Can We Love More? Elias Amidon Notes Open Path
“… Love says “I am everything”. Wisdom says “I am nothing”. Between the two, my life flows …” ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
Can We Embrace “Yes Buts?” Painting The Sidewalk Joan Tollifson
“… This aliveness is always here. We don’t have to work to get it. It is ever-present. Seeking enlightenment is a form of postponement, postponing what can only be realized now ~ Joan Tollifson
Fear, Habitual Thoughts To Freedom? Mindfulness By Oren Jay Sofer
“… Mindfulness is the only way to be free …” ~ Godwin Samararatne
Unveiling The Rumi Collection: Why Give Thanks? Kabir Helminski
“… In Rumi, the full rose of the human divine opened … He gave a sign to us all forever of what is possible in a life surrendered wholly to the light …” ~ Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch
A Brief Pause … into Stillness
“… The sun is down. Stillness hovers …” ~ Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
Separateness Illusion: Why We Can’t See It? Power & Gift Zen Tao
“… it is the very illusion of self that hides the Tao …” ~ Trevor Rufli
Silence, Stillness: What All Sages & Saints Agree On? Guy Finley
“… On this one point all saints, sages, and illumined beings agree: There is nothing as certain as silence, stillness, and solitude to introduce you to the divinity within …” ~ Guy Finley
Living Truth Q&A Jean Klein: Is It Will Or Natural Giving Up?
“… The ultimate is always in the background. Then, to awaken yourself in this silent oneness is a spontaneous event … your real nature is timeless …” ~ Jean Klein
What Is Yin Mountain Daoist Immortal Poetry? Levitt & Rebecca Nie
The Valley Spirit never dies. It is called the Mysterious Female. The gateway of this Mysterious Female is the source of heaven and earth. ~ Dao De Jing
Sound of Every Element? Hazrat Inayat On Sound & Music Mysticism
“… Sound is the sign of life; in the temples of gods and goddesses, in Hindu churches, bells ringing show life even in the silence …” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan
Talking vs Gift Of Silence? Kahlil Gibran The Prophet & Ramana Maharshi
“… A walnut kernel shaken against its shell makes a delicate sound, but the walnut taste and the sweet oil inside makes unstruck music. Mystics call the shell rattling talk; the other, the taste of silence …” ~ Rumi
Can We Get It Wrong? Pathless Path Through Suffering Joan Tollifson
“… Presence is where juice is, in the aliveness of this one bottomless moment … the {pathless} path {through suffering} is not moving away from this moment …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Jean Klein: Can We Extend Glimpses Of Reality? Q&A Living Truth
“… I hear your question in my stillness and the answer comes out of stillness … All that is, all that you are, is in this stillness …” ~ Jean Klein
Awe & Wonder …
“… Awe is a sense of transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery … It enables us … to feel in the rush of the passing the stillness of the eternal …” ~ Abraham Heschel
Wonderment Despite Climate Crisis? Susan Bauer-Wu Future We Can Love
“… With a different kind of attention —curious, trusting, open, and loving— we can find the wonders of right where we are …” ~ Susan Bauer-Wu
Are Inner Peace & External Activism Interconnected? Elias Amidon Notes Open Path
“… We can’t find it out there because it’s right here in the intimacy of now …” ~ Elias Amidon
3 Wondrous Answers: Miracle of Mindful Presence Thich Nhat Hanh
“… In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
How Do We Become The Unifying Solution? Rumi & Kabir Helminski
“… voluntary simplicity is the best road to health, happiness, justice, and humanity’s survival …” ~ Kabir Helminski
Tao Te Ching: What is Hidden Yet Shines In Every Corner? Jonathan Star
“… So deep, so pure, so still …” ~ Lao Tzu
Value Of Silent Life? Hazrat Inayat On Sound & Music Mysticism
“… God is not in time … He is in the silence …” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan
How Free Are We? Talks On Nonduality Joan Tollifson
“… The universe is not bound by its content, because its potentialities are infinite ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
What Is The Longing For Divine Love? Almaas Nondual Love
“… The greatest romance is with the Infinite … When you suddenly find God everywhere … the romance of divine love has begun …” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda
Alan Watts Talking Zen: What Are The Taoist Ways & Its 3 Keys?
” … The philosophy of Tao sees humanity as a part of nature rather than dominating it …” ~ Alan Watts
Kabir: Why Catch The Supreme Moment? Andrew Harvey Engoldenment
“… the one moment that changes everything. That lasts forever. When He shows His face and you see your own … ” ~ Kabir
Oneness: Self-Interest to Benefit of All? Mysterion, Rumi & Kabir Helminski
“… Peace comes within the souls of men when they realize … their oneness, with the universe … that at the center of the Universe dwells Wakan-Tanka (the Great Spirit), and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.” ~ Black Elk
True Meditation Is Awareness? Talks On Nonduality Joan Tollifson
“… True meditation as I mean it is simply awareness … meditation is an invitation to be aware, to be still, to be present …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Nondual Love: Can We Awaken To Loving Nature of Reality?
“… The spiritual heart is the doorway to the next plane of consciousness . . . ‘soul land.’…” ~ Ram Dass
Deep Relaxing To Calm To Awareness: You Can Try? Jean Klein Listening
“… Be only awareness, only hearing without a hearer. There is nothing heard, only hearing …” ~ Jean Klein
Alan Watts Taoist Ways: Seeing Through The Great Social Lie?
“… My inside is not separable from the outside world … the one who either dominates the world or suffers under it … has vanished … never was there …” ~ Alan Watts
Elias Amidon: Can Gentleness Help With Presence? Notes Open Path
“… gentleness, like grace, proclaims the presence of the Principle of all things…” ~ Pierre Hadot
How Every Moment Is Best? Treasure House Kewley
“… to somehow become one with the universe, we can start by being one with this moment, this ordinary moment, this sacred moment …” ~ Mike Kewley
Painting The Sidewalk : Why Sit Quietly? Joan Tollifson
“… Presence is where the juice is, in the aliveness of this one bottomless moment. …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Your 2022 Generosity’s Impact on 2023 & More …
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What Are The Benefits of Simply Waiting? Peter Russell
“Pure waiting, not waiting for any event to happen, just waiting without wanting, can be a profound spiritual practice” ~ Peter Russell
Quietism: Laotzu’s The Way Of Life: Verse 16 via Witter Bynner
“… Become totally empty Quiet the restlessness of the mind …” ~ Laotzu (verse 16 excerpt from Jonathan Star’s translation)
Peter Russell: Why Letting Go? & Its Benefits Tolle Edition
“… To gain the universe, have no plan at all Let the universe itself reveal to you its splendor …” … “… Become totally empty Quiet the restlessness of the mind Only then will you witness everything unfolding from emptiness …” ~ Lao Tzu
Order & Li: What & Why Important? Alan Watts Taoist Ways
“… The tao is a certain kind of order, and this kind of order is not quite what we call order … when you look at a plant it is perfectly obvious that the plant has order … In the Chinese language this is called li …” ~ Alan Watts
How To: Live Meaningful Life + Dissolve Ego: Jean Klein Listening
“… Returning to the root we regain the meaning, Chasing after appearances, we lose the origin. The moment our attention turns inward, We go beyond the void of worldly things …” ~ Seng-Ts’an
Mind Training: Suffering To Opportunity? Heroic Heart Lojong Palmo
“… life itself is a gymnasium of the soul … Life is where we have our workout … where we train … ~ Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
Why Embracing Selflessness Is A Gift? Elias Amidon
“… a simple way to practice relaxing our grip on our self-sense that’s available to us at every moment … simply be present, right now …” ~ Elias Amidon
Living Solidarity & Justice: 365 Life Prayers by Roberts, Amidon
“… prayers of solidarity & justice … sing of a life free and simple … at one with nature’s beauty …” ~ Catholic Bishops of Appalachia
Awaken Deep Peace For All: 365 Earth Prayers Poems Amidon Roberts
“… EACH of us is blessed with moments of grace, moments when our soul becomes clear and quiet …” ~ William Stafford
Practicing Two Kinds of Warmth? Pema Chodron Heart Advice
“… there are two kinds of warmth that soften us up and make us more decent, loving beings … both come from the warmth of the heart …” ~ Pema Chödrön
How To Practice Calm Abiding? – Tenzin Wangyal Bon Buddhism
calm abiding : “… Dream yoga practice cultivates the stability in awareness needed to free yourself of conditioning and reactivity …” ~ Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Living Moments of Grace? Life Prayers Amidon, Roberts
“… EACH of us is blessed with moments of grace, moments when our soul becomes clear and quiet …” ~ William Stafford
Mind Training: How To Value Adversity? Heroic Heart Lojong Palmo
“lojong {mind training} is all about developing … the qualities that will help with whatever happens to us in our lives as our practice. ~ Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
Taoist Ways Alan Watts: What’s Wu-Wei And Why Is It Important?
” … Wu-wei means always acting in accord with the pattern of things as they exist …” ~ Alan Watts
Peter Russell: How To Let Go In Uncertainty? Tolle Edition
“… No one knows how it all will unfold, but whatever changes might come, the skill of letting go will be more important than ever …” … ~ Peter Russell
Pema Chödrön: Being More Alive Via Refraining, Buddha’s 1st Step To Courage
“… knowing how to work with our emotions is really the key to finding balance and equanimity …” ~ Pema Chödrön
Peter Russell Letting Go: 3 Ways To Be Present, Tolle Edition
“… He who lives in the present lives in eternity …” ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein
What’s Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way To Awakening? In Search of Being
“… The Fourth Way is sometimes called the way of the shrewd, astute man. The “shrewd man” knows a certain secret that the fakir, monk and yogi do not know …” ~ G. I. Gurdjieff
What Is Dream Yoga? – Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Bon Buddhism
“… Dream yoga practice cultivates the stability in awareness needed to free yourself of conditioning and reactivity …” ~ Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Why This Moment, Silence Matters? Ocean of Silence Doyle Poems
“… the sun rises in silence and sets back into silence but Silence does not arise or set; it ever is …” ~ Billy Doyle
True Meditation:How Awareness Lays Bare What Is? Joan Tollifson
“… Every moment, just as it is, is meditation …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Book Of Listening Jean Klein: Why Is Not-Knowing Important?
“… You will find yourself in this stillness, this not-knowing, where there is a total absence of yourself …” ~ Jean Klein
How To Remember We Are One: Unity Prayers for a Thousand Years
“… We rise from one ocean …” ~ Anwar Fazal
Lojong: How To Be Kind When Wronged: Heroic Heart – Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
“All experiences are preceded by mind, have mind as their master, are created by mind” ~ The Buddha
Enjoy Just Pause: Peter Russell’s Letting Go of Nothing, A Tolle Edition
“… Just pause. Nothing else. And notice your experience. Notice what is there. In this moment …” ~ Peter Russell
Tao Te Ching: What is Nameless Yet Origin of All Things? Jonathan Star
“… Tao is both Named and Nameless. As Nameless, it is the origin of all things. As Named, it is the mother of all things ~ Lao Tzu
In Search of Being: What Are Gurdjieff’s Four Ways To Awakening?
“… Look at the Milky Way. The earth cannot even be called a grain of sand in this infinity. It dissolves and vanishes. And with it, you—where are you? …” … and “… what are we? …” ~ G. I. Gurdjieff
Stillness, Allowing, Just Being… to True Meditation? Joan Tollifson
“… fall in love, fall intimately in love with the gift of presence in ‘what is.’ …” ~ Tony Parsons
Lasting Discovery of Truth? Ocean of Silence, Doyle, Gangaji
“… we are awareness itself, beyond the personal …” ~ Billy Doyle
Why Letting In? 1st Step In Peter Russell’s Letting Go (Eckhart Tolle Edition)
“… To let in an experience means to allow it more fully into awareness …” ~ Peter Russell
On Silence: Jean Klein’s Listening
“… Silence is the absence of oneself …” ~ Jean Klein
Lover & Love a la Rumi – Kabir Helminski
“… God is pleased when your love realizes it is part of something oceanic and begins to move with the whole …” ~ Rumi
Letting Go – Eckhart Tolle & Peter Russell
“… In the end, the treasure of life is missed by those who hold on and gained by those who let go …” ~ Lao Tzu
The Joy of Nothing At All: Meditation – Joan Tollifson
“…That there is nothing which can be attained is not idle talk; it is the truth. You have always been one with the Buddha. ~ Huang Po
Wonder, Wordsworth … via Klein
“The first act of awe, when man was struck with the beauty or wonder of Nature, was the first spiritual experience.” ~ Henryk Skolimowski
Heart Medicine: How to Stop Painful Patterns & Find Peace & Freedom
“… when we touch what is painful with awareness, the armoring around our heart melts and frees us to reconnect with our full aliveness, wisdom, and love.” ~ Tara Brach
Listen: An Invitation To Peace & Unity … via Prayers
“… May we listen to God in quietness and awe …” ~ Jay McDaniel
Illusion: Is The World Real? – Joan Tollifson
“… There is no ‘I’ to get enlightened. That’s illusion. There’s only being here with what’s here without division … Eyes and ears open, to let everything reveal itself as it is …” ~ Toni Packer
Listening – Jean Klein
“… when you really listen, the listening refers to itself. In this listening, there’s not a listener, and nothing to listen to. There’s only quietness …” ~ Jean Klein
It Is I … Yunus Emre
“… I am the infinite, the eternal … I am the gardener who sculpts the land … It is not Yunus saying all this. The One is speaking with my lips …” ~ Yunus Emre
Separation: The Illusory Story – Joan Tollifson
“… When the story of separation is believed, solidity and reality are given to limitations and divisions that don’t actually exist …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Tao Is … via Thomas Merton
“… There is nowhere it {Tao} is not to be found …” ~ Thomas Merton
Presence: You Are The Present Moment – Joan Tollifson
“… The present moment is presence itself…” ~ Joan Tollifson
Zen Is Right Now – Suzuki Roshi
“… Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make our effort, moment after moment, is our way …” ~ Suzuki Roshi
Living Presence: A Practice – Elias Amidon
“… Presence is the silent host of all that appears. It is what allows aliveness to flow forth …” ~ Elias Amidon
Circles & God’s Classroom – Hafiz by Ladinsky
“God has shouted ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ To every luminous movement in Existence.” ~ Hafiz
Ecstasy of What Is – Joan Tollifson
“… This-here-now is ungraspable …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Your 2021 Generosity’s Impact on 2022 & More …
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Jean Klein’s Teachings via Doyle: Yoga & Self-Enquiry
“… It is important to live this directionlessness, this not- knowing, this waiting without waiting for anything … All that remains is your directionless awareness. Live in this absolute absence of yourself. …” ~ Jean Klein
A Tendency to Shine – Adyashanti
“… discover the radiant light of awareness peering through your own eyes in this very moment …” ~ Adyashanti
Choosing A Vision: Life Part Two by David Chernikoff
“Love everyone, serve everyone, and remember God.” ~ Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji)
Inner Guru: Kabir via Andrew Harvey
“… my friends, follow Supreme Being who lives within you and is the soul of everyone and everything … Experience this Presence! … ” ~ Kabir
Silence Poems …
There is nothing as certain as silence, stillness, and solitude to introduce you to the divinity within …” ~ Guy Finley
Life Part Two: 7 Keys To Awakening… David Chernikoff
“… We are born in mystery, we live in mystery, and we die in mystery …” ~ Huston Smith
Relationship: More On Zen by Norman Fischer
“… The most important thing is coming back to presence every day, back to the breath, to sitting, walking, and standing, and remembering that this is what we are …” ~ Norman Fischer
Self-Knowledge: Kahlil Gibran
“… The radiance of consciousness-bliss, in the form of one awareness shining equally within and without … Its form is silence …” ~ Ramana Maharshi
When You Greet Me I Bow
“… simply being together with warmhearted kindness, dropping story lines, and appreciating each other’s profound human presence is the whole of the teaching …” ~ Norman Fischer
Soul Centered Living: Jonathan Ellerby
“… Somewhere, somehow, we were touched by something Truly Sacred …” ~ Jonathan Ellerby
Choiceless Awareness & Meditation: Klein & Doyle
“… Meditation is not doing something, rather it is choiceless awareness …” ~ Billy Doyle
Kindness & Trust: Amidon & Beach
“So many gods, so many creeds, so many paths … while just the act of being kind is all the world needs.” ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox … “… Stillness is the teacher. Presence is the lesson. Trust in the process that brought you here and the promise of awakening it holds …” ~ Zach Beach
Within Your Home: Kabir via Andrew Harvey
“… Within your home is the way … Turn your mind within and realize Universal Mind …” ~ Kabir
Shambhala Publications Series Launch with Norman Fischer
“Enlightened society has to be real and good, honest and genuine.” ~ Chogyam Trungpa
Tao: Even More Glimpses … via Jonathan Star
Tao: “… a still mind can easily hold the truth. The difficulties yet to come can easily be avoided …” ~ Lao Tzu
Generosity, Balance, Sovereignty – Elias Amidon
“… to contemplate the Ocean of Generosity we live in, and how every moment it makes its offering … ~ Elias Amidon
Sharing Silence … & Thanksgiving – Gunilla Norris
“Nothing in all creation is so like God as silence.” ~ Meister Eckhart
Listening To The Body: Jean Klein & Billy Doyle
“… The body is thus a pointer to awareness. The purpose of all objects is to remind us of our real nature: awareness, consciousness …” ~ Billy Doyle
Refuge Prayer: Compassion & Kindness – Thay
“… the living source of understanding and compassion, to the Buddha I go for refuge …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
The Welcoming Practice – Elias Amidon
” … to open to the openness that is silent, that is the background of every moment of our lives … ” ~ Elias Amidon
The Eternal Song: Aware Presence – Adyashanti
“… I Am the stillness within movement and the movement within stillness …” ~ Adyashanti
The Art of Listening: Jean Klein & Billy Doyle
“… In this observing is the total absence of yourself. It is your real presence …” ~ Jean Klein
Beloved Everywhere – Hafiz by Ladinsky
“… the more deeply {Hafiz} sees, the more astonished he is to find his Beloved everywhere. He discovers that the essence of life is the expression of beauty—it is Poetry …” ~ Daniel Ladinsky
Inquiry Continued … Book Excerpt Dominic Liber
By encouraging you to remain with your experience, whatever it is, {Dominic} takes you gently and gradually to deeper levels of your psyche and finally to the very presence of your spiritual nature …” ~ A. H. Almaas
Advaita Vedanta: Jean Klein & Billy Doyle
“… When you go beyond awareness, there is a state of non-duality, in which there is no cognition, only pure being. In the state of non-duality, all separation ceases …” ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
Silence: The Gifts Therein … Thomas Merton
“… God is present, and His thought is alive and awake in the fullness and depth and breadth of all the silences of the world … (Jeremias 1:11)” ~ Thomas Merton
Yoga in the Kashmir Tradition: Jean Klein & Billy Doyle
“… In pure perception we are open to the sense of wonder … objects are no longer objects; they are extensions of ourselves, expressions of silence …” ~ Billy Doyle
The Way: Sufi Tao – Elias Amidon
“The way we follow … flows everywhere without moving, never straying from this moment.” ~ Elias Amidon
Kindness and Compassion: A Recap amid COVID
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible … the greatest degree of inner tranquillity comes from the development of love and compassion. ~ H. H. The Dalai Lama
Being Oneself: The Sanctuary Within – Rumi
Being Oneself: “… Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you …” ~ Rumi
The Diamond Inquiry – Book Excerpt Dominic Liber
Diamond “… inquiry is just like scuba diving in the ocean of your inner world. It is as utterly thrilling as lowering yourself into a coral reef or an underwater cave to discover …” ~ Dominic C. Liber
Silence & Meditation – Amoda Maa
“… When you know your true nature as silence, there is no need to do meditation—you are meditation …” ~ Amoda Maa
Root Of The Root Of Your Own Soul
“… You were born from the rays of God’s Majesty … return to the root of the root of your own soul …” ~ Rumi
The Diamond Approach – John Davis
“… The Diamond Approach invites us to live in a way that both reflects and develops wisdom, love, joy … stillness, … trust, gratitude, and an unrelenting engagement with what is …” ~ John Davis
Original Love – A New Approach to Awakening?
“… We humans are made in such a way that we can directly know original love with our consciousness. True awakening is discovering boundless inseparability and allows us come to the origin point of our existence – original love …” ~ Henry Shukman
Savasana & Stillness – Barb Larson Taylor
“… nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness …” ~ Meister Eckhart
Mistakes & Allowing: The “Gifts” Therein – Joan Tollifson
“… life is in charge, not me. We must discover the willingness to allow life to unfold at its own pace, in its own way …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Peace Offering – Thich Nhat Hanh & Black Elk
“… From oneness We derive peace. From peace We derive oneness …” ~ Sri Chinmoy
Noticing & Allowing: A Simple Key?
“… notice your experience & be curious about it … know that whatever you are experiencing is the right experience … therefore allow it – surrender to it …” ~ Nirmala
Eternal Now: The Radiant Emptiness – Adyashanti
Eternal now: “… totally still but in endless motion …” ~ Adyashanti
Our Being, I AM Meditation …& Self: Spira & Papaji
“… Our Being is the objectless, aware presence that lies behind and, at the same time, intimately pervades all experience …” ~ Rupert Spira
The Beautiful Revolution: Hope within Despair – Amidon
the beautiful revolution: “… My safety and fulfillment includes yours. The health of the planet is inseparable from our own health. We are one interdependent, interconnected happening. And the whole thing is alive! …” ~ Elias Amidon
Empty Boat – Chuang Tzu & Thomas Merton
empty boat: “… This is perfect Tao. Wise men find here their resting place. Resting, they are empty …” ~ Chuang Tzu
The Tao: Another Glimpse … via Jonathan Star
The Tao: “… When there is silence one finds peace. When there is silence one finds the anchor of the universe within himself …” ~ Lao Tzu
Freedom: Living In Paradox – Amoda Maa
Freedom: “… is a state of wholeness—you are both broken and unbroken … at the same time. This art calls us to live on the razor’s edge of paradox …” ~ Amoda Maa
Walking Meditation – Thich Nhat Hanh
Walking Meditation: “… Walk and touch peace every moment. Walk and touch happiness every moment. Each step brings a fresh breeze. Each step makes a flower bloom under our feet ..” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Self-Improvement: The Elusive Obvious – Joan Tollifson
“… the best place to begin any kind of change is always with simply being aware of how it is right now …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Stillness … Time to Rejuvenate …
“… to know our True Self, to dwell in its timeless sanctuary through which all the forms of life come and go – then we must know stillness … ~ Guy Finley
His Face Is Everywhere – Upanishad, Andrew Harvey
His face is everywhere: “… Lord of Love … who projects himself into this universe of myriad forms …” ~ Shvetashvatara Upanishad
This … is Not Mind or Buddha … This We Have Now
“… We already are it. It is every moment, just as it is …” ~ Henry Shukman
In Silence: Songs of Contemplation – Thomas Merton
“… At the deepest level, Merton experienced the mystic’s profound understanding that silence is a language of its own with as much influence and power as words …” ~ Lynn R. Szabo
The History of Love – Elias Amidon
“… Love is the perfect stillness …” ~ Rabia
Praise This Day … by Adyashanti
Don’t forget that you are the clear light of awareness ~ Adyashanti
Choiceless Choice: the story of “me” … Joan Tollifson
“… No wave can ever go off in a direction other than the one in which the whole ocean is moving. We are all a movement of the whole …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Tao Te Ching: A Glimpse … via Jonathan Star
“… {Man}He was made to sit quietly and find the truth within …” ~ Lao Tzu
Essence of Openness – Amoda Maa
“… Openness is simply itself … It is simply here, as presence itself …” ~ Amoda Maa
This Moment – Thich Nhat Hanh
“… This is the only moment that is real. To be present and enjoy this moment is our most important task …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Your Generosity’s Impact in 2021 & More …
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Single Vow for Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path
“Your own self realization is the greatest service you can render the world” ~ Ramana Maharshi
Being Me to Being We & Whyless Love
“… You remind me that my nothing is Your all …” ~ Meister Eckhart
Wisdom: Right View & Right Orientation
“… “… Irrigators channel waters; fletchers straighten arrows; carpenters bend wood; the wise master themselves …” ~ Buddha
Another Prayer … for Peace – Thich Nhat Hanh
“… With your deep understanding, help our hearts grow light … May the merit of this prayer be transformed into peace …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Fulfillment & The Most Important Thing
“… Now …is always and ever the most important thing … there is only one place that fulfillment can happen: here and now.” ~ Henry Shukman
Peace Prayer … & Mother Water by Amidon
“… Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness …” ~ Baha’i peace prayer
Community … and Keep Going …
The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety ~ Felix Mendelssohn
Silence My Secret … by Adyashanti
The question actually leads you into silence ~ Adyashanti
Mental Discipline: Right Effort, Mindfulness & Concentration
“… “… A disciplined mind brings happiness …” ~ Buddha
The Beloved Community – Amidon
“… When we walk on a path through a forest and feel calmed by the beauty of the dappled light, we are welcomed into the Beloved Community of beauty …” ~ Elias Amidon
Thanksgiving: Gratitude Quiet & Peace …
“… I walk in thanksgiving … for the splendor of autumn and the rocky peaks …” ~ Marianites of Holy Angels
Mindfulness in Daily Life – Thich Nhat Hanh
“… A mindful breath is your home base …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Right Livelihood & Ethical Conduct
“… The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life …” ~ Albert Einstein
Symeon the New Theologian: Turning of The Soul …
“… Now am I joined soul and spirit present in your Presence … your Presence all at once revealing your Paradise …” ~ ~ Symeon the New Theologian
Amoda Maa: Revolutionary Invitation
“… Awakening has nothing to do with the achievement of a special state of consciousness. It has everything to do with presence and openness …” ~ Amoda Maa
Tantric Tradition, Andrew Harvey, & Kabir
“… The formless Absolute is my Father, and God with form is my Mother …” ~ Kabir
Embracing What Is – Beyond Self-Improvement
“You are perfect just as you are, and there’s room for improvement.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki
Meister Eckhart’s “Wanderings & Wonderings”
“… the eye with which I see God is exactly the same eye with which God sees me. My eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowledge, and one love …” ~ Meister Eckhart
Openness: A word for this very moment – Amoda Maa
“… It is only when we meet life from the unknown—and that is what silence really is, an open-ended unknownness—that we can really listen to what is true. And only the truth will set us free …” ~ Amoda Maa
Right Action, Right Speech … & Patience
“… Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience …” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Meet Me Here Where Silence Roars … by Adyashanti
“… Meet me here where silence roars where stillness is dancing …” ~ Adyashanti
One Blade of Grass – Henry Shukman
“… I am fully awake yet don’t know who I am. A fuse has blown, there is only silence …” ~ Henry Shukman
My Beloved … by J Krishnamurti
“… In the great silence before the dawn … There thou wilt meet with my Beloved. …” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
Love Unveiled: Afterword – A.H. Almaas
“… Love is the primary way the bliss of being expresses itself. Love is the perfume of union …” ~ A. H. Almaas
Love Religion: Sufism, Rumi & Ibn Arabi
“… There is a place where words are born of silence, A place where the whispers of the heart arise …” ~ Jonathan Star
After Death: Reincarnation & More – Joan Tollifson
“… as consciousness or unicity, there is nowhere we are not, just as the whole ocean is there in every wave …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Choosing What Is: Liberation From All Obstructions
“… In this passing moment karma ripens and all things come to be. I vow to choose what is …” ~ Hogen Bays
Union & The Longing for It … – A.H. Almaas
“… We need to realize that union with the Beloved is our ultimate value and priority. It is equivalent to enlightenment …” ~ A. H. Almaas
The Nine Prayers – Thich Nhat Hanh
“… This kind of prayer is also contemplation, meditation, and practice. It generates spirituality in every moment of our daily life …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Enlightened Relationship – Amoda Maa
“Enlightened relationship blossoms only in the deepest silence …” ~ Amoda Maa
Poems of Fulfillment by Lao Tzu
“… Returning to the source is serenity …” ~ Lao Tzu
Unbroken Wholeness – Joan Tollifson
“… Unbroken wholeness is the ever-present actuality … To awaken is to recognize the sacred everywhere, to live in devotion to this luminous presence …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Stillness & The Coronavirus Messenger
“… Stillness is the sole requisite for the realisation of the Self as God …” ~ Ramana Maharshi
Who Are You? – The Eternal Song … by Adyashanti
“… Be still and awaken to the realization of who you Are …” ~ Adyashanti
Soul’s Love Affair – A.H. Almaas
“… Love is a fundamental ingredient that the soul needs for its survival and development …” ~ A. H. Almaas
Peaceful Living: Prayers for Peace
“… let us fill our hearts with our own compassion – towards ourselves and towards all living beings … realize that they are all brothers and sisters, all nourished from the same source of life …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Spiritual Maturity … & Forgiveness – Amoda Maa
“… the only salvation is here and now. No escape, just this. Just this unadulterated presence and unwavering openness …” ~ Amoda Maa
Love Unveiled: Functioning of the Heart – A.H. Almaas
“… love {is the} primary force that powers our movement toward spiritual illumination and enlightenment …” ~ A. H. Almaas
The Taste of Silence … by Rumi … & Jung
“… Rumi says silence brings a chance to taste the core of our being, to go deeper and experience the oil of the walnut rather than its rattling noise on the shell wall …” ~ Coleman Barks
The Other Side of Death – Amidon
“… As Ramana Maharshi testifies, we don’t have to wait until death to recognize the Immutable Light that is our original nature …” ~ Elias Amidon
Essence of Zen via Henry’s Journey (Part 4)
“… Zen is almost nothing but communal …” … and offers … “… Lasting, positive character change, meaning less aversion and anger, less craving and clinging, more ease with the arising and passing of things as we live with less domination by self-centeredness …” ~ Henry Shukman
The Absolute or “Not Two” … Part 3
“… through true spiritual practice, the ‘breath of infinity’—the Absolute—can rise to our perception from the depth of our soul, in the silence of a peaceful, clear consciousness of Self …” ~ Hans Meijer
Continued Gratitude & Usual Wednesday Post Delayed …
“… Everything you see tells the story of God. Look at it. God is out spread, filling the entire universe. So look. You exist in a form. God is without form. You are the visible example, the sun. God is the light within the sun.” ~ Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Seven Advices – Humanity’s Highest Sentiment: Rumi
“… In compassion and grace: be like the sun …” ~ Rumi
Kindness: Buddha & Dalai Lama & COVID-19
“… Captivation”—the rapt, continuous attention to beauty—allows us to be more in touch with intimate feelings such as love and tenderness. … Enjoying beauty is the easiest way to be kind …” ~ Pierro Ferucci
Compassion: Dalai Lama & Robert William Service
“… Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive …” ~ His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Sweet Obedience: Conclusion – Henry Shukman (Part 3)
“… Zen wasn’t—had never been—about individual revelation. That was all very well, but the core of Zen was sharing …” ~ Henry Shukman
The Hidden Treasure Is In Me – Kaygusuz Abdal
“… I am the infinite and the eternal. The hidden treasure is in me …” ~ Kaygusuz Abdal
Light, Body, & Awakening – Amoda Maa
“… My invitation is revolutionary. It takes you to the razor’s edge of mind and heart … … the end of the war of inner conflict. And the beginning of silence as the true song of your life …” ~ Amoda Maa
Breathing: Practice Consciously by Thich Nhat Hanh
Practicing conscious breathing, aware of each thought and each act, we are reborn, fully alive, in the present moment … ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Joy and Silence – Hafiz by Ladinsky
“… I am happy even before I have a reason … ~ Hafiz
Reality: Perceptible, Ultimate, One … Part 2
“… ‘the Self is silence’. The Self is a conscious, perfect rest emanating… Silence! …” ~ Hans Meijer
Spiritual Practice: Harmony with The Sacred – Ellerby
“… To embrace a spiritual practice is to make the journey into mystery and knowing …” ~ Jonathan Ellerby
Totally Obvious Yet Utterly Mysterious – Joan Tollifson
“… Our true immortality is the seamlessness that is without beginning or end for it is always Here-Now …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Unfolding Your Own Myth & Ibrahim’s Epiphany – Rumi
“… Chase a deer and end up everywhere! … It’s all a mystical journey to the Friend …” ~ Rumi
Your Top Interests of 2019 & More …
What interested you the most in 2019 … and how you accessed and consumed it …
Koan Magic: Sweet Obedience – Henry Shukman (Part 2)
It’s evening. In the boatyard behind our house the tools are silent, the workers gone home for the day … ~ Henry Shukman
Earth Blessings …
“… Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as the sunshine into the trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. …” ~ John Muir
Equanimity, Love, & Walking In Beauty
“… I vow to practice mindful breathing and smiling … to cultivate compassion and loving kindness, and to practice joy and equanimity …” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
2019: Your Year End Giving Makes a Difference
“Generosity and kind words, conduct for others’ welfare, impartiality in all things, these are suitable everywhere.” ~ Buddha As December 31st approaches and you consider causes close to your heart, would you please make Stillness Speaks your generosity recipient. … THANK YOU!
Initiation Into Reality: Preface … Part 1
“… Your Self is the Absolute. So, uncover the Absolute! …” ~ Hans Meijer
Peace: A Deepening Through Prayers
“… There is no true peace possible for the man who still imagines that some accident of talent or grace or virtue segregates him from other men and places him above them …” ~ Thomas Merton
Death: Dissolving – Joan Tollifson
“… this book is about fully embracing death, and therefore life, wholeheartedly and relaxing into the total disintegration … and living and loving and being awake …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Return Thanks … & Earth, Teach Me …
“… We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye. …” ~ Iroquois Thanksgiving
One Blade of Grass: Prologue – Henry Shukman (Part 1)
“… a tale of everyday desperation, such as many know, that healed through meditation practice …” ~ Henry Shukman
Merton: Inward Stranger Whom I have Never Seen…
“… Now dawn commands the capture of the tallest fortune …” ~ Thomas Merton
Happiness: Seeking, Fleeting, or Here? – Hurley
“What you are looking for is WHO is looking” ~ Saint Francis of Assisi
Teachers & Right Way to Live – Francis Lucille
“… The truth {is} always … in plain sight, available to all …” ~ Francis Lucille
Ocean Love: The Larger Love – Rumi
“God is pleased when your love realizes it is part of something oceanic and begins to move with the whole …” ~ Rumi
Releaser Finally Disappears (Part 4 of 4)
“… I am awareness itself. And as such, awareness is ever present, open, and unmoving …” ~ Jimmy Hurley
Awake Awhile – Hafiz by Ladinsky
“… What is this precious love and laughter budding in our hearts? It is the glorious sound of a soul waking up! … ~ Hafiz
Right Way to Live – Francis Lucille
“… Take your stand in awareness and watch the I-image and its cortege of fears and desires fade away in the splendor of your eternal presence …” ~ Francis Lucille
Nonduality & The Sedona Method – Hurley (Part 3)
The Individual “… could eventually see that happiness isn’t out there in the world but in fact inside themselves …” ~ Jimmy Hurley
Beloved: You are This – Munajat by Amidon
“… closer than now where everything happens, you, my beloved, are this … ” ~ Pir Elias Amidon
FILM: Zen and the West
“Zen is a practice of meditation and action designed to free us to live compassionate, healthy and energized lives” ~ Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Jimmy Hurley: Release The Releaser (Part 2)
“… I have to report that at this stage I can see everything as “me” …” ~ Jimmy Hurley
Jimmy Hurley: Zero Distance (Part 1)
“You are the very consciousness in which all you know appears” ~ Francis Lucille
Love & Awakening – Francis Lucille
Universal love “… is not just a sentiment. It cannot be manifested merely by a shift in mental disposition. It can only come from inner cleaning, an inner awakening …” ~ Radhanath Swami
Meister Eckhart: Here & Now, Living Love & More
Meister Eckhart’s “… many forms and stages of the love of God, the mystic path found in the most ordinary of moments, and the journey of transformation …”
Present Moment & Eternity Now – Francis Lucille
“… The now is the bridge between time and eternity …” ~ Francis Lucille
Realize Through Meditation – Highest Mystical Teaching
“… Realize The Self in the depths of meditation …” ~ Shvetashvatara Upanishad
What is Reality? Rupert Spira (Part 3 of 3)
“… All experience takes place here and now, so the nature of Reality, whatever that is, must be present in the intimacy and immediacy of this current experience … ” ~ Rupert Spira
The Time Before Death – Kabir (Bly & Tagore)
“Friend, hope for the Guest while you are alive. Jump into experience while you are alive! …” ~ Kabir
Practice: The Zen Way – Henry Shukman
“… Practice is a lifelong craft … it is the craft of living itself …” ~ Henry Shukman
Laughing … Fresh as the Dawn – Rumi
“… You laugh fresh as the dawn where did you spend last night? …” ~ Rumi
Clear Seeing – Rupert Spira (Part 2)
“… All that is happening in these contemplations is the clear seeing of the essential nature of experience …” ~ Rupert Spira
When the Sun Conceived a Man – Hafiz
“… Write a thousand luminous secrets upon the wall of existence so that even a blind man will know where we are, and join us in this Love! … ~ Hafiz
Seeds of Awakening – Peter Russell
“… we are distilling the diverse expressions of this perennial wisdom … Stripping away the trappings of time and culture, we are collectively discovering that the essence of awakening is simply …” ~ Peter Russell
Seng-Ts’an: The Mind of Absolute Trust
“… God [The Self] is a circle whose centre is everywhere and circumference nowhere …” ~ Carl Jung quoting St.Bonaventure
Rupert Spira: Unknowingness & Nature of Experience (Part 1)
“… Awareness or Consciousness is the open Unknowingness on which every experience is written …” ~ Rupert Spira
Peaceful: An Invocation from the Vedas
“… peaceful the earth, peaceful the broad space between …” ~ Atharva Veda
Awakening to Our True Nature: Can it be Ignited?
“… Awakening is a kind of flowering of consciousness …” ~ Nirmala
Asik Veysel: There You Are … Divine is Everywhere
“… The supreme vision of Sufism is to see God everywhere, to view every part of creation as a reflection of God’s glory …” ~ Jonathan Star
Oneness: Experiencing It More Deeply
“… everything is just different expressions of one field of Being …” ~ Nirmala
Rumi: This is the Miracle …
“… If the Sun did not run across the sky the world would not see the colors of morning …” ~ Rumi
Joan Tollifson: What is True Meditation?
True meditation “… simply means being present to what is: … the spaciousness in which everything is arising, the listening stillness, the aliveness and vibrant present-ness of everything …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Be Still – Arthur Osborne
“… Thou art? — I am? — Why argue? — Being is. Keep still and be …” ~ Arthur Osborne
Navigating Feelings of Lack & Emptiness Within
“… Who knew that there was a deep reservoir of infinite peace lying under the restless feeling of a lack of peace? …” ~ Nirmala
The Sowing of Meanings : Thomas Merton
“… See the high birds! … do they play in wheeling silences. Defining in the perfect sky the bounds of (here below) our solitude …” ~ Thomas Merton
So Close … Closer Than Breath – Amidon
“It’s so close you can’t see it. It’s so profound you can’t fathom it. It’s so simple you can’t believe it. It’s so good you can’t accept it.” What is it?
Munajat: Pretend That You & I are Two : Elias Amidon
“… Now that the dawn has come so gently … my quiet soul … warms its wings in the morning light … ” ~ Pir Elias Amidon
The Need for Renewed Spirituality
“… what the world as a whole desperately needs now is a renewed spirituality that brings back the knowledge of the primal cause and which everyone can accept …” ~ Hans Meijer
Heart Centered Awareness – Hafiz
“… Beauty yearned to see itself; It turned to man to sing its praise… ~ Hafiz
Primal Cause (God), Existence, & Self Awareness
“… the primal cause is ‘here and now’ wherever and whenever you are! …” ~ Hans Meijer
Prayer – A Mind Centered Practice: Ellerby
“… Honoring the ever-present Divine through regular prayer is a way of living close to the edge of spiritual experience while cultivating the strength of our spiritual senses …” ~ Jonathan Ellerby
Nirmala: Dance Between Mind & Reality
“… Truth or reality opens the Heart and quiets the mind …” ~ Nirmala
Aksarayi Seyh Ibrahim Efendi: The Sufi Way
“… They say it is to burn up in Love’s fire — The Sufi way is to be utterly inflamed with the light of the Beloved …” ~ Aksarayi Şeyh İbrahim Efendi (Dervish of Turkey)
Henry Shukman: Awakening in Zen
“… self and world instantly vanish in one true awakening …” ~ Henry Shukman
J Krishnamurti: Song of the Beloved
“… Where the still pools reflect the calm heavens, There thou wilt meet with my Beloved …” ~ J Krishnamurti
Exploring The Frontiers of Zen & Science Part 2
“Buddhism and science are not conflicting perspectives on the world, but rather differing approaches to the same end: Seeking the truth.” His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Nirmala: What Is This Moment’s Treasure?
“… The real treasure in this moment is always to be found in the awareness of this moment, not in the content of our experience …” ~ Nirmala
Adyashanti’s Awakening: Nothing is separate, nothing is alone …
“… Nothing is separate, nothing is alone. I am all that I see. All that I smell, taste, touch, feel, think and know. …” ~ Adyashanti
The Sacred Within …
“… The sacred is within our hearts. It is ours whenever & wherever we are …” ~ Peter Russell
Forgiveness: A “Seed” of Awakening – Peter Russell (Part 6)
Forgiveness means “… “to let go”—as when we let go of a rope, or something else we are holding on to. We’re releasing our grip on something …” ~ Peter Russell
Rumi: When Friends Meet: The Most Alive Moment
… Any form of beauty or wisdom or celebration that puts one back in friendship with the soul is where the opposites find rest. “How can I be separated and yet in union?” …” ~ Coleman Barks
Impermanence: It’s Deeper Secret – Amidon
““Everything is perishing except God’s Face.” What is it that does not come and go? or … What is permanent? Why is it important to explore permanence and impermanence?
Henry Shukman: Humility, Gratitude, & Compassion
“… through devotion to the three treasures — buddha, dharma and sangha, which we can understand as practice, teaching and community — as our greed, aversion and delusion naturally dwindle, so do humility, gratitude and compassion spontaneously come forward …” ~ Henry Shukman
Munajat: The Nest of Your Nearness, by Pir Elias Amidon
“… praying in this manner … points to the unspeakable majesty of the Real … It’s a form of prayer that endears at the same time that it is in awe … ” ~ Pir Elias Amidon
2018: Your Year End Giving Makes a Difference
“For it is in giving that we receive.” ~ Francis of Assisi Many of us are fortunate enough to deepen our giving by contributing to worthy causes or organizations – as December 31st approaches. So, as you consider causes close to your heart, would you please make Stillness Speaks one of your genero …
Teach us, and Show us the Way
“…We call upon the mountains … the summits of intense silence, and we ask that they Teach us, and show us the Way …” ~ Chinook (Anonymous)
Meditation: Spontaneity of the Mystery of Existence
“Meditation is a soundless sonic boom in the silence of the stopped universe.” ~ Robert Rabbin
The Absolute Unknowable Appears as Spring: Rumi
“The absolute unknowable appears as spring …” ~ Rumi
Batchelor & Shukman on Zen: Arriving at The Single Source
“Zen does have a huge amount to offer us here and now, as we are, precisely because it’s so focused on this moment and simply surrendering to it, studying it, coming at it in a number of ways, to have a more intimate relationship with life …” ~ Henry Shukman “What {Buddhism} might lead to is not t …
Thich Nhat Hanh: Please Call Me by My True Names …
Do not say that I will depart tomorrow — even today I am still arriving … ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Attention: The Spotlight of Awareness – Peter Russell (Part 5)
“… Attention can be thought of as the spotlight of awareness … Rather than the Self identifying with an experience, it is that our attention becomes absorbed in the experience …” ~ Peter Russell
Taoism – Loy Ching-Yuen: To Know Tao
“To know Tao … meditate and still the mind …” ~ Loy Ching-Yuen
Gratitude for this Giving Tuesday & Mindfulness
The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche We are most grateful to all our donors – from this Giving Tuesday campaign – who helped us raise $$s to train 7 teachers in mindfulness.
Soul, Heart, & Body One Morning – Rumi
There’s a morning when presence comes over your soul …” ~ Rumi
THANK YOU: Giving Tuesday & Mindfulness in Public Schools
Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life … and the world. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach THANK YOU for supporting our Giving Tuesday campaign. We will continue this campaign through the end of t …
Discover Your Hidden Treasure, by Ruben Habito
As we learn to stop and see in a habitual and sustained way, our eyes are opened to the countless treasures that lie right here within our reach, which can fill our hearts with untold joy and deep peace. ~ Ruben Habito
Chief Jake Swamp: Giving Thanks
“… Elder Brother Sun, we send thanks for shining your light and warming Mother Earth …” ~ Chief Jake Swamp
#GivingTuesday: Mindfulness Training for Teachers & Students
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ~ Desmond Tutu” “When teachers get mindfulness training, students win {too!} ” ~ Jill Suttie Giving Tuesday – a global day of giving – Nov 27, 2018 … is almost here … help us give s …
Ellerby: Perfection of This Moment
In this moment, the world dances with me … And time stands still … ~ Jonathan Ellerby
McMindfulness: Exploring the Trap – David Loy
“… stress is framed as a personal problem, and mindfulness is offered as just the right medicine to help employees work more efficiently and calmly within toxic environments …” ~ David Loy
In Silence – Rumi
“A guide has entered this life in silence. His message is only heard in silence …” ~ Rumi
Mindful Living by Returning To Natural Mind: Peter Russell (Part 4)
“… let go of any attachments as to how things should or should not be; become aware of our experience in the present as it is … Then let the attention soften and relax …” ~ Peter Russell
Solitude – The Communion with Silence : Thomas Merton
“The solitary life, being silent, clears away the smoke-screen of words … In solitude we remain face to face with the naked being of things …” ~ Thomas Merton
FEATURED POST: Giving Tuesday & Fostering Mindfulness
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?” ~ Martin Luther King Jr. Giving Tuesday, November 27, 2018, is a global day of giving … so help us support fostering mindfulness in children and educators.
Rabbin on Authentic Living: How to Navigate Anger
“… in order to live an authentic life, we have to be responsible for generating the content of that life from within …” ~ Robert Rabbin
Nirmala: Pure Freedom Remains …
… floods wash away the precious hillsides life rises to the surface for another breath of joy … ~ Nirmala
Consciousness Transformation: Russell, Grof, Laszlo
“… we are rediscovering a wisdom that has been rediscovered many times in many cultures … a different mode of awareness that leads to a greater sense of inner peace and a more harmonious relationship with the world …” ~ Peter Russell
Thich Nhat Hanh: Looking For Each Other …
I have been looking for you, World Honored One, since I was a little child … At last I have found you, Blessed One, and I have found myself. … There I sit. … The deep blue sky, … and the shining red sun sing with joy. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh …
Self Inquiry: The Intimacy of The Real – Elias Amidon
“Eternity is your refuge. Recognize eternity within yourself. Eternal presence is Buddha-mind. Eternal presence is not becoming Buddha-mind or attaining Buddha-mind. It is recognizing itself as eternal Buddha-mind now.” ~ Gangaji
The Dream That Must Be Interpreted – Rumi
“This place is a dream. Only a sleeper considers it real …” ~ Rumi
Joan Tollifson: What is Truth? … Dissolving the Traps
“… if we remain with that open question, not answering it, but simply listening openly, wondering silently, then perhaps we will recognize the truth … as the living reality that we are …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Adyashanti: The Truth of what you are
“… The Truth of what you are {is} … Like an ocean that is both waves and stillness and yet un-definable as waves or stillness …” ~ Adyashanti
Meeting Crisis with Zen & Practice – Henry Shukman
“… practice can lead us to … where we taste that beneath all the surface troubles of life there is actually a well-being – of all creation creating itself with a vast but empty power …” ~ Henry Shukman
Thomas Merton: The True Purpose of Christian Solitude
“… In solitude I have at last discovered that You have desired the love of my heart …” ~ Thomas Merton
Embracing The “Non-Ordinary” in Ordinary Living
“… All the ancient and native cultures held non-ordinary states of consciousness in high esteem … and used them for a variety of purposes – as the main vehicle for their ritual and spiritual life, for diagnosing and healing diseases, for cultivation of intuition and extrasensory perception, and …
Effortless Meditation by Peter Russell (Part 3)
“… when it comes to the basic skill of relaxing into a quieter state of mind, effort generally turns out to be counter-productive …” ~ Peter Russell
Ellerby: Understanding Spirituality … & Life
“… Life awakens in the pale and flowing Blue light of dawn …” ~ Jonathan Ellerby
Quietness – The Morning’s Gift … by Elias Amidon
“… the taste of morning, no me, no we, no claim of being …” ~ Rumi
Bodhi … Arriving at Eternal Love …
“When I die … I’m not leaving, I’m arriving at eternal love …” ~ Rumi
Kahlil Gibran: On Self Knowledge
AND a man said, Speak to us of Self-Knowledge. And he answered, saying: Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. … … Read the full poem … and reflect on this gem from Kahlil Gibran …
Kensho & Koan : Henry Shukman & Migaku Sato
I was given this greatest opportunity of all opportunities – to be a human being. ~ Henry Shukman Henry Shukman talks about kensho and koan study …. and Migaku Sato talks about “what is a koan?”
Soul Joy & Waking Up Happy – Rumi
“No one knows what makes the soul wake up so happy …” ~ Rumi Ponder this gem from Rumi – a Coleman Barks translation.
Kindness by Peter Russell (Part 2)
“After 45 years of research & study, the best advice I can give is to be a little kinder.” ~ Aldous Huxley Peter Russell explores Kindness in the 2nd post of this multi-part series on his book Seeds of Awakening … includes a FREE downloadable PDF.
Henry Shukman & Jeremy Irons on Zen & Well-Being
“Zen … basically means meditation or meditative absorption.” ~ Henry Shukman See preview video clips of Jeremy in Zen and the West: Finding Peace in Troubled Times … and Henry in One Bright Pearl …
Chris Hebard: Sound Bites Will Never Liberate You
“That which is, never ceases to be, that which is not, never comes into being.” ~ The Bhagavad Gita (paraphrased) Chris Hebard’s response to “what had he learned from his experience with Stillness Speaks …” … from an exchange with Fred Davis of Awakening Clarity Now.
Thomas Merton: Prayer, Silence & Solitude
“In true prayer, although every silent moment remains the same, every moment is a new discovery of a new silence, a new penetration into that eternity in which all things are always new …” ~ Thomas Merton Continue reading to appreciate this prayer …
Peter Russell: Rediscovering the Timeless Wisdom (Part 1)
“… We are in the midst of a widespread spiritual renaissance, rediscovering in contemporary terms the timeless wisdom of the ages …” ~ Peter Russell We are very happy to offer the first post of this multi-part series on Peter Russell’s book Seeds of Awakening … Thanks to Peter’s generosity the …
Robert Rabbin: The Authentic Life
“… to be truly alive is to be deeply immersed in this moment …” ~ Robert Rabbin Read and reflect on this poem by Robert Rabbin from his book: The 5 Principles of Authentic Living: How to Live an Authentic Life in 10 Words.
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Finding True Freedom on the River Ganges – Part 2 of 2
“… truth is not something to be gained. You don’t arrive at truth. It is not a result …” ~ J. Krishnamurti We conclude this 2-part guest series by Ray Brooks … where he shares his illuminating conversation with J. Krishnamurti during their brief meeting.
What Are You Here For?
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” ~ Ryunosuke Satoro Read on … and give us your answer …
Ellerby: Place Where Everything is Sacred
A precious path has led you this far To the beauty of the chalice and the fire, Garden and temple, drum and jewel … Continue reading to enjoy Jonathan Ellerby’s full poem …
Finding True Freedom on the River Ganges – Part 1 of 2
Finding true freedom on the banks of the River Ganges … discovering that the 30 year quest for freedom had been futile … searching for a self that had never been lost in the first place? Ray Brooks shares his story of finding true freedom … from his book The Shadow That Seeks The Sun …
Introducing Kashmir Shaivism: An Ancient Oral Tradition
“God and the individual are one. To realize this is the essence of Kashmir Shaivism.” ~ Swami Lakshmanjoo We are very happy to offer Kashmir Shaivism – an ancient non-dual tradition that was practically hidden from view for several centuries … very unique, in that, it is “oral” …
Rumi: No Light Like Yours
There is no light like yours … ~ Rumi Read & reflect on this gem from Rumi, a Coleman Barks translation.
Peter Russell: The Anomaly of Consciousness
“Nothing in Western science predicts that any living creature should be conscious. Yet one thing we know for sure is that we are experiencing beings. For the materialist metaparadigm, consciousness is one big anomaly.” ~ Peter Russell An informative and insightful commentary by Peter on the anomaly …
Munajat: Your Help, by Pir Elias Amidon
You are the becoming and the here, the flowing and the still. ~ Pir Elias Amidon Your Help is from Munajat a book of forty prayers, by Pir Elias Amidon, originally inspired by the Munajat — ‘whispered prayers,” or “intimate conversations with God’ — of the 12th Century Persian Sufi, Abdullah Ansari.
Eric Baret: Surrender … Be Available to the Moment
“I become available to the moment. I don’t need to change anything in myself: my fears, my arrogance, my pretenses, my limits. I need all of that to sense the limitless …” Read and reflect on Eric Baret’s post on Surrender … on being available to the moment … so much so that “… We do not nee …
Meister Eckhart: Nothing but Radiance
“… love that becomes nothing but radiance within me.” Enjoy this poem by Meister Eckhart …
Henry Shukman: Great Freedom
This is the great freedom of our existence which Zen practice can open up — truly life beyond life, life in life, life in death. ~ Henry Shukman Enjoy Zen Teacher Henry Shukman’s short reflection on Easter, Passover and Zen.
Waiting: The Simplest Meditation
Pure waiting, not waiting for any event to happen, just waiting without wanting, can be a profound spiritual practice… Read and reflect on this simplest of meditations …. by Peter Russell.
Rumi: Song to My Soul
Don’t be content with worldly promises for I am the tabernacle of your contentment. ~ Rumi
Hafiz: The One Who Loves
The one who loves can never die… ~ Hafiz
Buddhism: Applying Asian Practices in the West
Do not let yourself be diverted from your deepest intuitions by the charisma, intelligence or pressure of others. In the end, life itself is your greatest teacher. ~ Stephen Batchelor Seven Buddhist teachers from around the world answered questions about the challenges Buddhism faces as it moves i …
Kabir: True Path
“Listen to me, dear Sadhu! the true path is rarely found.” ~ Kabir
Buddhism: Student and Teacher Relationship
“After my death,” the Buddha said to Ananda, “do not think you will have no teacher: the Dharma will be your teacher.” ~ Stephen Batchelor Seven Buddhist teachers from around the world answered questions about the challenges Buddhism faces as it moves into the West. This sixth post in our series e …
The Tao: Older than God
The Tao… is older than God. ~ Lao Tzu
Kahlil Gibran: Song of the Soul
… a song composed by contemplation, And published by silence… And understood by love… And sung by the soul. ~ Kahlil Gibran
Stan Grof: The Consciousness Revolution
Holotropic experiences have the potential to help us discover our true identity and our cosmic status. ~ Stan Grof
Buddhism and Other Spiritual Traditions
…the emphasis of Buddhism is on… practice, not what you believe or what you profess. ~ Rob Nairn Seven Buddhist teachers from around the world answered questions about the challenges Buddhism faces as it moves into the West. This fifth post in our series explores how Buddhism connects to other s …
Hafiz: Awake Awhile
Awake awhile, it does not have to be forever… ~ Hafiz
Consciousness Revolution: Role of Spirituality in Human Life
Modern consciousness research has brought convincing evidence… and has…validated the… metaphysical assumptions of the mystical world view. ~ Stan Grof In this final post in our series, The Consciousness Revolution, Grof explores the role spirituality plays in human life.
Problems Posed by Short-term Gratification
…we have to work on the garden of the mind. ~ Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo Seven Buddhist teachers from around the world answered questions about the challenges Buddhism faces as it moves into the West. This fourth post in our series explores western cultural emphasis on short term gratification, and as …
Rumi: Crazy Lover
Let the lover be. ~ Rumi
Consciousness Revolution: Strategy for Self-Exploration
The psyche is not a product of the brain …it is the creative and generative principle of the cosmos. In this fifth post in our series, The Consciousness Revolution, Grof acknowledges that although many methods of psychotherapy exist, the most effective are those that mediate contact between the co …
Adapting Buddhism to the West
Buddhism is an emergent process and will always be an organism that is in emergence ~ Roshi Joan Halifax Seven Buddhist teachers from around the world answered questions about the challenges Buddhism faces as it moves into the West. This post summarizes the seven responses to, How do you practicall …
Dogen: Original Face
..pure and clear are the seasons… ~ Dogen
The Consciousness Revolution: New Methods for Psychotherapy
…as deeper layers of the unconscious unfold … we find additional roots… on the transpersonal level of the psyche. ~ Stan Grof In this fourth post in our series, The Consciousness Revolution, Grof describes how new methods for working with emotional and psychosomatic disorders (such as holotro …
Exploring Buddhism and Cultural Adaptation
Everything Buddha taught can be boiled down to mindfulness or awareness. ~ Dzongsar Khyentsem Rinpoche Seven Buddhist teachers from around the world were questioned about the challenges Buddhism faces as it moves into the West. This post summarizes the seven responses to, Given that Buddhist practic …
Kabir: Earthen Vessel
Kabir says: “Listen to me, my Friend! My beloved Lord is within.”
The Consciousness Revolution: New Map of the Psyche
“Transpersonal….consciousness transcends the boundaries of the body/ego and the usual limitations of linear time and three-dimensional space.” ~ Stan Grof In this third post in our The Consciousness Revolution series, Grof expands the mainstream map of the human psyche by adding two domains of co …
What is the Purpose of Buddhist Practice?
Buddhist practice is basically to reduce or end our own suffering and cultivate peace and happiness in ourselves, and then to bring that to the world around us. ~ Ringu Tulku Rinpoche Seven Buddhist teachers from around the world were questioned about the challenges Buddhism faces as it moves into t …
Strangers in a Strange Land
Although the mind may forget its Divine birth the heart yearns ceaselessly to remember. ~ Joan Borysenko
The Nature of Consciousness and its Relationship to Matter
“…human consciousness is capable of doing many things that the brain… could not possibly do and that it is a primary….aspect of existence.” In this second post from The Conscious Revolution, Grof explores at the nature of consciousness and its relationship to matter, overturning the convention …
The Consciousness Revolution: New Perspectives
“We are not human beings having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having human experiences.” ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin This first post on our series The Consciousness Revolution introduces Stan Grof’s radical and far-reaching views about consciousness, psychotherapy, and the human ps …
Rumi: The Oldest Thing There is
… your light can fill the ocean where I live. ~ Rumi
The Work of Byron Katie: Putting the Mind on Paper
…even the most unpleasant thoughts can be met with unconditional love. ~ Byron Katie Stillness Speaks continues to introduce The Work, Byron Katie’s practical process of personal inquiry. This post concludes the series.
Swami Lakshmanjoo: What Is Successive Meditation?
Go on meditating day and night. ~ Swami Lakshamnjoo Swamiji explains what is successive meditation in Kashmir Shaivism …
We Are Grateful for Your Support
Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life…and the world. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach. Thank You for supporting Stillness Speaks with your ongoing generosity !
One Great Dreamer
…we are all characters in the dream of the One Great Dreamer. ~ Joan Borysenko
Self Realization is the Highest Healing
The intellect makes a mistake. It confuses reality with the experience of reality. ~ Deepak Chopra Deepak Chopra explains how everything in the universe is an activity and he guides each of us to know ourselves as the infinite. Read this overview of the video Self Realization is the Highest Healin …
The Work of Byron Katie: Meeting Your Thoughts with Understanding
I don’t let go of my thoughts–I meet them with understanding. Then, they let go of me. ~ Byron Katie Stillness Speaks continues to introduce The Work, Byron Katie’s practical process of personal inquiry. This post encourages us to inquire into our thoughts with understanding.
Loving Kindness Meditation
“… May all people awaken to the light of their own true nature …” Happy New Year !
Munajat: Your Home, by Pir Elias Amidon
You are very quiet, but you leave this trace in my heart. ~ Pir Elias Amidon Your Home is from Munajat a book of forty prayers, by Pir Elias Amidon, originally inspired by the Munajat — ‘whispered prayers,” or “intimate conversations with God’ — of the 12th Century Persian Sufi, Abdullah Ansari.
The Work of Byron Katie: Staying in Your Business
“Reality is God, because it rules.” ~ Byron Katie
The 12 Kalis in Kashmir Shaivism by George Barselaar
“…the Divine Mother is not far away in some seventh heaven, but is in fact the very essence of one’s own being.” ~ George Barselaar 12 Kalis in Kashmir Shaivism, written by George Barselaar is taken from the teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo. In Kashmir Shaivism, Kali takes many powerful and transfo …
Your Year End Giving Makes a Difference
“For it is in giving that we receive.” ~ Francis of Assisi This is the time of our year end giving campaign because the financial year ends in three days … so … As you consider donating to various causes … please make Stillness Speaks one of the choices of your generosity … THANK YOU!
The Work of Byron Katie: What Is, Is
“I am a lover of what is… because it hurts when I argue with reality.” ~ Byron Katie Stillness Speaks is pleased to introduce The Work, a powerful process of personal inquiry created by Byron Katie. The previous post introduced The Work of Byron Katie, giving a brief overview of what is possible i …
Introducing The Work of Byron Katie
“No one can give you freedom but you.” ~ Byron Katie Stillness Speaks is pleased to introduce The Work, a powerful process of personal inquiry, created by Byron Katie.
Dogen: Colors of Mountains
The voice and body … Sakyamuni Buddha. ~ Dogen
Ancient Wisdom in Modern Times
“Realization… is always there. It’s not an achievement or accomplishment.” ~ Sadhguru Deepak Chopra and Sadhguru discuss science, intellect, experience and realization. Read this overview of the video discussion between these two eminent spiritual teachers.
Kabir: Who Needs Words?
Where is the need of words…?
Rumi: Talking through the Door
“Where can you live safely?….in surrender.” ~ Rumi
Dogen: Fleeting Image
Fleeting image… is the way of Dharma. ~ Dogen
Ramana Maharshi: Spiritual Instruction
(Knowledge)… is that tranquil state of existence-consciousness which …. is like the waveless ocean or the motionless ether. ~ Ramana Maharshi Our previous two posts from Ramana Maharshi’s Words of Grace, provided an overview of the central enquiry… Who Am I? This third and final post explores S …
Gangaji: How Will Your Life Be Used?
“Truth remains independent of any image, any concept or any thought.” ~ Gangaji This post previews, “How Will Your Life Be Used” from Gangaji’s book Freedom and Resolve.
Nirmala: Love is What You Are
I may think love destroys me, but it is love that sets me free. ~ Nirmala Every moment of your entire life has been an experience of the flow of awareness and love to something. Even when love isn’t being experienced, there isn’t any less love; there is just less of the outward flow or expression
Sanctuary by Elias Amidon
Our future is, and always has been, something given by the whole universe. ~ Elias Amidon Sufi teacher and writer Elias Amidon explores impermanence and presence within our notion of Sanctuary. These “two” qualities of our sanctuary — impermanence and presence — are not in actuality two. How this i …
Nirmala: Love is for Giving, Not for Getting
“…you are filled with love when you love, rather than when you are loved.” ~ Nirmala Enjoy this overview of Love is for Giving, not for Getting, the concluding section from Nirmala’s book, Living from the Heart.
THANK YOU: Giving Tuesday & Puerto Rico Relief
Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation ~ John Ortberg THANK YOU for supporting our Giving Tuesday campaign. We will continue this campaign through the end of today (Nov 29, 2017) … and today’s donations will continue to be for # …
Kabir: Garden of Flowers
…your body….the garden of flowers. ~ Kabir
1 Day to Giving Tuesday: Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others? ~ Unknown Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving back. On Tuesday November 28, 2017, you’ll have the chance to join people around the world who are giving to support humanitarian causes. As part of Stillness Speaks’ #Giv …
Kashmir Shaivism: A Brief Primer (Part 3 of 3)
“The nature of this yogi and the external world become one; they are experienced as being completely united, one with the other.” ~ John Hughes John Hughes’ article Moksha in Kashmir Shaivism introduces the extraordinary soteriology of Kashmir Shaivism. This third and final post in our series expl …
Rumi: Quest
“The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” ~ Rumi
5 Days to Giving Tuesday: Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief
When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. ~ Maya Angelou Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving back. On Tuesday November 28, 2017, you’ll have the chance to join people around the world and support a cause that deepens compassion and self awareness. As part of Stillness …
Kashmir Shaivism: A Brief Primer (Part 2 of 3)
“Awareness is the reality of everything… Having differentiated knowledge and not having undifferentiated knowledge is bondage.” ~ from Shiva Sutras John Hughes’ article Moksha in Kashmir Shaivism introduces the extraordinary soteriology of Kashmir Shivaism. This second post in our series overviews t …
Stillness Speaks and Giving Tuesday: 7 Days to go
Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. ~ Desmond Tutu Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving back. On Tuesday November 28, 2017, you’ll have the chance to join people around the world and support a cause that deepens compassi …
Kashmir Shaivism: A Brief Primer (Part 1 of 3)
“…nothing can exist outside of God consciousness, because only God consciousness exists.”
The Miracle of Each Moment: Dogen Retreat
Stillness Speaks is very pleased to announce it’s first LIVE EVENT: a 2-day retreat on Zen Master Dogen … co-sponsored with Mountain Cloud Zen Center … Kaz Tanahashi, renowned Dogen scholar, translator, (and calligrapher) will co-host with Henry Shukman (guiding teacher of Mountain Cloud Zen Cen …
Rumi: Mirror
You are….a mirror to the power that created the universe. ~ Rumi
Kabir: The Secret Word
How may I ever express that secret word? ~ Kabir
Ramana Maharshi: Self Enquiry
“…meditate incessantly upon the Self and obtain the Supreme Bliss of Liberation. ~ Ramana Maharshi Read this overview of Self-Enquiry, Ramana Maharshi’s second essay from Words of Grace, which explores the necessity of self investigation.
Ramana Maharshi: Who Am I?
“…everyone has the greatest love for himself…solely due to the fact that happiness is his real nature.” ~ Ramana Maharshi To discover the birth-right of happiness, Ramana Maharshi urges us to discover who we really are. To do this, we must each inquire “Who am I” in quest of the Self. Read this o …
Rumi: Quietness
“Walk out like someone suddenly born into color.” ~ Rumi
Alan Watts: The “Bag of Skin” Hoax
“The inside information is that yourself as “just little me” who “came into this world” and lives temporarily in a bag of skin is a hoax and a fake.” ~ Alan Watts
Alan Watts: Inside Information
We do not need a new religion or a new bible. We need a new experience—a new feeling of what it is to be “I.” ~ Alan Watts Inside Information is the first chapter in Alan Watt’s book The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. This post overviews this fascinating chapter written in 1966 which explores a …
Kabir: The Moon Shines
“The moon shines in my body, but my blind eyes cannot see it…” ~ Kabir
Gangaji: Vigilance as Deep Surrender
“Vigilance is sacred, quiet, peaceful vigil at the flame of truth.” Gangaji From Gangaji’s book Freedom and Resolve. “If you are truly vigilant you will discover yourself as not separate from truth.”
Nirmala: Following the Heart’s Wisdom
“When you are in touch with the ultimate truth and the most complete sense of Being, there is nothing separate remaining … no experiencer, no Heart, and no sense of self. There is only Being.” ~ Nirmala Read this overview of The Heart’s Wisdom from Nirmala’s book, Living from the Heart.
Rumi: Become Nothing
Become Nothing … And He’ll turn you into everything! ~ Rumi
Adyashanti: Three Orienting Ideas
“We are all born with being veiled in obscurity…restoring being to its true dominion and sovereignty is what spiritual awakening makes possible” ~ Adyashanti In this introduction to The Three Orienting Ideas, the second chapter of The Way of Liberation, Adyashanti explores the Question of Being …
Pradeep Apte: The Unborn Nisargadatta
“In solitude I keep meditating on the truth ‘I am Unborn’ and thus I always know that the memory ‘I am’ is false.” ~ Pradeep Apte In this book of short verses, The Unborn Nisargadatta, Pradeep Apte celebrates and embellishes the teachings and example of Nisargadatta Maharaj. This preview presents a …
Lao Tzu: Manifestations and Mystery
Know the manifestations but hold to the mystery. ~ Lao Tzu
Adyashanti: Foundation for Living Our True Nature
“The Way of Liberation is a way of completely facing yourself…without withdrawing into denial, judgment, or magical thinking. It is a means of piercing through the veils of illusion and awakening to Truth.” ~ Adyashanti Adyashanti offers a foundation for “… living and manifesting the ultimate n …
Nirmala: How to Live From the Heart
“The Heart is the totality of your connection with the essential qualities and greater dimensions of your true nature as limitless Being.” ~ Nirmala Living from the Heart offers a beautiful exploration about how to live. Nirmala’s language and tone is easily absorbed. Each section has instructive p …
Gangaji: On Knowing … Stillness … Silence
Be still beyond belief. ~ Gangaji Enjoy this poetic excerpt from Gangaji’s book: You Are That.
Elias Amidon: How to Practice Living Presence
“The source of existence is immanently present, and it is alive.” ~ Elias Amidon Sufi teacher and writer Elias Amidon reveals ways to be intuitively open to presence which is both around us and in us — at all times, as the living source of our existence.
Shinzen Young: Is Enlightenment a Myth?
“Enlightenment is freedom from non-enlightenment.” Shinzen Young answers the key question: Is enlightenment a myth? Read this preview of his provocative answer.
Adyashanti: Practical Guide to Spiritual Awakening
“The primary task of any good spiritual teaching is not to answer your questions, but to question your answers.” ~ Adyashanti Read this Introduction to Adyashanti’s book, The Way of Liberation, a stripped-down, practical guide to spiritual awakening … includes FREE Download of eBook.
Rupert Spira on Consciousness, Part 3 of 3
“That which is, never ceases to be. That which is not, never comes into Being.” ~ Parmenides Our three part series with Rupert Spira on Sat Chit Ananda or “truth, consciousness, and bliss” concludes with Part 3. Explore how Consciousness is all that is every really known; and… Consciousness not on …
Rupert Spira on Consciousness, Part 2 of 3
…the existence of two things, in fact implies the existence of an infinity of things, each with their own independent reality. In other words, an infinity of things, implies an infinity of realities. ~Rupert Spira Our three part series with Rupert Spira on Sat Chit Ananda or “truth, consciousness, …
Finding Deeper Happiness
“…although the the techniques, the focus strategies, that are used around the world are quite different, they all build a combination of fundamental attention skills.” ~ Shinzen Young In the short video Finding Deeper Happiness, Shinzen Young explores: Are there similar techniques and approaches ac …
Gangaji: You Are Already Whole, Part 2 of 2
When the mind recognizes it is only a servant of God, then the mind is useful. ~ Gangaji In this conclusion to the two-part series, You are Already Whole, Gangaji continues to explore living within our innate wholeness.
Gangaji: You Are Already Whole, Part 1 of 2
This moment is now. Now does not mean in the present. Now is before past, present, and future. ~ Gangaji This preview of You are Already Whole, Part 1, by author and contemporary non-duality sage Gangaji explores questions about living, being and suffering, all within our innate wholeness.
Whole-Hearted Attention
The secret of beginning a life of deep awareness and sensitivity lies in our willingness to pay attention…. Continue to read the entire passage by Christina Feldman and Jack Kornfield…
Pir Elias Amidon: Open Awareness
Awareness is primordial; it is the original state, beginningless, endless, uncaused, unsupported, without parts, without change… It is the common matrix of every experience. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer the Preface and first chapter from Pir Elias Amidon’s book, Th …
Rupert Spira on Consciousness, Part 1 of 3
There is nothing more essential or primal in our experience than this Knowing Being…This essential Knowing of our own Being is what is referred to by the word Happiness. ~ Rupert Spira
Hafiz: Now is the Time
“Now is the time to know … all you do is sacred.” Enjoy Now is the Time from The Gift with translations of Persia’s beloved 14th century poet, Hafiz.
Spontaneous Glimpses & Leaking Samadhi, Part 3
”you need to have concentration, clarity and equanimity … you are trying to detect something very subtle, the presence of the eternal observer, the still point of the turning world.” ~ Shinzen Young This post previews Part 3 of the short video-clip series with Shinzen Young. Shinzen goes into deta …
Beyond 5 Sense Based Humanity?
“We are built out of very small stuff, and we are embedded in a very large cosmos, and the fact is that we are not very good at understanding reality at either of those scales.” ~ David Eagleman
Einstein: Reflections on Kindness and Meaning
“The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth.” ~ Albert Einstein Enjoy a few snippets from his reflective book, Ideas and Opinions….
Richard Rohr: Becoming Stillness
The spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness there he met the wild beast. Angels ministered to him. ~ St. Mark In this preview of an inspiring talk given at Norwich Cathedral, Fr. Richard Rohr outlines his vision of a non-dual Christianity, which disappeared from the west 400 years ago. In his travel …
Spontaneous Glimpses & Leaking Samadhi Part 1
If you have the concentration, clarity and equanimity skills, you can untangle and unblock that re-arising of the mind body experience… Shinzen Young talks about the somewhat commonly reported spontaneous but fleeting experience of glimpsing our true nature… … awakening to the boundless, timel …
Nirmala: Just What Minds Do …
…in the vacant interlude the mind finds no grip. ~ Nirmala Enjoy this poem from Gifts with No Giver, a love affair with truth, Poems by Nirmala.
Shinzen Young: Change Your Life with Mindful Awareness
…the ordinary coping mechanism that people carry through life is to tighten up and turn away. The new coping mechanism is the diametric opposite, it’s open up and turn toward. ~ Shinzen Young Explore this informative, conversational and humorous teaching video, How Mindfulness can Transform Your …
Richard Rohr’s Bottom-Up Spirituality
People who’ve had any genuine spiritual experience always know that they don’t know. They are utterly humbled before mystery. They are in awe before the abyss of it all, in wonder at eternity and depth, and a Love, which is incomprehensible to the mind. Stillness Speaks is pleased to introduce Richa …
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: Prior to Consciousness
I, by Myself, Awareness, descend into this consciousness, and in this consciousness I express Myself in manifold ways, in innumerable forms. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Emptiness & The Depth of Being: Almaas & Thurman
“I don’t exist but at the same time, I am responsible.” ~ A.H. Almaas In this illuminating conversation, from the 2016 SAND Conference, Hameed Ali Almaas and Robert Thurman discuss the subject of being and nonbeing, emptiness and presence and how this is a foray into the unknown depths of being. Le …
Consciousness & Awareness: Almaas & Spira
Awareness can be experienced in two ways, awareness of being-ness (pure self) and awareness of nonbeing-ness (selfless awareness). Both are awareness, but it seems that awareness has two faces. ~ Hameed Ali We are pleased to offer this fascinating and challenging conversation, recorded at the 2013 S …
Dogen: Impermanence
To what shall I liken the world? ~ Dogen Read this poem by the famous Zen Master…
Henry Shukman: The Moment that Still IS
I was given this greatest opportunity of all opportunities – to be a human being. ~ Henry Shukman Henry Shukman shares his direct experience … of nothing but pure awareness … where there is no seer … of dying without dying … the moment that still IS … which opened him to the amazing gift o …
Robert Rabbin: Techniques
We must become servants of meditation, so meditation will become our Master.” ~ Robert Rabbin Contemporary mystic Robert Rabbin speaks with intimate authority about the fundamental nature of being, reality, essence. Techniques is a poem from Robert’s book, The Explosive Silence of Meditation, a col …
Joan Tollifson: Consciousness, Awareness & Attention, Part 2 of 2
Everyone sees a completely unique movie of waking life. When we try to meet each other on the level of forms and appearances, the results are often unsatisfying. But as awareness, we are one whole undivided being. ~ Joan Tollifson Are consciousness, awareness and attention the same thing? Joan Toll …
Joan Tollifson: Consciousness, Awareness & Attention, Part 1 of 2
…consciousness is the common factor in every experience—the undeniable knowingness of being here now, the bare sense of presence. ~ Joan Tollifson Are consciousness, awareness and attention the same thing? Joan Tollifson answers this question by examining these familiar yet enigmatic “concepts.”
The Ten Thousand Things: Freedom to Be
The deepest wellsprings of thought and action exist beyond our ken and beyond conscious control. ~ Robert Saltzman In Freedom to Be, an excerpt from TheTen Thousand Things, Robert Saltzman explores free-will within the context of no intrinsic self. He explores who or what makes choices and examines …
One Bright Pearl: A Conversation About Zen & Awakening
“… I and all beings and the whole great earth together simultaneously have attained the Way …” ~ Buddha’s words after his awakening … In this exclusive VIDEO, available only to our subscribers, Henry Shukman and Chris Hebard converse about a wide range of topics about Zen and awakening …
Munajat: Benediction, by Pir Elias Amidon
I don’t know where your light comes from or where I end and you begin. ~ Pir Elias Amidon Benediction is from Munajat a book of forty prayers, by Pir Elias Amidon, originally inspired by the Munajat — ‘whispered prayers,” or “intimate conversations with God’ — of the 12th Century Persian Sufi, Abdul …
Overview of Emptiness, a series in 10 parts, by Greg Goode
Experiencing self, other and world as empty is to joyfully experience one’s place in a light, free, open-ended, interpenetrating webwork of relations and dependencies. ~ Greg Goode Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer this comprehensive ten-part series that explores the nature of Emptiness, written …
Here and Now, Robert Saltzman
This is about actually hearing something for the first time, something you have never heard before. ~ Robert Saltzman Robert Saltzman has shared this short poetic video with Stillness Speaks which offers a moving photo-montage and lyrical insights about the simplicity of living here and now. Enjo …
Dogen: Deep Grass
In the midst of illusion I awaken to the true path. ~ Dogen Read more of this meditative offering.
Richard Sylvester: Non-Duality Questions & Answers
Nothing will get the person out of their prison because the person is the prison. When the person drops away, it is seen that there never was a prison in the first place. ~ Richard Sylvester Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer an excerpt (downloadable PDF) from Richard Sylvester’s latest book, Non- …
Henry Shukman: Zen and the Art… Part 4 of 4
..the secret truth is that art is useless… Its “purpose” is to delight with its purposelessness, to demonstrate that in our lives of “getting and spending” there must be one thing without utilitarian value. ~ Henry Shukman We are pleased to offer the concluding installment of this 4-part series, Z …
Rumi on Thankfulness: The Soul of Beneficence
Thankfulness is the soul of beneficence … … Enjoy Rumi’s wisdom … includes downloadable content.
Eckhart Tolle: Deeply Accepting This Moment …
When you deeply accept this moment as it is … no matter what form it takes … … Enjoy Eckhart Tolle’s wisdom … includes downloadable content.
Philip Renard: Five Hallmarks of Non-Dualism, Part 2 of 2
This is a training in not meditating, a training in naturalness, in letting be.” Tulku Urgyen Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer the fifth chapter, Five Hallmarks of Universal Non-dualism, from Philip Renard’s book Non-Dualism: Eastern Enlightenment in the World of Western Enlightenment which pro …
Henry Shukman: Zen and the Art… Part 3 of 4
Perhaps there is a parallel between the artist wrestling with his medium, bending it to the shape he seeks, and a dharma practitioner wrestling with the equally intractable medium of the “self,” which she strives to see for what it is. We are pleased to offer part 3 of this 4-part series, Zen and Th …
Explosive Silence of Meditation: Strategies
Meditation doesn’t promise anything. It isn’t a strategy. It simply is. … ~ Robert Rabbin Enjoy one of Robert’s 48 sutras for Modern Mystics (Strategies) from his book The Explosive Silence of Meditation … includes downloadable content.
Philip Renard: Five Hallmarks of Non-Dualism, Part 1 of 2
All form existing in the world exists in consciousness. All degrees of good and evil, all experience of freedom and lack of it exist entirely in consciousness. ~ Philip Renard Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer the fifth chapter, Five Hallmarks of Universal Non-dualism, from Philip Renard’s book …
Munajat: Your Beautiful Composure, by Pir Elias Amidon
Inside the noise my life makes you live in silence. ~ Pir Elias Amidon Your Beautiful Composure is from Munajat a book of forty prayers, by Pir Elias Amidon, originally inspired by the Munajat — ‘whispered prayers,” or “intimate conversations with God’ — of the 12th Century Persian Sufi, Abdullah An …
Colors of Infinity: A Wisdom Gallery
“In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart …” ~ Howard Thurman As we continue celebrating the first anniversary of launching the new Stillness Speaks ! … we offer some of our popular “wisdom nuggets” … so please … read on to discover these “hidden gems” … and, …
The Ten Thousand Things: Awakening Never Ends
We are lost in a fantasy of separation in which I am “in here” while the world I see—the ten thousand things—is “out there.” It is from that confusion that one awakens. ~ Robert Saltzman Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer this excerpt, Awakening Never Ends, from Robert Saltzman’s new book, The Ten …
Sacred Whirling, Sufism & Advaita, a 5-part Series
“… So the divine level is the one mind, the one consciousness, which is also the same thing as who you are …” ~ Philip Jacobs This Overview introduces a 5-part interview between Paula Marvelly and Philip Jacobs, resident Sheikh of the London-based Study Society, discussing Advaita, Sufism and the tu …
Henry Shukman: Zen and the Art… Part 2 of 4
“The arts of Zen are not intended for utilitarian purposes or for purely aesthetic enjoyment, but are meant to train the mind, indeed, to bring it in contact with ultimate reality.” ~ D.T Suzuki We are pleased to offer part 2 of this 4-part series, Zen and The Art, authored by Zen teacher and poet …
Robert Rabbin: Glory
“You’ve got to be awake, alert, and ready for anything. If you live in your mind, you will always seek safety and security, finding it in beliefs and dogma, but all the while you will be hiding from life.” ~ Robert Rabbin Contemporary mystic Robert Rabbin speaks with intimate authority about the fu …
Philip Renard: Non-Dualism, Part 2 of 2
Radical non-dualism non-separation is the basic-premise of existence, the inherent element of it – hence the expression ‘the natural state’. ~ Philip Renard Stillness Speaks is delighted to offer the first chapter, What is Non-dualism? from Philip Renard’s book Non-Dualism: Eastern Enlightenment in …
Henry Shukman: Zen and the Art… Part 1 of 4
“There seemed to be a natural congruence between writing and the practice of zazen. And practice was demonstrably helpful: through daily zazen I worried less, focused more, had better ideas and produced more.” ~ Henry Shukman We are pleased to offer this 4-part series, Zen and The Art, authored by Z …
Munajat: Sama by Pir Elias Amidon
Munajat: “… a “whispered prayer” … is On its way to endlessness it has no need for hurry. ~ Pir Elias Amidon Munajat is a book of forty prayers, by Pir Elias Amidon. These prayers “… were originally inspired by the Munajat — “whispered prayers.” Enjoy Sama, another of Elias’ intimate conversa …
Pir Elias: The Mysticism of Music
“If we listen closely to the coming-into-and-passing-out-of-being of each sound we can recognize that here is the very creation and renewal of the cosmos.” ~ Pir Elias Pir Elias Amidon explores the mystery of music, What happens when music touches us? What is it that enchants us in the mingling of …
Henry Shukman: Shinku and What does Being Here Mean?
If you discover the real nothing, everything then becomes wondrous being. Henry Shukman shares his thoughts on Shinku and Shunyata, true vast emptiness, as defined and encoutered in Zen and Buddhist traditions. He states “being here is not what we take it to be.”
Philip Renard: Non-Dualism, Part 1 of 2
“Non-duality is what remains when the seeking stops, when there is ‘finding’. This happens when the inner struggle is realized as being not based on reality, and in this realization the whole body-mind relaxes. I am not two.” ~Philip Renard Stillness Speaks is delighted to offer the first chapter, W …
Rumi: Like This
When someone mentions the gracefulness of the nightsky, climb up on the roof and dance and say, Like this. If anyone wants to know what “spirit” is, or what “God’s fragrance” means, lean your head toward him or her. Keep your face there close. …
Henry Shukman: Who is it that Lives?
“I and all beings, and the whole great earth together have simultaneously attained the way.” ~Shakyamuni Buddha Henry Shukman shares his thoughts on Shakyamuni Buddha’s pre-awakening journey as he finally resolved, his burning question: “Who is it that lives?”
The Ten Thousand Things: Awakening and Behavior
To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things. ~ Eihei Dogen, 1200-1253 Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer this excerpt from Robert Saltzman’s new book The Ten Thousand Things which takes a unique and pragmatic look at awaken …
What is a Koan?
The koan is a little nugget of something an awakened master did during his time. ~ Henry Shukman Henry Shukman, Sanbo Zen Teacher and long time koan student, answers the question: What is a koan?
Teacher and the Self Inquiry Journey
Is a teacher important on the journey of deep listening, self inquiry? Continue reading for Stillness Speaks’ perspective on teachers for the self realization journey.
Joan Tollifson: Exploring The Simplicity of What Is, a 7-part series
“Liberation is the aliveness and immediacy beyond belief. Liberation is when all the answers, explanations and positions disappear, and what remains is the open mind of not knowing.” ~Joan Tollifson In this seven part essay, The Simplicity of What Is, Joan explores “the imaginary problems that we th …
Robert Rabbin: Lovers – The Heart of Meditation
“… The heart of meditation is eternity without center or edge …” ~ Robert Rabbin Continue reading to enjoy Robert’s full poem …
Joan Tollifson: The Simplicity of What Is (Part 7 of 7)
“Awakening is never about achieving something that isn’t right here, right now.” “Truth is not in the future, but Now. Not hidden, but obvious and unavoidable. Not in concepts, but in actuality.” This post concludes Joan Tollifson’s profound seven part series, the Simplicity of What Is.
Rumi: Gnats Speaking with Solomon
“O Solomon, you are the champion of the oppressed. You give justice to the little guys, and they don’t get any littler than us! We are tiny metaphors for frailty. Can you defend us?” Continue reading to enjoy Rumi’s full poem …
Deepak Chopra: The Human Universe
“That’s the current state of our cosmology, nothingness. Is that nothing just an empty void? Or could it be the womb of creation? Rumi said, ‘we come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.’ Spinning out of nothingness–that could be you.” Deepak Chopra discusses the seven universes …
Joan Tollifson: The Simplicity of What Is (Part 6 of 7)
“Liberation is the aliveness and immediacy beyond belief. Liberation is when all the answers, explanations and positions disappear, and what remains is the open mind of not knowing.” “Boundlessness… means that everything is equally insubstantial, that there are no separate “things” to be joined, t …
Kaz Tanahashi & Henry Shukman: Dogen Retreat
“Rising, as the mountain Peaks and valleys deepen- The twilight sound of the cicada Singing of a day Already gone by.” ~ Dogen We are pleased to announce Stillness Speaks’ first live event in Santa Fe on Zen Master Dogen with co-hosts, Kaz Tanahashi and Henry Shukman. We will co-sponsor this event w …
Shukman: Sanbo Zen & Unconditional Well Being
It’s not so much that are our existence is separate, it just IS other beings. Henry Shukman briefly previews Sanbo Zen … and shares his thoughts on where/how “unconditional well being is to be found.”
Pir Elias: The Art of Awakening, Part 2 of 2
“…there is a ripening process that spiritual practices can serve, to bring us to a readiness from which we may more easily open beyond path and ripening and preparation.” Pir Elias concludes his essay on the “Art of Awakening” by exploring this key question: What, then, does it take for a spiritua …
Pir Elias: The Art of Awakening, Part 1 of 2
“Looking for it, the vision cannot be seen: cease your search … It cannot be accomplished by anything you do … It cannot be found by seeking, so abandon all hope of results …” ~ Shabkar Lama Pir Elias Amidon explores three significant questions in Part 1 of this 2-part compelling series: If we …
Joan Tollifson: The Simplicity of What Is (Part 5 of 7)
“Liberation isn’t about getting rid of anything; it’s about seeing that the apparent obstacle has no reality and that the “me” who wants to stop thinking is just another mental image, another thought, another movie character in another story.” -Joan Tollifson Continue Joan Tollifson’s compelling exp …
Shūsaku Endō’s: Silence
Be still and know that I am God “The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” —Habakkuk 2:20 “It is not possible to praise this tale of religious apostasy highly enough for all the themes it explores…” Read Paula Marvelly’s compelling explorative review of the 196 …
Ellerby: Remembering Our Sacred Source
“… All things are made holy in their union with the Sacred …” ~ Jonathan Ellerby In this post Jonathan reminds us that “… The immeasurable essence of our Sacred Source lives within everyone and connects us to our eternal origin and the fabric of being …” Enjoy!
Henry Shukman: Addiction to Suffering
Suffering is a system to which we attach ourselves. In a way, that’s OK. If that’s what we choose to do, then so be it. Except in another way it’s not OK, because we suffer. We find it painful. Is it better to maintain what is in essence an addiction? Read more to find out …
Exploring Eastern Wisdom’s Relevance for the West: a 9-part series
“You can never get enough of what you don’t need to make you happy.” ~ Eric Hoffer In its efforts to consolidate and distribute authentic resources for those deeply interested in self inquiry, Stillness Speaks has created a nine part series that focuses on a central question: What was the secret pro …
Ellerby: One Day You Will be the Answer
There are moments when Light turns to Spirit. … In that moment You will disappear completely, … Continue reading to enjoy Jonathan Ellerby’s full poem …
Introduction: Non-Dualism, Eastern Enlightenment in the World of Western Enlightenment
“Many schools… of these Eastern ways of liberation reached the West as separate movements, each one conveying a message that seems to be different from the other. Investigation based on direct experience reveals that the core of some of these teachings is basically one and the same… ” Stillness …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 10 of 10)
“As far back as ancient Greece, and at many subsequent times in history, there have been Western thinkers who investigated similar questions: objectivity, independence and essence” ~ Greg Goode In Part 10 of this series, Greg concludes his overview of emptiness with the Western Teachings
Joan Tollifson: The Simplicity of What Is (Part 4 of 7)
” …enlightenment is the end of the one who cares about being enlightened or unenlightened..” -Joan Tollifson “Whenever there is confusion and seeking, it’s a clue that thought is busy chasing its own tail. Actuality is simple.” Continue Joan Tollifson’s compelling exploration of the Simplicity of …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 9 of 10)
“Experiencing self, other and world as empty is to joyfully experience one’s place in a light, free, open-ended, interpenetrating webwork of relations and dependencies. Lightness and joy come from no longer feeling as though reality has or needs a foundation ” ~ Greg Goode In Part 9 of this series, …
Vashishta: Inner Self
Deep inside of each one of us is light that is utterly peaceful and quiet. It is the you in me and the me in you. It is unaffected and undisturbed by the outer world. … Continue reading to enjoy full post…
Joan Tollifson: The Simplicity of What Is (Part 3 of 7)
“Notice that everything is constantly changing, and yet, it all happens in this ever-present Here and Now. This timeless immediacy can’t be pinned down, nor can it be avoided.” -Joan Tollifson Continue Joan Tollifson’s compelling exploration of the Here and Now in Part 3 of this seven part series Th …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 8 of 10)
“According to the Buddhist path, one trains to stabilize the attention, abandon harmful actions, take up helpful actions, generate patience and compassion, and meditate on the nature of self and other.” ~ Greg Goode In Part 8, Greg continues his overview of emptiness with How to Realize Emptiness.
Rest: Retire to the Center of Your Being
To know Tao Meditate And still the mind … … ~ Loy Ching Yuen We are taking a brief rest … so there is no newsletter this week … if you are interested, here’s our most recent newsletter, titled : Sanbo Zen, Simplicity of What Is, Nonduality & More … and our newsletter archives. Meantime …
Zen and Work: Sanbo Zen (Part 9)
“Nurturing and supporting “kensho”, realization of the way in Zen, is Sanbo Zen’s primary mission. It may be the only practice dedicated solely to awakening, followed by the complete integration of that direct experience into every aspect of life. In this final part of our series (Part 9) we learn a …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 7 of 10)
“Compassion moves the practitioner beyond a merely memorized or intellectual understanding of the emptiness teachings. Compassion helps one’s realization become global and holistic.” ~ Greg Goode In Part 7, Greg continues his overview of emptiness with Compassion and Emptiness.
Danna Faulds: The Weaver and the Loom
Dare to be the weaver and the loom, creator and creation, the sower and the sown. In a moment of stillness, all that came before is seen as one. …. Continue reading to enjoy Danna’s full poem …
Joan Tollifson: The Simplicity of What Is (Part 2 of 7)
“Reality can’t ever be captured in concepts” -Joan Tollifson “Is it possible that the peace and well-being we seek…cannot be found or satisfied by answers or attainments or experiences of any kind?” Continue Joan Tollifson’s exploration of life’s universal questions in Part 2 of this seven part s …
Zen: The Birth of Sanbokyodan – Sanbo Zen (Part 8)
“If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?” ~ Dogen Zenji In Part 8 of this series, we explore how Sanbokyodan influenced Zen in America … as part of our ongoing exploration of the fundamental question: Is the Eastern Wisdom of India, Tibet and Jap …
Zen for Troubled Times – Henry Shukman
Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear, and you will realize the unity of all things – Dogen 1200-1253 Zen was born in a time of Crisis. During the Chinese Tang dynasty between 600-900 AD the two great traditions of B …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 6 of 10)
“…inherent existence is the kind of existence that things do not have. Things actually lack inherent existence, because they exist as dependent arisings.” ~ Greg Goode In Part 6, Greg continues his overview of emptiness by exploring Inherent Existence and its relationship with emptiness and depend …
Danna Faulds: Experience This Moment As It Is…
Live this day as if the earth exhales blessings in your direction … Continue reading to enjoy Danna’s full poem …
Joan Tollifson: The Simplicity of What Is (Part 1 of 7)
“Ultimate Reality is right here in plain view. It is never hidden, it requires no belief, and it is utterly beyond all doubt.” – Joan Tollifson “What is life all about? Does it mean anything? Where are we looking for happiness or liberation? Do we have free will? What is enlightenment and how can I …
Nirmala: The Hurried Creek & The Restless Sea …
the restless sea becomes smooth and mirrors the clouds and in ceasing all motion rejoins its own depths … Continue reading to enjoy Nirmala’s full poem …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 5 of 10)
“…we are not separate and independent entities, but rather we exist in dependence on webworks of relations and transactions …” ~ Greg Goode In Part 5 of this series, Greg continues his overview of emptiness … and explores Emptiness and Dependent Arising, Conventional Existence, and Emptiness I …
Henry Shukman: Buddha’s Middle Way
“… one of the eight tenets of Mahayana Buddhism is that all beings are in the process of becoming Buddha …” ~ Henry Shukman Henry’s message about Buddha’s Middle Way … from Mountain Cloud Zen Center’s February 28, 2017 weekly Newsletter …
Munajat: The Quiet by Pir Elias Amidon
Munajat: “… a “whispered prayer” … is love-talk evoking the nearness of divine reality … ~ Pir Elias Amidon Enjoy another of Elias’ intimate conversations with God! …
Zen: What are Soto, Rinzai, & Sanbokyodan Schools? (Part 7)
“… the very impermanency of grass and tree, thicket and forest is the Buddha nature …” ~ Dogen In Part 7 of this series, we consider the emergence of Zen in 20th century – it’s various schools: Soto, Rinzai, and Sanbokyodan … as part of our ongoing exploration of the fundamental question: Is the …
Dennis Waite: Misconceptions about Advaita (Part 2 of 2)
Guest author, Dennis Waite, concludes his thoughts on the misconceptions about Advaita … in this 2-Part series.
Advaita: Enlightenment through Knowledge? Are Practice or Experience Necessary?
Can Enlightenment be obtained through knowledge? Are practice or experience necessary? Chris Hebard explores these key questions in his commentary on Dennis Waite’s series titled Misconceptions about Advaita …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 4 of 10)
“… Everything is said to be empty, even emptiness …” ~ Greg Goode In Part 4 of this series, Greg continues his overview of emptiness … and explores The Dialectical Approach and The Buddhist perspective …
Dennis Waite: Misconceptions about Advaita (Part 1 of 2)
“… The knowledge conveyed by Advaita is that there is only Consciousness – ever …” ~ Dennis Waite In this 2-part series, guest author, Dennis Waite, shares his thoughts on the misconceptions about Advaita …
Dogen Zenji: Zen in Japan (Part 6)
“… For Dogen, the miracle {of beyondness or buddha realm} can happen each moment, as each moment of duality is inseparable from a moment of nonduality …” ~ Kaz Tanahashi In Part 6 of this series, we continue the review of Zen in Japan – through Dogen’s journey of self realization … as part of ou …
Pir Elias Amidon: Munajat – Forty Prayers: In The Cathedral
“On the one hand {a “whispered prayer,” or “intimate conversation with God” is a} … love-talk evoking the nearness of divine reality, and on the other hand it can’t help but go mute as it points to the unspeakable majesty of the Real …” ~ Elias Amidon Enjoy one of Elias’ intimate conversation wi …
Living Fully: Awakening in Our Time with Zen Master Dogen
Stillness Speaks is very pleased to announce an upcoming retreat on Zen Master Dogen … co-sponsored with Mountain Cloud Zen Center … in July 2017. Kaz Tanahashi, renowned Dogen scholar, translator, (and calligrapher) will co-host with Henry Shukman (guiding teacher of Mountain Cloud Zen Center), …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 3 of 10)
“… Emptiness teachings … transform life in a way that makes it light-hearted, joyful and vibrantly alive …” ~ Greg Goode In Part 3 of this series, Greg addresses how emptiness can help with suffering …
Zen in Japan: Dogen Zenji (Part 5)
“In spring hundreds of flowers, in autumn the clear moon, In summer a cool breeze, and in winter the white snow, if your mind is free of vanity, then every season is fine.” In Part 5 of this series, we delve into the mystery and promise of Zen, particularly Zen in Japan … as we continue to explore …
Pir Elias: Meditations on Nondual Awakening
“Open now into the clear presence of this moment … silent and open …” ~ Elias Amidon Free Medicine – Meditations on Nondual Awakening, is a recently published book by a “soon to be added” teacher: Pir Elias Amidon. Connie Shaw, the publisher, graciously offered 3 chapters, as a PDF, for free dow …
The Peace That Surpasses All Understanding (Part 4)
“… You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself …” ~ Alan Watts We resume the multi-part series titled: Is the Eastern Wisdom relevant to me in contemporary American Culture? … In Part 4 of this ongoing series we explore retracing the adventures of Western …
Rumi: Discernment and Surrender
You said, “Who’s at the door?” I said. “Your slave.” You said, “What do you want?” I said. “To see you and bow.” … “You said, “Who did you come with?” “The majestic imagination you gave me.” … Enjoy Rumi’s entire poem “Talk through the door” …
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 2 of 10)
“… Emptiness teachings … free you from experiencing yourself and world in terms of … opposites …” ~ Greg Goode In Part 2 of this 10-part series, Greg address two questions: How is Emptiness Nondual? and What Does Emptiness Mean? Enjoy!
Henry Shukman: Koan Training in the West
“… Understanding “self” as a “sensorium” constructed from several channels of experience, and seeing through the illusion … seeing through to Zero, the fundamental infinite-empty-oneness of self and world, space and time …” ~ Henry Shukman Henry writes a message in Mountain Cloud Zen Center’s …
Shams of Tabriz: Love & The Soul of Fire
“Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water.” ~ Shams of Tabriz Enjoy the full poem on love by Shams-e-Tabriz, the man totally “annihilated in God,” who was instrumental in bringing us the gift of Rumi!
Emptiness by Greg Goode (Part 1 of 10)
“Finding the absence of the inherently existent self is realizing the emptiness of the self.” ~ Greg Goode A comprehensive overview of the Indo-Tibetan approach to Prasangika Madhyamaka … In this 10-part series, Greg takes us on a deep dive into emptiness … in this Part 1 he gives us an overview …
Pir Elias: Acceptance, Silence, Awe, & More …
“… accept things exactly as they are, including your wanting them to be different. In that acceptance, a way forward is gently given …” ~ Pir Elias In this beautiful and profound post, guest author, Pir Elias Amidon, shares some “suggestions and aphorisms” on acceptance, silence, awe, and more … …
Adyashanti: The Gifts & Secrets of Silence
“… Mind throws itself at Silence demanding to be let in. But no mind can enter into Her radiant darkness Her pure and smiling nothingness …” ~ Adyashanti Enjoy this poetry of silence by Adyashanti, one of our featured teachers …
Many Roads to Awakening or Here/Now (Part 3 of 3)
“The ever-present, ever-changing, nonconceptual actuality of the present moment is effortlessly presenting itself right now. Here / Now is the boundlessness that has no opposite and no other. This is it.” ~ Joan Tollifson In this concluding Part of the 3-part series, guest author, Joan Tollifson con …
Greg Goode: After Awareness – The End of the Path
The direct path, taught by Shri Atmananda Krishna Menon, is “a way of reaching lasting love and happiness undisturbed by conditions.” We are delighted to introduce Greg Goode’s latest book: After Awareness – The End of the Path … he has also graciously provided the books’ summary for free download i …
Many Roads to Awakening or Here/Now (Part 2 of 3)
“… we are not a discrete unit of consciousness encapsulated inside a body, but that the body, the mind, and this whole universe is in this aware space that is what “I” truly am … Awareness is boundless. It has no location, no owner … all experiences appear within it. Awareness beholds it all … is no …
Rumi: Trusting The Universe – Fear or Blessing?
Invariably or maybe inevitably, themes, or principles, like “Trust the universe” … or … “let go” … or … “allow it to happen” … are encountered in the journey of self discovery, the journey where discovering one’s True Nature is the primary yearning … the exquisite, endless, paradoxical j …
Many Roads to Awakening or Here/Now (Part 1 of 3)
“The ever-present, ever-changing, nonconceptual actuality of the present moment is effortlessly presenting itself right now. This bare being is nondual, undivided, boundless, and without obstruction. … ” ~ Joan Tollifson In Part 1 of this 3 part series guest author, Joan Tollifson, explores the d …
Gangaji: Self Inquiry & Spiritual Maturity
“Perhaps you realize the grace of a moment of beauty. To be true to that grace you must explore it. See if it truly ends …” ~ Gangaji See what Gangaji has to say about spiritual maturity … as one continues explorations in consciousness through self inquiry …
Rumi: The Moment …
… This world is a moment, a pouring that refreshes and renews itself … … Happy New Year dear Stillness Speaks community … May this year be filled with continuous sparks of joy, peace and contentment ! Enjoy the above full Rumi poem and more …
2016 Review And A Glimpse Of 2017
“Gratitude takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder.” ~ Thomas Merton We are filled with gratitude to be serving the Stillness Speaks community … and deeply appreciate your support through donations and your ongoing engagements with Stillness Speaks c …
Robert Rabbin’s Message of Peace
“Light a sacred fire for peace” ~ Pujas For Peace Earlier this week, we posted a prayer for peace as part of our small addition to the “energy of peace” for the planet. Synchronistically, through our dear friend, Robert Rabbin, we found Pujas For Peace – an organization with a positive vision that i …
Prayer For Peace
“The first peace … comes within the souls of people when they realize … their oneness, with the universe … and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka (“The Great Mystery”), and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.” ~ Black Elk Adorabl …
Newsletter : What is Stand With Standing Rock?
Click here for the newsletter dedicated to Stand With Standing Rock movement …. this movement has to do with saving Native American sacred lands and keeping water clean for 17 million people throughout America … also, learn its history, current state-of-affairs, how to stay informed about it … AND m …
Standing Rock: Spiritually Grounded Social Engagement
“Mni Wiconi … Water is Life” ~ Standing Rock’s Call to Solidarity Since April 2016, people from all over America, and other parts of the world, have gathered at Standing Rock – in solidarity – to stop the Dakota Access pipeline thereby protecting the water and their sacred land … Chris visited Oceti …
Be Thankful
“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” ~ Ralph Blum Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire, If you did, what would there be to look forward to? …. Read the full poem to deepen your gratitude …
{Gratitude} Prayer For The Great Family
Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day– and to her soil: rich, rare, and sweet in our minds so be it. …. Continue reading to enjoy Gary Snyder’s full poem
What If …
“… The vanishing of Everything from Awareness, including yourself as the one aware, and yet… Awareness continued?…” Chuck Surface’s beautiful and profound poem : What If …
Rumi: The Path of Love
“In Rumi’s poetry, love is the soul of the universe, and the soul knows no bounds … it embraces all people, all countries, and all religions … The goal of Sufism is to know love in all of its glorious forms : and every prophet, every practice, and every form of worship that leads toward love is, i …
Spiritual Nourishment, I Ching, and our True Nature
“Eternity is your refuge. Recognize eternity within yourself. Eternal presence is Buddha-mind. Eternal presence is not becoming Buddha-mind or attaining Buddha-mind. It is recognizing itself as eternal Buddha-mind now.” ~ Gangaji Exploring our true nature …
Gangaji: Stop Searching, See What is Here – Right Now!
Regardless of any conceptions of spiritual study or systems or traditions … “here” is not subject to human verification or certification … does not require years of practice or discipline … is simply here – always !… It’s here in the crowded bazaar and … on the forest road … it’s also here in …
Nirmala: The Mystery …
the mystery of this simple moment can not be spoken yet all of history occurred to arrive here. …. Continue reading to enjoy Nirmala’s full poem …
Rumi: Chinese Art And Greek Art
“… Art gives a teasing taste of surrender without the full experience. Beautiful poetry can keep one on the verge of the oceanic annihilation in God. Rumi says, we’ve been walking in the surf holding our robes up, when we should be diving naked under, and deeper under.” That is part of Coleman Ba …
Realization: Emptiness vs Advaita ? (Part 3 of 3)
“…it is often said that from the standpoint of “after” realization (note the quotation marks), nothing ever happened …” … “…to realize emptiness is to realize the interdependence of what one thought was fixed and independent …” In Part 3 of this 3 part series Greg Goode concludes his anal …
Can We Equate Emptiness with Advaita ? (Part 2 of 3)
“… awareness is said to be the essence of all things …” … “… In the emptiness teachings, there are no essences …” In Part 2 of this 3 part series Greg Goode delves into the differences between Emptiness and Advaita …
Silence
“… Silence seen is Infinity …” ~ Unknown Visit the full post on website to enjoy this poem on Silence …
Can We Equate Emptiness with Advaita ? (Part 1 of 3)
“… Emptiness teachings entail a radical critique of the notions of objective truth and independence. This is part of how one realizes that emptiness is empty. The teachings look at themselves …” {Advaita teachings} “… the single reality that is beyond pointing, but which is what the self and …
Rumi: Community Of The Spirit
There is a community of the spirit. Join it, and feel the delight of walking in the noisy street and being the noise. … Enjoy Rumi’s full poem by clicking read more below … Also, visit Poetry and Consciousness for more …
John Muir: A Parable of Sauntering
Albert W. Palmer shares a parable from an encounter with John Muir in his book The Mountain Trail and Its Message.
Sacred Whirling, Sufism & Advaita (Part 5 of 5)
“… So the divine level is the one mind, the one consciousness, which is also the same thing as who you are …” ~ Philip Jacobs In the concluding Part 5 of this series, Paula Marvelly and Philip Jacobs, resident Sheikh of the London-based Study Society, continue their conversation on Advaita, Sufi …
Rabindranath Tagore: Unending Love
“I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times in life after life, in age after age, forever. My spellbound heart has made and remade the necklace of songs, That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in your many forms, In life after life, in age after age, forever. Continue read …
Non-Duality And Its Value For The World, Part 4 of 4
Guest author, Hans Meijer continues his exploration of non-duality … He concludes the four-part series, with remarks on “the meaning of religion and looking forward …” …. Enjoy !
Rumi: The Laziest Son …
Rumi uses many real life situations (stories) to convey deeper wisdom … here’s an entertaining story about “laziness” … that opens with: As a man is dying he tells the town judge to give all his inheritance to only one of his three sons – the one who is the laziest! … There is a fascinating …
Sacred Whirling, Sufism & Advaita (Part 4 of 5)
“… you are already the one consciousness, you already are the unified state but you have to go off and say ‘yes’ to the great adventure of life … you have to leave who you think you are, and via a strange route, you come back and rediscover that principle of unity in a much fuller way.” ~ Philip Jac …
Sacred Whirling, Sufism & Advaita (Part 3 of 5)
If you are observant, what you will see that when you are five years old and when you are fifty-five years old, although your physical body, subtle body and psyche go through many changes, there’s something which is looking out through your eyes that witnesses all these changes, and this thing never …
Francis Lucille: Non-Duality & Self Realization
” … Enlightenment is the sudden recognition that non-duality is, has always been, and will always be the reality of our experience. Duality is an illusion. …” ” … Self realization is the subsequent stabilization in the peace, happiness and freedom of our natural state. …” ~ Francis Lucille Exc …
Sacred Whirling, Sufism & Advaita (Part 2 of 5)
In Part 2 of this series, Paula Marvelly and Philip Jacobs, resident Sheikh of the London-based Study Society, continue their conversation on Advaita, Sufism and the turning ceremony of the whirling dervishes … this part largely focuses on the “turning ceremony” with some comments on Advaita and Suf …
Rumi: Love
Rumi on …. what love can make or do. Enjoy !
Non-Duality And Its Value For The World, Part 3 of 4
Guest author, Hans Meijer continues his exploration of non-duality … In Part 3 of this four-part series, he addresses “In what way can people come to the realization of their oneness with the Absolute…” Enjoy …
Prayer of Compassion
This Prayer is performed each morning by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Sacred Whirling, Sufism & Advaita (Part 1 of 5)
Paula Marvelly converses with Philip Jacobs, resident Sheikh of the London-based Study Society, about Advaita, Sufism and the turning ceremony of the whirling dervishes, particularly about the way in which sacred dance can be a direct means for accessing, and becoming one with, the Divine. Paula is …
Thich Nhat Hanh: Our True Heritage …
The cosmos is filled with precious gems. I want to offer a handful of them to you this morning …
Rumi’s Life Story: Genesis of His Poetry (Part 1)
Rumi’s story of “becoming Rumi” … from being recognized, in his youth, as a “great spirit” by Attar … to him being sought out by the great wandering mystic Shams-e-Tabriz (or Shams) …
Donald Hoffman : Is Consciousness Ultimate Reality?
Robert Lawrence Kuhn, host of the insightful PBS show, Closer To Truth, converses with Donald Hoffman, a cognitive scientist and psychologist, about: “Is consciousness deepest reality, the ground of being of the cosmos? If the question is “What brought all into existence?” the answer is “Consciousne …
Non-Duality And Its Value For The World, Part 2 of 4
Guest author, Hans Meijer continues his exploration of non-duality … In Part 2 of this four-part series, he addresses “How to make it understandable that non-duality is what people are looking for …” Enjoy …
It Is Here: Poem by Nirmala
It is Here … it is here in the breath … it is here in the stillness between breaths … … it is here where it can never be lost or found. ~ Nirmala Continue reading to enjoy Nirmala’s full poem from Gifts with No Giver, a love affair with truth
Non-Duality And Its Value For The World, Part 1 of 4
Guest author, Hans Meijer explores the subject of non-duality and defines it as “… creation and creator are one (not two) …” … and asserts that man “… not being aware of his oneness with his origin …” … is the key reason for the “… critical situation our world is in today …” Enjoy Part 1 of …
Thomas Merton: The Thing About Zen
Enjoy some short samplings (including a free downloadable PDF) about Thomas Merton on Zen … Stillness Speaks Teacher page for Thomas Merton will be coming soon which will provide a much more comprehensive view about his background, and work.
Robert Thurman: Visionary Buddhist Leader & Scholar
“Imagine a culture in which everything is geared toward helping all individuals become the best human beings they can be; in which individuals are driven to devoting their lives to becoming enlightened by the natural flood of compassion for others that arises from their wisdom …” ~ Robert Thurman St …
Robert Rabbin: When Mind Falls Into Silence
“A tremendous ‘knowing’ comes effortlessly into the mind when it falls into Silence, … When we allow this knowing into our minds, our very lives become as clear and startling as this knowing.” ~ Robert Rabbin Robert’s Teacher page, which will be added shortly … and as is typical of our Teacher pa …
What are the Great Mysteries of Tibet & Nepal? (Part 3)
“I feel Tibetan culture with its unique heritage…has developed a kind of energy which is very helpful for cultivating peace of mind and a joyful life….There is a potential for Tibet to help humanity, … I feel very strongly that Tibetan culture will have a role to play in the future …” ~ His Holiness …
Nisargadatta Maharaj: Peace and Silence
“In peace and silence … the inner and the outer become one.” ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj One of the gems from the treasure, I Am That:Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Explore more of his books and enjoy our free Articles (PDFs). And, visit Nisargadatta Maharaj’s Teacher Page for details re his …
Gangaji: Recognize The Peace That Is Already Here
“Whether you are searching for peace and happiness in a relationship, in a better job, or even in world peace, just for one moment stop absolutely. There is nothing wrong with these pursuits, but if you are engaging in them to get peace or to get happiness, you are overlooking the ground of peace th …
Robert Rabbin: Dialog on Death and Integrity of Being
Robert Rabbin, a contemporary mystic who lived with Swami Muktananda for 10 years, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer – in January 2012 – and given only a few months to live. He recovered fully in early 2016 to begin a new phase of life … and he now says: “Yes, I am thriving well past the use-by date …
Ramana Maharshi: Silence and The Pearl
“The pearl is so small a thing, yet so valuable and so difficult to procure. Similarly, the Self is like the pearl: to find it you must dive deep down into the silence, deeper and ever deeper, until it is reached.” ~ Ramana Maharshi Quoted from Silence in the Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, by Dav …
Thomas Merton: The Solitude I Am
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” ~ Thomas Merton Thomas Merton was a modern Catholic mystic. In his widely read biography, The Seven Storey Mountain, Merton explained that he was so drawn to God that he could no more deny its pull any more than he could deny hi …
Listen To The Secret Sound – Kabir
“If you want the truth, I’ll tell you the truth: Listen to the secret sound, the real sound, which is inside you. …” ~ Kabir Excerpt from “The Simple Purification,” from News of the Universe: Poems of Twofold Consciousness. By Robert Bly
Francis Lucille on Love
“Love flies on its own wings and knows no laws. It is the emergence of grace that wrests us from the hypnosis of separation.” That is an excerpt from Francis Lucille’s remarks on Love … Francis is a teacher in the advaita or nonduality tradition and he “… transmits the ancient teaching of nondua …
Alan Jacobs Reads Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Talk 146
In this beautifully made short film by French director, Jean-Raphael Dedieu, Alan Jacobs, President of the Ramana Maharshi Foundation, UK, reads from Ramana’s Talk 146.
Nisargadatta Maharaj: Love is the purpose of duality
“Can there be happiness in unity? Does not all happiness imply necessarily contact, hence duality?” Here’s Nisargadatta Majaraj’s answer ….
Rupert Spira: What Am I?
“I am the one that sees whatever is seen but I am not made out of anything that is seen. I am the one that hears whatever is heard but I am not made of anything that is heard. …” Rupert Spira shares a beautiful meditation on the nature of experience and answers the question “What Am I?”
Surrender, Allowing and The Crucifixion: Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle on the potential gift of surrendering to this moment, or allowing this moment to be just as it is.
Enticing Moves: Poem by Nirmala
“What is appealing about Nirmala is his humility and lack of pretense, which welcomes whatever arises within the field of experience. In the midst of this welcoming is always an invitation to inquire deeply within, to the core of who and what you are. Again and again, Nirmala points the questions ba …
Joan Halifax: Visionary Zen Buddhist Priest
“Zen practice is about relating to each other face to face, mind to mind, heart to heart…with nothing but clear, connecting space between us.” ~ Roshi Joan Halifax Stillness Speaks is honored to add Roshi Joan Halifax to the list of our teachers. You can explore her work through her videos, audios, …
A Mine of Rubies – Rumi
I looked inward … And the beauty of my own emptiness … filled me till dawn. It enveloped me like a mine of rubies … Its hue clothed me in red silk ~ Rumi …. As translated by Jonathan Star
Truth Will Set You Free: Time Does Not Exist (Part 2 of 2)
Guest author, Hans Meijer explores the subject of time and posits that “Time does not exist.” … He makes the case that “… there is only NOW – in which all that is manifested appeared, changes and disappears …” … and that “… existence is fundamentally connected with the eternal now, the tim …
Majesty: Presence That Abides – Rumi
… “Majesty is that, composite attention felt as a presence, dawn, a company of friends, a splendor that is prior to, and the source of, the universe. Rumi says it is a state of awareness best spoken of in terms of what it is not …” ~ Coleman Barks Here’s Rumi on Majesty … reminding us of This that …
Truth Will Set You Free: Time Does Not Exist (Part 1 of 2)
Guest author, Hans Meijer explores the subject of time and posits that “Time does not exist.” … He makes the case that “… there is only NOW – in which all that is manifested appeared, changes and disappears …” … and that “… existence is fundamentally connected with the eternal now, the tim …
The Intelligence Manifested In Nature
“It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life … perpetuating itself through all eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we dimly perceive, and to try humbly to comprehend an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in nature.” ~ Albert …
Paul Hedderman: Addiction, Recovery, & Spiritual Awakening
What does addiction have to do with non-duality … or spiritual awakening? In actuality, a lot. Paul Hedderman’s expression is unique to him; it is alive, vital and fresh. His sense of humor is infectious. But that is not all. Paul has been in recovery, having a dark and sordid past history wit …
Rupert Spira: Peace That Never Fades
Rupert Spira discusses “resistance to what is” and “The Peace which never fades.”
The Colors of Infinity: Wisdom Quotes
“We have forgotten what rocks and plants still know – we have forgotten how to be – to be still – to be ourselves – to be where life is here and now.” ~ Eckhart Tolle (from his book Stillness Speaks)
Awareness Comes As An Unexpected Visitor – Rumi
Rumi’s very popular poem (The Guest House) about … “momentary awareness” and meeting all of its various manifestations as “unexpected visitors” …our “guides from beyond !” … A profound and exquisite translation by Coleman Barks.
Who Was Wolter Keers ?
Who was Walter Keers? The Dutch mystic and friend of Jean Klein. The man who sat with Ramana Maharshi, Atmananda Krishna Menon and translated I am That for Nisargadatta Maharaj into Dutch. Click here to read FREE writings by Wolter Keers.
Zen Practice – Henry Shukman
“At its best Zen leads us out of the hell of self-obsession, by showing us that what we took to be the seat of our self was a chimera, a mirage. … when we really follow the guidance and wisdom enshrined in the heart of the tradition, instead, we are released from mistaken views, and find a great l …
Life from Above, and Beyond, with words from Alan Watts – A Trey Ratcliff Montage
Enjoy this 8:58 minute video of Alan Watts’ words of wisdom with stunning photography by Trey Ratcliff and music from Hans Zimmer.
The Reality of Consciousness – Peter Russell SAND 2014
“Consciousness is not only fundamental but there is ONLY consciousness.” In this talk from SAND 2014, titled, “The Reality of Consciousness,” Peter Russell, talks about the primacy of consciousness.
Exploring The Frontiers of Zen & Science
Upaya Zen Center’s pioneering retreat, Zen Brain, explores the intersection of Neuroscience and Zen Buddhism. Neuroscientists, Buddhist teachers & practitioners, Cognitive Scientists, Psychiatrists and leaders in other related fields come together annually to explore this emerging and fascinatin …
Tasting Stillness
A poem on Stillness by Michael Jeffreys, a non duality teacher based in Los Angeles. Michael believes that “The peace and rest we all seek is in/as the timeless space of now, not its ever-changing contents.”
Why The American Pilgrimage to India? (Part 2)
“There is no greater mystery than this: being Reality ourselves, we seek to gain Reality.” ~ Ramana Maharshi … In Part 2 of this series we continue the exploration of the question What was the secret promise held by the East that the West craved so deeply … ?
Chief Dan George: Stars… Hope… Silence…
May the stars carry your sadness away May the flowers fill your heart with beauty May hope forever wipe away your tears And, above all, may silence make you strong. ~~ Chief Dan George From: Our facebook page
Ted Andrews: Butterfly – Life is a Dance
“Butterfly reminds us that life is a dance, a journey from moment to moment, flower to flower, experience to experience. The sweetness of life is experienced in the dance… or perhaps the sweetness of life is experienced in how we choose to dance…” ~~Ted Andrews, author of Animal Speak From: …
The Wise Woman’s Precious Stone …
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream … The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesit …
Samantha Reynolds: Not Old… Fullness of Existing…
I am not old … she said … I am rare. I am the standing ovation At the end of the play. I am the retrospective Of my life as art I am the hours Connected like dots Into good sense I am the fullness Of existing. You think I am waiting to die … But I am waiting to be found I am a treasure. I am a …
Ponca Chief White Eagle: Be Still… Then Act…
When you are in doubt, be still, and wait; when doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage. So long as mists envelop you, be still; be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists — as it surely will. Then act with courage. ~~ Ponca Chief White Eagle Quote: Walking …
Thomas Moore: Silence… Sounds… Soul…
Silence is not an absence of sound but rather a shifting of attention toward sounds that speak to the soul. ~~ Thomas Moore From: Our facebook page
Thich Nhat Hanh: Be One With The Leaf …
I asked the leaf whether it was frightened because it was autumn and the other leaves were falling. The leaf told me, “No.During the whole spring and summer I was completely alive. I worked hard to help nourish the tree, and now much of me is in the tree. I am not limited by this form. I am also the …
Thich Nhat Hanh: Breathing In … as Still Water …
Breathing in, I see myself as still water. Breathing out, I reflect things as they are. ~~ Thich Nhat Hanh From: Our facebook page
Morgan Freeman: Stillness Becomes Radiance …
Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen ~ that stillness becomes a radiance. ~~ Morgan Freeman From: Our facebook page
Carl Jung: Look inside to Awaken …
Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. ~~ Carl Jung From: Our facebook page
Looking within, I discover peace …
Looking behind, I am filled with gratitude, looking forward, I am filled with vision, looking upwards I am filled with strength, looking within, I discover peace. ~~ Quero Apache Prayer From: Our facebook page
St. Therese of Lisieux: May there be peace within …
May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be conten …
Thich Nhat Hanh: Everyday … All is a miracle …
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of …
Eckhart Tolle: Conscious Breath …
One conscious breath … is a meditation. ~~ Eckhart Tolle From: Our facebook page
Kahlil Gibran: The feelings we live through in love …
The feelings we live through in love and in loneliness are simply, for us, what high tide and low tide are to the sea. ~~ Kahlil Gibran From: Our facebook page
Eileen Caddy: All that you need is deep within you …
All that you need is deep within you waiting to unfold and reveal itself. All you have to do is be still and take time to seek for what is within and you will surely find it. ~~ Eileen Caddy From: Our facebook page
Tagore: Stillness & Movement
In the mountain, stillness surges up to explore its own height; In the lake, movement stands still to contemplate its own depth. by Rabindranath Tagore
The Culturium – Timeless, Wise and Beautiful
In Arthur Osbourne’s The Mind of Ramana Maharshi, there is an anecdote that has always fascinated me. When asked by a visiting poet to the Ramanasramam for permission to write poems in praise of the great Indian master, Sri Ramana apparently remarked, “All this is only activity of the mind. The more …
Is Eastern Wisdom Relevant To Me In Contemporary American Culture? … a Multi Part Story
“There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.” ~ Chinese Proverb It all seems so confusing. So many paths to choose from, so many “gurus”, so many instructional and experiential opportunities, so many “Flavors of the week !” … If we were to forced to speculate on …
202 Reminiscences about Sri Ramana Maharshi
“All that is required to realize the Self is to be still.” ~ Ramana Maharshi During Sri Ramana Maharshi’s life many people visited him and spent varying degrees of time at the ashram. Such first hand experiences of individuals are largely unrecorded, however, we recently uncovered a remarkable compi …
Love Dervishes – Rumi
It takes the courage of inner majesty to stand in this doorway, where there’s no celebrating good fortune, where talk of luck is embarrassing. However your robe of patches fits is right. … Don’t pretend something other than truth. Measuring devices don’t work in this room where the love dervishes me …
Jnani: The Silent Sage of Arunachala – Ramana Maharshi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVYv9ktilQw The only way out is within “Maharshi: Silence is the most potent form of work. However vast and emphatic the sastras may be, they fail in their effect. The Guru is quiet and peace prevails in all. His silence is more vast and more emphatic than all the sas …
New Beginnings …
“Be still … and the Universe will be revealed.” ~ Ramana Maharshi Welcome to the new Stillness Speaks! … The long wait is indeed over … … our renovated website launched today, June 28, 2016. This launch is like a “beta” release, i.e., … it’s like a fully livable, newly renovated home …
Rumi’s Poetry and Sufism …
“… Why look for God ? …. Look for the one looking for God … but then Why look at all ? … He is not lost … He is right here … Closer than your own breath!” ~Rumi “… The supreme vision of Sufism is to see God everywhere, to view every part of creation as a reflection of God’s glory. The …
A Mini Introduction to Zen …
“…“Zen” simply means “meditation.” The word derives from “dhyana” in Hindi, which became “Chan” in Chinese, and “Zen” in Japanese. Zen is a form of Buddhist meditation – there is nothing to believe in, and nothing special to do or be – no special robes, no shaved heads (unless that’s what you happ …
NEWS UPDATE: What Has StillnessSpeaks been upto ? …
Dear friends and supporters, Posted on October 10, 2015 “There is one thing in this world which you must never forget to do. If you forget everything else and not this, there is nothing to worry about, but if you remember everything else and forget this, then you will have done nothing in your life. …
Alan Watts: Zen Bones
“Once upon a time, there was a Zen student who quoted an old Buddhist poem to his teacher, which says: The voices of torrents are from one great tongue, the lions of the hills are the pure body of Buddha. ‘Isn’t that right?’ he said to the teacher. ‘It is,’ said the teacher, ‘but it’s a pity to say …
“Love Shines” by Chuck Surface
Love Shines, In the Wellspring of the Heart, For no one or anything in particular. And yet… Everything and everyone Is Lit by its Grace. This is how the Flame in one Heart, Ignites the Ember in another. ~ Chuck Surface Please visit him at www.chucksurface.com Image: pixabay
Rupert Spira: Music is the Most Transparent Art Form
The expression of our eternity is it’s highest joy, whether it is shared through poetry, dance, film, art, written word, dialogue or silence. None is better than the other. The test, if this is true, is the perfume the expression emits. It emanates not from the perception, sensation or thought. Thes …
Chuck Surface: Bob
If the Grace is real, it will Bless us, Even if we call it… Bob, And haven't a clue what it is, Or what it all means.
Rainer Maria Rilke: Letters to a Young Poet
At the turn of the last century, a 19-year-old student at the Military Academy of Vienna, named Franz Kappus, wanted career advice on his impending secondment to the armed forces, as well as a literary critique on a handful of poems he had recently composed. He decided to contact an alumnus of the a …
David Lynch: Catching the Big Fish – Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2tf_OXoYo “Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper. Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They’re huge and abstract. And they’re beautiful …
John Whitney: Arabesque
Be entranced by John Whitney's masterpiece, Arabesque, an exquisite short digital film, inspired by Eastern philosophy and the works of Carl Jung.
Paula Marvelly: T S Eliot, A Man Out Of Time
It is hard to conceive of any poet, ancient or modern, who encompasses both the literary genius and metaphysical vision of Thomas Stearns Eliot, his masterpiece, Four Quartets, the perfect synthesis of profound wisdom and poetic art.
Irina Tweedie: Daughter of Fire
In the West the sun was setting in a sea of shimmering golden clouds. The whole world seemed to be illumined by this vivid gold, was transformed by it. I had to cross the chowraha [circus] to get to the baker’s shop. Before entering, I stopped and turned and saw that right across the chowraha was a …
Hakim Sanai: The Walled Garden of Truth
Rumi acknowledged Hakim Sanai and Attar as his two primary inspirations, saying, “Attar is the soul and Sanai its two eyes, I came after Sanai and Attar.” Sanai wrote an enormous quantity of mystical verse, of which From The Walled Garden of Truth or The Hadiqat al Haqiqa is his master work and the …
Andrei Tarkovsky: Sculpting in Time
Andrei Tarkovsky was a Soviet and Russian filmmaker, his masterpiece, Stalker, being one of the finest metaphysical and spiritual films ever made.
William Blake: The Greatest Visionary Artist of All
A wonderful surrealist art video on the poetry of William Blake, including music by the Verve, and recitations by British actors, Mark Rylance and Derek Jacobi, as well as animation from the 1970’s London Tate William Blake Exhibition.
Ai Weiwei: Sunflower Seeds
Ai Weiwei discusses “Sunflower Seeds,” which was installed at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall, London, in October 2010.
Eckhart Tolle & Chris Hebard: The Dark Night of the Soul
In a profoundly honest interaction, Chris Hebard talks with Eckhart Tolle about how a dark night of the soul experience, culminating in a ‘catastrophic breakdown,’ led in turn to a moment of complete surrender. Going on to explain how he then began to observe his thoughts, Chris had a simple recogni …
Chuck Surface: Playing by “Heart”
Chuck Surface remembers the path from playing by ear, to Playing by Heart. Forgive me, my schooled friends. I make no excuses, and offer no apologies. I’m too drunk, lazy, and stupid, And can’t lift myself up and study. Here… in the arms of Bliss. Click here to join Chuck in words written from the …
The Nondual Wisdom of Karlfried Graf Durckheim
Becoming Transparent to the Transcendent: Karlfried Graf Durckhein While visiting with Francis Lucille during his retreat outside of Munich, Germany this summer, he stunned me with a quote from Karlfield Graf Durckheim, the German diplomat, psychotherapist, Zen "master" and deeply en …
Atmananda Krishna Menon’s Teachings
“By reducing objects into consciousness or happiness, you come only to the brink of experience. Reduce them further into the ‘I’ principle; then,’it’, the object, and ‘you’, the subject, both merge into experience itself. Thus, when you find that what you see is only yourself, the ‘seeing’ and ‘obje …
Rumi’s Magnificent Gift: Who am I?
I am not of this world, nor of the next, nor of Paradise, nor of Hell; I am not of Adam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwãn. My place is the Placeless, my trace is the Traceless; ‘Tis neither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved. ~ Rumi
Peter Dziuban and Chris Hebard: Consciousness is All {VIDEO Clips}
Peter’s book “Consciousness is All” is a magnificent exploration into the experience of reality. In these two video clips Chris explores key points of the book with Peter.
How did the Universe come into Existence?
How did the Universe come into Existence? Direct experience must be the sole test of reality. This being true, then, every presumption or conclusion should be subjected to the examination of our direct experience to validate it. For instance, let's examine the presumption that the universe …
What is Truth: The Gospel of Thomas
Let’s examine The Gospel of Thomas with Rev. Will Newsom. Exactly, what do we mean when we say that something is true? If something is true, it would have to be absolute, wouldn’t it? What would truth be other than that which never changes? If it changes, could it be Truth? This being the case, no m …
Robert Adams: All is Well
“… All of life experiences are images on the screen of eternity …” ~ Robert Adams
Ramana Maharshi: How to “trace the ego back to it’s source”
In advaita, Ramana Maharshi urged “‘tracing the ego back to the source” but what, exactly does this mean? Here’s a question from a seeker: “I am stuck at a point where I feel I need help … While reading Sri Ramana Maharshi’s work and talks, there is this constant mention of tracing the ego back to …
Steven Harrison: Contemporary Non-Duality
“We are terrified by the understanding that we are actually the universe. We are the power,the glory, the wisdom, the everything.” ~ Steven Harrison In our last survey, some subscribers asked that we review Steven Harrison. We had wanted to do something with him for quite awhile. Steven Harrison is …
Jean Klein: The Book of Listening
Many know that Jean Klein is regarded as one of the most eloquent communicators of non-duality to the West – in the second half of the 20th century. The striking thing about Dr. Klein is his independence. Jean teaches Advaita but he rarely uses its technical terms. In fact, he has developed his own …
Who are You? Let Papaji Help
You really do want to know the answer … Here are some words from Papaji, resonating, reverberating, cajoling, teasing, “Come Forward. Come out. Emerge …” – excerpted from “The Truth Is, Papaji Sri H.W. L. Poonja,” Pages 25-27. Self is what you are, You are That Fathomlessness in which experienc …
