I’ll admit my initial temptation was to write a quick and dismissive review of Rupert Spira. For one, Spira (via his handlers) has repeatedly turned down my request for a podcast interview. Two, the questionable depth of Rupert Spira’s lineage. One of Spira’s primary teachers was Francis Lucille, who in turn was a student of Jean Kline. More about that later. Three, his almost unquestioned status as one of the clearest articulators of Western nonduality.
Continue reading “Rupert Spira review – nonduality and the long pause”Category: 3 Star
This is a broad category of spiritual teachers, all of interest. Some are superstars too popular to study with directly, others played key but limited roles in my spiritual search, and others I don’t know quite well enough to call them Four Stars. This category includes: Eddie Traversa, Peace Pilgrim, Joseph Sadony, Bassui, Huang Po, and Foyan, John Wren-Lewis, Paul Brunton, Vernon Howard, P.D. Ouspensky, Linda Clair, Eckhart Tolle, Michael Singer, and Rupert Spira (note that I removed Bart Marshall at Bart’s request).
Michael Singer: Being Happy and the Untethered Soul
Why offer a review of Michael Singer, a spiritual teacher who’s focus is happiness and said that meditation in pursuit of enlightenment is “silly.” Because it would be a mistake for me to focus on those two points alone. Michael Singer is a dedicated spiritual teacher who walks the walk. He’s lived what he teaches. He presents easy to understand recommendations on how to side-step the obstacles our mind throws in front of us. Not that it’s easy or quick to do, but his teaching are the first steps in seeing the truth of what we are at core. His sincerity and directness may inspire you in ways more esoteric teachings would not. That’s why I recommend taking a look.
Continue reading “Michael Singer: Being Happy and the Untethered Soul”Peace Pilgrim: The walking saint
If you asked me to name a modern-day saint, I would name Peace Pilgrim. For 28 years, Peace Pilgrim crisscrossed the United States, “walking until given shelter and fasting until I am given food.” She logged over 25,000 miles carrying with her nothing but a comb, toothbrush, pen, correspondence, and slips of blue paper with her message of peace: “This is the way of peace — overcome evil with good, and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.” Continue reading “Peace Pilgrim: The walking saint”
Joseph Sadony: Explorer of intuition
Joseph Sadony is all but forgotten in spiritual circles. His Gates of the Mind is now decades out of print and his research laboratories fallen to ruin. His focus was on exploring intuition: to discover its source, develop it, and use it for the betterment of mankind. Long before the New Age movement, he advocated the intuitive human as the next step in our evolution and the salvation of our planet. Continue reading “Joseph Sadony: Explorer of intuition”
Bassui, Huang Po and Foyan: 3 Ancient Zen Masters
Ancient Zen Masters
Bassui, Huang Po and Foyan are three ancient Zen masters worthy of your acquaintance.
Bassui (1327-1387) is a Japanese Zen Master I first encountered in Philip Kapleau’s Three Pillars of Zen. While Kapleau’s book was meant to feature his teacher, Yasutani-roshi, Bassui stands out as truly “a man come back from the dead.” The advice he returns to again and again in his teaching is shown in the following quote: Continue reading “Bassui, Huang Po and Foyan: 3 Ancient Zen Masters”