Wisdom of the Masters

Selected excerpts of Ramana Maharshi's teaching taken from the text, Aham Sphurana. With thanks to John David for permission to read from this recently published text.https://www.amazon.com.au/Aham-Sphurana-Realisation-Selection-Teachings/dp/1916321178Ramana Maharshi ( 1879 -1950) was an Indian sage and jivanmukta (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the nam...

A selection of pointers read from the text, 'Selfless Self: Talks with Shri Ramakant Maharaj'.Ramakant Maharaj (1941-2018) was a direct disciple of the late Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and spent 19 years with him. From 1962, he visited Nisargadatta Maharaj and listened to his lectures regularly, until his master's Mahasamadhi in 1981. Ramakant was himseldf also an Indian spiritual teacher...

A reading of St Paul's first Letter (Chapter 13) to the Corinthians, the Christian community that he had founded at Corinth, Greece. In the year 55 C.E. while in Ephesus, Paul wrote this inspired letter, now known as 1 Corinthians. Among other things, he encouraged the Christians in Corinth to reject false teachings, to remain united, to shun immorality, and to strengthen their faith in the resurr...

This reading compiles excerpts from three different Dhamma talks (which were translated live), where Ajahn Dtun talks about the paths and fruits to full liberation (arahantship) and responds to questions. Only a few small grammatical adjustments have been made to allow for a smoother transition between sections. Ajahn Dtun is a highly respected Thai Buddhist monk and meditation master, known for h...

A selection of pith teachings on the nature of mind from various Khandros/Dakinis belong to the Bon Dzogchen tradition. These short teachings are found in the text, 'Heart Essence of the Khandro: Experiential Instructions on Bonpo Dzogchen - Thirty Signs and Meanings from Women Lineage-Holders ' - by Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings...

The Hsin Hsin Ming (Shinjinmei in Japanese) is a verse attributed to the Third Zen Patrriarch. Written in the 6th century, it is considered the first clear and comprehensive statement of Zen. The Hsin Hsin Ming has been much beloved by Zen practitioners for over a thousand years and is still studied today in Western Zen circles. The Hsin Hsin Ming emphasizes that the Great Way is not involved in t...

The Ashtavakra Gita is a short treatise on Advaita Vedanta which systematically deals with the mystical experiences of the individual in their quest for truth, transcendental peace and bliss. It was composed before the common era, most likely between 500-400BC. Some scholars claim it was written later, either in the eighth century by a follower of Shankara, or as late as the fourteenth century dur...

The Ashtavakra Gita is a short treatise on Advaita Vedanta which systematically deals with the mystical experiences of the individual in their quest for truth, transcendental peace and bliss. It was composed before the common era, most likely between 500-400BC. Some scholars claim it was written later, either in the eighth century by a follower of Shankara, or as late as the fourteenth century dur...

The Great Tantra of Vajrasattva is a Root Tantra of the Space Section first translated into Tibetan in the 8th Century by Vairochana Rakshita, a famous translator during the early period of Buddhism in Tibet. This tantra is one of a handful of the earliest translations of Ati Yoga teachings into the Tibetan language, where they were preserved long after the originals disappeared in India, possibly...

Chokgyur Dechen Zhikpo Lingpa (1829-1870) was born in Sangyel, at the base of the sacred mountain Namkhadzö in the province of Nangchen, Kham. He was a contemporary of and collaborator with the Dzogchen masters of the Rimé movement, Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo and Jamgön Kongtrul. Chokgyur Lingpa was a tertön or "treasure revealer". Regarded as one of the major tertöns in Tibetan history, hi...

A reading of the ancient text, 'Thunder, Perfect Mind '- Voice of the Divine Feminine - using an amalgam of translations by George McCrae and Hal Taussig, et al.'Thunder, Perfect Mind' is the title of a coptic text that uses paradoxical language to describe a feminine divine figure who embodies both power and vulnerability, and who is present in all aspects of existence. The title...

A reading of selected passages from the classic text, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunrya Suzuki. This text, along with Philip Kapleau's The Three Pillars of Zen (1965), is one of the two most influential books on Zen in the West. Even today, many Zen meditation centers still use "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" as a teaching manual because it bridges Eastern Zen thought and West...

These profound practice teachings on freeing the mind from being ruled by thought, as taught by Sri Ramana, were taken from various sources/texts. Ramana Maharshi ( 1879 -1950) was an Indian sage and jivanmukta (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. In 1895, an attraction to the sa...

A selection of passages from the text 'Revelations of Divine Love' by Julian of NorwichJulian of Norwich (1342-c 1416) was the most important English mystic of the 14th century. She wrote the best known surviving book in the English language written by a mystic, 'Revelations of Divine Love'. The book is the first written in English by a woman. Her spirituality is strongly Trinitari...

This is a selection of some key pointers from Nisargadatta on the nature of consciousness. The teachings have been extracted from the text 'I am That'.Nisargadatta Maharaj (17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981), born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an Indian guru of nondualism, belonging to the Inchagiri Sampradaya, a lineage of teachers from the Navnath Sampradaya and Lingayat Shaivism. 🙏 May...

Selected passages read from the book 'Awareness' by Anthony de Mello. Anthony de Mello (4 September 1931 – 2 June 1987), was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A teacher and public speaker, de Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He is known for his storytelling, which drew from the various mystical traditions of both E...

Selected verses from the "Hua Hu Ching" by Lao Tzu. The Hua Hu Ching is a book containing later teachings attributed to Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching. It is also known as "The Educate the Barbarians Sutra". While the Tao Te Ching is widely known and revered, the Hua Hu Ching's teachings are believed to be of equal importance. The Hua Hu Ching's teachings focus...

A reading of selected pith instructions/verses for "excellent meditation" from the text 'Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyendyud' - the Experiential Transmission of Bönpo Dzogchen. The text contains the heart teachings of ancient Bönpo Dzogchen Masters, translated and commented on by Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the current holder of this unique lineage. The Yungdrung Bön (Bön) Lineage tradi...

The Linji lu (Record of Linji) has been an essential text of Chinese and Japanese Zen Buddhism for nearly a thousand years. A compilation of sermons, statements, and acts attributed to the great Chinese Zen master Linji Yixuan (d. 866), it serves as both an authoritative statement of Zen’s basic standpoint and a central source of material for Zen koan practice. Zen practitioners cherish it for its...

The "Sallatha Sutta: The Arrow" SN 36.6 (also known as the "Two Arrows" or "The Parable of the Poisoned Arrow") is a Buddhist parable that highlights the importance of understanding and managing our reactions to difficult experiences. The parable illustrates how we can choose to react to painful situations in a way that minimizes further suffering, rather than amplify...

Longchenpa, also known as Longchen Rabjam , ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drimé Özer (1308-1364), was one of the most brilliant teachers of the Nyingma lineage. He systematized the Nyingma teachings in his ‘Seven Treasures’ and wrote extensively on Dzogchen. These pointers from Longchenpa have been formatted for guided meditation purposes. Taken from the text - A Treasure Trove of Scriptur...

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

This is a selection of verses taken from the Sermon on the Mount (using an amalgam of translations), as well as a short verse from Matthew's gospel. The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings spoken by Jesus of Nazareth found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7) that emphasises Jesus's ethical and moral teachings, as well as his profound insights into cause and effect (t...

Selected excertps of poems from Rumi taken from Kulliyat-e Shams, 21 and Ode 314 - translated by Nevit Oguz Ergin. Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian poet, faqih, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran. Rumi's influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions. 🙏 May whatever...

This is a selection of non-dual pointers taken from Jean Klein's text, "Transmission of the Flame".Jean Klein (October 19, 1912 – February 22, 1998) was a French author, spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita Vedanta (Nondualism). He was born in Berlin and spent his childhood in Brno and Prague. Having left Germany in 1933 for France, he secretly worked with the French Resistan...