Wisdom of the Masters

This sublime and profound teaching on the nature of reality by the great master, Longchenpa is taken from the Finding Rest in Illusion trilogy . It is suitable for those practitioners who have a in-depth understanding and insight into Dzogchen's concepts and paradigm. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group.  Longchenpa, also known as Longchen Rabjam , ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’,...

Chuang Tzu was a Taoist sage, living sometime before 250 B.C. He is credited with writing- in part or in whole - a work known by his name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of the foundational texts of Taoism. The text is ranked among the greatest of literary and philosophical masterpieces that China has produced.  Its style is complex—mythical, poetic, narrative, humorous, indirect, and polysemic....

A selection of poems from Hanshan - formatted for meditation. Translated by A. S. Kline.   The poet Hanshan 寒山, a name meaning “Cold Mountain,” ranks as one of the most eccentric and mysterious figures of Chinese literature. He is said to have lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), dwelling in a cave or hut in Tiantai Mountain near modern-day Taizhou, Zhejiang. In Chinese and Japanes...

Readings from first section on "Self and Reality". The Avadhuta Gita is attributed to the sage Dattatreya, who spontaneously sang it after purifying himself in meditation and becoming absorbed in the uninterrupted bliss of Reality. It is regarded as one of the greatest treatise on Advaita Vedanta and some scholars date it as far back as 5000 B.C.   The word "avadhut" refers to one who ha...

Matrusri Anasuya Devi (born 28 March 1923-1985) was an Indian spiritual guru from Andhra Pradesh. Widely known as Jillellamudi Amma, she is revered by millions of her devotees spread across the globe as an incarnation of the Divine Mother, the supreme deity, Raja Rajeswari Devi. Many miracles and spiritual transformations were witnessed and recorded by people in Amma's presence.  These excerp...

A reading of a selection of Hafiz's poems translated by Thomas Rain Crowe.  Persian lyric poet Hafiz (born Khwāja Šamsu d-Dīn Muḥammad Hāfez-e Šīrāzī) grew up in Shiraz. Very little is known about his life, but it is thought that he may have memorized the Qur’an after hearing his father recite passages. He is one of the most celebrated of the Persian poets, and his influence can be felt to th...

Excerpts of Questions and Answers read from the text - The Zen Teaching of Huang Po on the Transmission of Mind Translated by: John Blofeld 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal using this email address: vivekahermitage@gmail.com with PayPal or using this direct link: https...

This is a guided meditation to help you access the inherent silence and stillness within and to learn how to abide in this Natural State. From this place of peace and stillness, we can allow the natural wisdom and insight to emerge. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal usi...

This is a selection of key pointers from Siddharameshwar . Siddharameshwar Maharaj is one of the greatest unknown saints of the age who attained the highest abode of Eternal peace. He was born in August 1888 in the small village of Pathri, in the district Sholapur of India. From 1925 until 1936, he taught many disciples and helped dozens attain Self-realisation. His teachings were further spread a...

This is a guided meditation focusing on the breath and the first jhana based on the methods and teachings of Ajahn Lee. Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.  Ajahn Lee (1907–1961) is regarded as one of the greatest teachers and meditation masters of the Thai Forest Tradition of the 20th century. Among the forest monks, he devised the most comprehensive meditation instructions, and composed the m...

A reading of two Saint Kabir poems intended for contemplation and meditation. Translated by Robert Bly.  Though little is known of the life of the 15th-century Indian mystic and poet Kabir, it is believed he was born in or near Benares. He grew up in a family of Muslim weavers before becoming a disciple of the Hindu ascetic Ramananda. Kabir is considered both a Sufi and Brahmin saint. His poe...

This is a re-reading of various key pointers on self-liberation from Sri Ramana Maharshi with no music.  These selections from Bhagavan have come from numerous texts and were sourced from this website: https://www.inner-quest.org 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal u...

Bendōwa is Dogen's earliest known writing in Japanese and one of his most important and influential works. The whole text of the Bendowa is held in high esteem as being Dogen’s best and most comprehensible explanation of his understanding of Zen and the Dharma.  Jijuyū zanmai can be translated loosely as "samādhi of self-fulfillment and enjoyment" or literally as the "samādhi of receiving and...

This is an excerpt from the teaching "Descending with the View from Above" from Guru Rinpoche/Padmasambhava  taken from the book "Treasures from Juniper Ridge" - translated by Erik Kunsang and Marcia Schmidt. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal using this email addre...

Selected verses and teachings taken from The Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart - translated by Maurice Walshe  Johannes Eckhart was one of the greatest of Christian mystics. He was born at Hochheim in Thüringen, Germany, in 1260 and died c.1327. He entered the Dominican order when he was 15. Later he became a distinguished professor and taught at different universities. His direct an...

This is a guided 20-minute Yoga Nidra to help you sleep and relax. It contains the Schumann Resonance as a background sound as well as a deep meditation bell. The Schumann Resonance signal operates by being resonantly absorbed by brain systems and altering the serotonin/melatonin balance. Studies have shown people experience benefits like enhanced sleep, learning/memory, body rejuvenation, balance...

This is a reading of the SUPPLEMENT to Reality in Forty Verses for meditation. Translated by Prof. K. Swaminathan This supplement consisting of a second forty verses was added to the original "Reality in Forty Verses". So indifferent to authorship was Bhagavan that he did not write all those supplementary verses himself. When he came upon a suitable one he used it - mostly translations from Sanskr...

Hakuin Ekaku  (January 19, 1686 – January 18, 1769)  is undeniably one of the most important of all Zen masters.   He came into the Rinzai school of Zen and revitalized it during a period when its very survival was in question, focusing practice back on the basics of zazen and koan study.  He was the quintessential Zen master of the people, who extended his teaching far be...

These poems/stanzas of profound pointings written by Ilie Cioara have been formatted for the purpose of a guided meditation. Excerpts taken from the book by Cioara, "The Moment is Eternity" - translated by Petrica Verdes and with thanks to Petricia for gifting all of Ilie's books to me and permission to read/share them here.  Ilie Cioara (1916 - 2004) was an enlightened mystic who did not bel...

Ātma-bodha (Sanskrit: आत्मबोध) is a short Sanskrit text attributed to Adi Shankara of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. The text in sixty-eight verses describes the path to Self-knowledge or the awareness of Atman. The Vedanta tradition states that the text was written by Shankara for his disciple, Sanandana, also known as Padmapāda. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit fr...

This sublime and profound teaching on the nature of reality by the great master, Longchenpa is taken from the Finding Rest in Illusion trilogy - commentary . It is suitable for those practitioners who have a in-depth understanding and insight into Dzogchen's concepts and paradigm.  Longchenpa, also known as Longchen Rabjam , ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drimé Özer (1308-1364), was on...

Marguerite Porete (13th century – 1 June 1310) was a French-speaking mystic and the author of The Mirror of Simple Souls, a work of Christian mysticism dealing with the workings of agape (divine love). She was burnt at the stake for heresy in Paris in 1310 after a lengthy trial, refusing to remove her book from circulation or recant her views. It was reported in a chronicle that the crowd was move...

Selected teachings of Ma's taken from various sources.   Anandamayi Ma ( 30 April 1896 – 27 August 1982) was a Bengali Saint, described by Sivananda Saraswati (of the Divine Life Society) as "the most perfect flower the Indian soil has produced." Precognition, faith healing and miracles were attributed to her by her followers. Paramahansa Yogananda translates the Sanskrit epithet Anandam...

This text of 40 Verses was written by Bhagavan at the request of Muruganar, who wanted a concise synopsis of Ramana’s teaching, and wanted 40 verses to fit a classical Hindu poetic form. Ramana wrote the verses as they came to him, and Muruganar arranged them in a particular order.  Translated by Arthur Osborne 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would...

Master Hsu Yun or Xuyun  (Chinese: 虚云; - name meaning "Empty Cloud) born 5 September 1840 – 13 October 1959  was a renowned Chinese Chan Buddhist master and one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of the 19th and 20th centuries. According to Richard Hunn, Master Hsu is "Universally regarded as the most outstanding Buddhist of the Chinese order in the modern era."   When Xuyu...