Integral philosophers, is like we really can include these core perspectives. We can include our first-person experience—which to me, that's already included, even in the most exclusive, deep Jhāna states. You're including your own experience, you have to, because that's where it's happening.But then you can also include others' experience. You can open to and include in your awareness other people. And the early Buddhist tradition has good examples of that, like in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. As they're describing the kind of mindfulness you want to establish, they said establish this mindfulness internally and externally.And so there's already there some clear instructions for how you can have a more inclusive kind of focus that includes not just your own experience, but also others. And then the third thing you could include, from an Integral perspective, is the third-person perspective, which is like the external world. Nature, the world of nature.And I—lately I've been sitting for 24 minutes a day outside on my back porch. That's been my practice—just sitting. And it's a very inclusive practice, because the eyes are open, ears are open, body open, and you're just sitting and being with whatever is. In my case, it's with Emily, and with the sounds of what's happening in the neighborhood.Brian: What a beautiful practice.Vince: That to me is like more inclusive. If you open from your first person to include others and then include the world—if you include all those things—you're sitting in a very inclusive way. Or walking, or standing, or whatever posture you might be in.Brian: And folks, you know that—what's the proximate cause for concentration? That's concentration. We've all heard that before. It's a kind of a funny joke. I think we talk about like Shakti and passing our concentration to others, which I hear a lot—people say when they're with me they feel more concentrated. I think that's because I'm including them. I'm trying to include them in that space. I want them to be part of that. And I'm inviting them into mine, and they're giving me some back, and we're all kind of building it together.The—a little bit more on the spectrum. So my natural resting place on the spectrum and Vince's natural resting place on the spectrum are actually at totally opposite ends of the spectrum. I want you guys to know that because I think that's really great—that you have a teacher who sits on each side, and therefore we can cover all the middle.So I'm a hundred percent exclusive. That's how I was taught to practice. And so one of the primary things I do when I'm correcting students who come to me to learn Pa Auk Jhāna is: people have been highly influenced by events, or they've been highly influenced by The Mind Illuminated—Culadasa. And they'll come in and then I'll learn, like on session four, like I hadn't realized it because they haven't told me yet, “Oh yeah, I'm always leaving 10% of my awareness in the room to note things before they arise.”And I'm like, “No. You don't leave any awareness in the room. You put a hundred percent here. We're never doing anything but that.” And that turns out to be revelatory. People are like, “Oh, I don't leave any in the room?” And I'm like, “No, this is an exclusive practice. A hundred percent.”And some of us will really be drawn to that. It's a very—you guys can feel the renunciate vibe of that Theravāda. It tends to be a renunciate practice. That churning is renunciate practice. And those of us who are incredibly drawn to absorption tend to have a little bit of that renunciate vibe. I absolutely have that in myself.Vince, on the other side, has taken—all great teachers will have students who will take something they've taught and run with it and reify and make it great. And Vince took social meditation from Kenneth. And I took eye postures. Kenneth talked about eye postures a little bit, but I went and made it the whole thing. Kenneth is even surprised by how big it's got at this point. And I think he'd say the same about Vince in social meditation.So just a little bit there about how we—our natural resting places I think make us really great teaching partners, in the sense that we love to cover the whole end of the spectrum, from our respective ends, which are the exact opposite ends. I think, Vince, that we sit at the opposite ends on that, naturally.Vince: Yeah. But we can meet in the middle, which I think is important. We both have that experience of being on the other side.So yeah—to your point, we'll do some social meditation on this retreat as well, regularly. And the intention there is to play with extending attention to include more.I was thinking about, what is the core difference between the sort of exclusive and inclusive ends of that spectrum? And it more or less reduces down to whether you're saying “no” to experience outside of the object you're working with, or whether you're saying “yes.” Or whether the object you're working with includes everything else.And in that sense, I would say all practice is working with that spectrum. Because there are times—even probably in the Pa Auk tradition, I imagine—where something could be arising that actually keeps you from being able to a hundred percent focus on here. And you actually at some point have to maybe turn toward it and deal with it, or address it, so that you can come back to a hundred percent focus here. Is that accurate?Brian: Yeah, so the most radical Pa Auk teacher will say you don't even do that. And they're not going to even acknowledge that there's a hindrance taking you away, because that would almost be like an admission of defeat.Vince: Like you're feeding it or something?Brian: Yeah, like feeding there something. So it's just: focus here. That being said, in the more modern Pa Auk teachers, they talk a lot about transformation versus transcendence. And the frame on this is—with Jhāna, we're aiming for transcendence. We are going to intensely ecstatic states that one would never experience without doing the practice. And these are supernormal human states, way beyond the pale of normal human experience.But sometimes that doesn't work, because we're super hungry or we hate our boss, and we're being pulled away by hindrances, we could say. And then when that happens, we simply can't concentrate. Focus here is not an option. And the more modern teachers are a little bit more flexible around that, and they say that's when we shift from transcendence into transformation. And what I mean by that is personality transformation.And they will propose that you do some work around working with the hindrances, so that you can free up that energy to go back to the ānāpāna spot. Any hindrance is just taking something away from energy that could be put always right here. Focus here always and forever, even when you don't feel like it, is the message of that tradition.Vince: So this is cool. I think that—I'm thinking the way this will probably play out on this retreat is we'll be offering different perspectives from either side of that. And the exploration is going to be around figuring out how to work with that more inclusive versus more exclusive focus, and finding the sweet spot for you in that spectrum.Brian: I think that's what we're offering. I've never, folks—I've never done a Jhāna retreat that wasn't full noble silence. So it's actually quite novel for me to go into a very strong concentration practice, but also have the space to be more inclusive. And that's what I want to do this time. I think that's a great approach. I think it'll bear great fruit for us.Join us in The Jhāna Community–an online community of practice focused on all the flavors of meditation. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

During this episode, we contemplate a quote from Ramana Maharshi —"Remain without leaving the Self."—and reflect on Thought of Awakening #239. 

Selected excerpts of Ramana Maharshi's teaching taken from the text, Aham Sphurana. With thanks to John David for permission to read from this recently published text.https://www.amazon.com.au/Aham-Sphurana-Realisation-Selection-Teachings/dp/1916321178Ramana Maharshi ( 1879 -1950) was an Indian sage and jivanmukta (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. In 1895, an attraction to the sacred hill Arunachala and the 63 Nayanmars was aroused in him and in 1896, at the age of 16, he had a "death-experience" where he became aware of a "current" or "force" which he recognized as his true "I" or "Self".Music: Le Code - 'Ocean Shores'https://le-code.bandcamp.com/

In this recording from 1978, Ram Dass reads stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, and his many miracles. We invite you to set aside your analytical mind and simply enjoy these miracles of love. This episode of Here and Now is from a recording of Ram Dass at the Lama Foundation in June of 1978. Here, he reads stories from the manuscript of Miracle of Love, which would be published about a year later. Ram Dass begins by reading one of his own stories about Maharaj-ji, which involves a dead bird coming back to life. This was one of many experiences that overwhelmed Ram Dass' analytical mind.Next, Ram Dass reads a series of stories from some of Maharaj-ji's oldest devotees. He dealt with each person in a unique fashion and would often touch places of the deepest love within people. Ram Dass slips in a story about another great Indian saint, Ramana Maharshi. He then turns back to Maharaj-ji stories, focusing on miracles around food. Maharaj-ji said, “We have an inner thirst for food. We don't know of it. Even if you don't feel you could eat, your soul has a thirst for food.”The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.Sponsors of this Episode:Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 60% off your first subscription to Magic Mind with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassmf“You see why it's peculiar to live in a culture like India, where all of these events are sort of like everyday occurrences. In the villages we live in, in the mountains, every family has dozens of these stories, and they just sit by the fire of the evening telling them. To come back to the West, where these stories are thought to be ‘miracles,' is very confusing sometimes, difficult to integrate.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️‍

These profound practice teachings on freeing the mind from being ruled by thought, as taught by Sri Ramana, were taken from various sources/texts.Ramana Maharshi ( 1879 -1950) was an Indian sage and jivanmukta (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. In 1895, an attraction to the sacred hill Arunachala and the 63 Nayanmars was aroused in him and in 1896, at the age of 16, he had a "death-experience" where he became aware of a "current" or "force" which he recognized as his true "I" or "Self".

Host Michael Taft talks with author David Godman about the sage Ramana Maharshi and his nondual view of the world, whether he considered taking sannyasa (renunciation) to be necessary to achieve awakening, the power of the physical presence of the guru, Sri Ramana's seemingly miraculous learning of Sanskrit, an introduction to Lakshmana Swami—a very advanced student of Ramana, with whom David Godman sat in the 1970s and 80s, Tamil poetry of awakening, and—in a surprising reveal—David Godman endorses a new jnani who lives in Tiruvannamalai.David Godman has been living in India since 1976, studying and practising the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. During that period he has met and written extensively about many direct disciples of Sri Ramana, including Lakshmana Swamy, Muruganar, Papaji and Annamalai Swami. David has also been involved in several projects that have translated Ramana Maharshi's Tamil teachings and made them available in English for the first time. His anthology of dialogues with Sri Ramana, Be As You Are, is, outside India, the most widely-read book on Sri Ramana's teachings.https://www.davidgodman.org/You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 186 (Part 2 of 2) | In this lively, mind and heart-opening conversation, Miranda Macpherson, contemporary spiritual teacher and author, shares the extraordinary wisdom she has gained from experience—both from the initial life-changing transmission of boundless love she received in Ramana Maharshi's cave, and from the subsequent need for integration of the deeper truths that were revealed upon being called back “down the mountain,” back to the West to teach and serve. For her, the trick of navigating ordinary life without reconstructing an ego boiled down to three words: What's needed now? Miranda discusses how to show up in the world of today and not let resistance to right action win. “Wake up and love,” she offers. “Take inventory, ask, is there anything in the way of me being openhearted and awake in this moment?” She explains a practice she developed called ego relaxation, emphasizes the power of devotion—the source of strength, love, courage, and motivation—and shares several of the key questions she asks herself in her own practice to keep her receptive to existential grace. Miranda's inspiring teachings are infused with her foundational sense of divine benevolence; “Grace is alive!” she tells us. And being human, we can embody grace; we can become “grace delivery devices.” Recorded November 1, 2024.“Being human is a grace delivery device.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2After the ascent the descent; "coming down the mountain" (01:28)The power of devotion (04:12)A mantra carries with it the love, spiritual energy, and devotion of countless beings before us (06:28)The power of pilgrimages (08:58)Miranda's practice now: Can I open my heart to all the suffering, let it be understood more completely, and be transformed? (12:22)Wake up and love: ask "Is there anything in the way of me being openhearted and awake in the now?" (15:44)Practicing with our blind spots (18:46)Multitasking is a disaster for spiritual practice (20:22)Ramana Maharshi's transmission in the cave: Be nothing, do nothing, get nothing… be as you are. Rest in God. (22:24)Ego relaxation as a practice (23:40)Showing up and resting in God at the same time (26:50)The divine dance—here we are, learning how to be the best human beings we can be (30:41)The divine force always brings forth what is needed, but the gate is humility and surrender (34:24)What helps us into a posture of humility? (35:39)Appreciating Roger Walsh: do-er and be-er, curious and humble (38:15)Being human is a “grace delivery device;” embodying grace—grace is alive! (40:35)The importance of yes, of thank you (43:38)Resources & References – Part 2Miranda's website: MirandaMacpherson.com, The Living Grace Global SanghaMiranda Macpherson, The Way of Grace: The Transforming Power of Ego RelaxationA. H....

Ep. 185 (Part 1 of 2) | In this lively, mind and heart-opening conversation, Miranda Macpherson, contemporary spiritual teacher and author, shares the extraordinary wisdom she has gained from experience—both from the initial life-changing transmission of boundless love she received in Ramana Maharshi's cave, and from the subsequent need for integration of the deeper truths that were revealed upon being called back “down the mountain,” back to the West to teach and serve. For her, the trick of navigating ordinary life without reconstructing an ego boiled down to three words: What's needed now? Miranda discusses how to show up in the world of today and not let resistance to right action win. “Wake up and love,” she offers. “Take inventory, ask, is there anything in the way of me being openhearted and awake in this moment?” She explains a practice she developed called ego relaxation, emphasizes the power of devotion—the source of strength, love, courage, and motivation—and shares several of the key questions she asks herself in her own practice to keep her receptive to existential grace. Miranda's inspiring teachings are infused with her foundational sense of divine benevolence; “Grace is alive!” she tells us. And being human, we can embody grace; we can become “grace delivery devices.” Recorded November 1, 2024.“There's always more evolution, openness, clarification, expansion, and possibility—because God is exponential.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1A prayer for all of us—for the human family and the highest possibilities (01:03)Introducing interfaith minister, spiritual teacher, author, and leader of the Living Grace Global Sangha, Miranda Macpherson (02:53)What brought Miranda to the spiritual path? (03:56)Miranda's early prayer of resistance (I'm done here!) and the subsequent explosion of boundless love (08:37)Miranda's opportunity at a young age to learn what a soul grapples with, hanging out with adults in a psych ward (12:14)Were there mentors to help Miranda after her opening? (17:01)How much harder it must be for teenagers to copy with existential crisis today (21:59)The G word: what is the authentic language of our own soul? (24:17)The fear we all have of remembering the ancient, forgotten song (25:14)Ultimately it asks for full surrender; then there is only God (27:18)It's in the edgiest places that the biggest openings often happen (28:38)For every realization you have to ask, what is its wisdom? How can it be expressed & embodied so its only impact is a blessing? (30:20)Are there more people waking up now? (33:39)Not knowing what anything is for: being receptive to existential grace (38:17)Being absorbed into the depth of the nonconceptual: pure being in its thunderous, unshakable, silent depth (39:48)The experience in the cave obliterated everything—all spiritual concepts were erased (42:46)How to navigate ordinary life without reconstructing an ego (43:46)Resources & References – Part 1Miranda's website: MirandaMacpherson.comThe Living Grace Global SanghaMiranda Macpherson,

Selected excerpts from Papaji's book - Wake up and Roar. This selection from the chapters on The Vehicle to Liberation, Thinking and Emptiness, and Realisation.Sri H. W. L. Poonja (1910 -1997) was born in Lucknow, India, known as "Poonjaji" or "Papaji" , was an Indian sage and jivanmukta (liberated being) who taught Self-enquiry as advocated by Ramana Maharshi.

"Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."- John 16:24 You may say My Name at the end of your prayers,throughout your prayers, but you don't feel It. Up until now, It's just been a word to you. Up until now, you've asked for nothing in My Name. You know what that means?All of these Graces, all of these Mercies that I am raining down upon you constantly,you will see them now.Feel Me now.“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” - Bob Marley*********************************That's the cure for anxiety--knowing where to place your Faith.Not out here.There is no out here.Put it on (t)His Feeling,that's always here when you turn to It.Place it in the Silence that never changes.They're like different facets on this Christ diamond--Silence, Stillness, Love, Faith, Charity, Gratitude, Surrender."Thank you, Jesus. Thank you. I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything."Don't start any task today without (t)His prayer. There's nothing here but this prayer. I love you,Nik nikki@curlynikki.comPlease support the show: ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings▶▶ Cash App $NikWalton __________________________________________Surrender Novena Day 4 - Father Ruotolo Dolindo "You see evil growing instead of weakening? Do not worry. Close your eyes and say to me with faith: "Thy will be done, You take care of it". I say to you that I will take care of it, and that I will intervene as does a doctor and I will accomplish miracles when they are needed. Do you see that the sick person is getting worse? Do not be upset, but close your eyes and say "You take care of it". I say to you that I will take care of it, and that there is no medicine more powerful than my loving intervention. By my love, I promise this to you.O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus. Amen""The world tells you many lies about who you are, and you simply have to be realistic enough to remind yourself of this. Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: 'These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting belief." II Henri Nouwen"Once you find peace within yourself, you can find peace in the world. If you have equality within yourself, you will see equality in all lives. If you have purity in yourself, you will see purity in all lives. If you have love in yourself, you will see love in all lives. Whatever is in your heart is what you will see in the faces of others. When you look at them, you will see only your own reflection. Whatever fault you see in them really lies within you. When vou look at others, you only see your own reflection, not what is truly there. So correct yourself, and then you will see all lives as one. This is what Jesus (AS), Moses (AS), and Muhammad (Sal.) told us." -Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Questions of Life-Answers of Wisdom, Volume One, pp. 181-182"There is no greater fortune than peace. There is no greater force than peace." -Ramana Maharshi.

One of Bhagavan Ramana's Maharshi's favourite traditional spiritual works was the Ribhu Gita. He often referred to the Ribhu Gita in his talks with devotees and seekers, and is reported to have said that if one repeatedly read Chapter 26 of the Ribhu Gita one could pass spontaneously into Samadhi, or the natural state of Self- Realization. Ribhu Gita means "The song of sage Ribhu", who received the knowledge from Parama Siva, the supreme lord. It forms the sixth canto called Sankara of the hundred thousand verse epic Sri Siva Rahasyam.