Mystic Monk

Selected verses from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a foundational text of classical yoga philosophy. It offers seekers a comprehensive guide for mastering the mind, transcending ego, and achieving spiritual enlightenment, emphasizing self-discipline, mindfulness, and inner transformation. I highly recommend the translation by Prabhavananda. You can find it under the title, "How To Know God". Publi...

This meal prayer is recited by many Hindu monks, such as those of the Ramakrishna Order. It is from the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 24. It is a Sanskrit verse often chanted before meals to consecrate the act of eating as a spiritual offering. The prayer emphasizes the idea that all aspects of life, including eating, can be acts of worship when performed with the right mindset. This prayer also...

Selected verses from The Buddha's advice to his son, Rahula. (MN:62) Mahārāhulovādasutta. How to meditate like earth, water, fire, wind, and space. Plus other profound instructions... https://suttacentral.net/mn62/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain Meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose they were to toss bo...

The Buddha's teaching on the 4 sublime abidings as described in the early Buddhist texts (Digha Nikaya 13). These 4 meditative moods are said to be sublime because they are the ideal way of conduct towards all living beings. They are the great removers of tension, great peace-makers in social conflict, and great healers of wounds suffered in the struggle of existence. They level social barriers, b...

“This is what should be done By one who is skilled in goodness, And who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright, Straightforward and gentle in speech, Humble and not conceited, Contented and easily satisfied, Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways. Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, Not proud or demanding in nature. Let them not do the slightest thing That the wise wou...

Lady Tsogyal asked the master: How does one then attain enlightenment? The master replied: You are not enlightened through fabricated dharmas; You need a dharma beyond fabrication. You are not enlightened through indicated dharmas; You need a dharma beyond indication. You are not enlightened through explained dharmas; You need a dharma beyond explanation. You are not enlightened through cultivated...

This meditation is especially helpful if you are struggling with intense pain, either physical or emotional. This technique is something I learned from meditation master, Shinzen Young. Instead of simply watching our breath, We're going to do so in a very special way. The mind can only focus well on one or two things at a time, So for this meditation we're going to take a few moments to focus on y...

What is the best way to breathe while meditating? Why do so many meditation teachers talk about meditating on the breath? Breathwork refers to a range of breathing techniques and practices designed to improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It encompasses methods that can induce relaxation, increase energy, and facilitate altered states of consciousness. Breathwork is often used in the...

Mokshadas explains the best meditation postures for achieving relaxation and focus, emphasizing the importance of finding a comfortable position that suits your body. Here are the key positions covered: Chair-Sitting Meditation : Perfect for work or travel, this position involves sitting upright with feet flat on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle, ensuring your back and neck are aligned. St...

A convenient way to classify meditation techniques. Five main ways to focus. Try each type many times. Only then can you skillfully choose whichever works best for you, and when. Focus In   (internal subjective thoughts and feelings) Focus Out   (the objective external world) Focus on Rest  (peace, stillness, relaxation) Focus on Change   (impermanence, emptiness, flow) Focus on Positive   (images...

You want to see things from the mountain top? According to Vedanta, these are the four main ways to ascend to the mountain top of Enlightenment. Ideally, we recommend combining the four main practices or alternating between them, for the integral development of body, mind and soul. Karma Yoga is the path of physical action and suits people with active temperaments . To practice this path involves...

Meditation is generally considered safe and beneficial for most individuals, offering advantages such as reduced stress, improved concentration, and enhanced emotional well-being. However, some people may experience challenges or adverse effects, particularly if they have certain mental health conditions or engage in intensive meditation practices without proper guidance. Potential Risks: Emotiona...

What does renunciation mean? Try not to see it only through a negative lens. Renunciation is not just about giving things up. More than just dispassion for "the world", it means even more so, longing for communion with God. " Sell all that you have and give it to the poor, and follow me. " - says the Christ. True renunciation is the total absence of selfish motives not the mere abstinence from phy...

Everything in the universe vibrates, all the way down to the bedrock of existence. From the smallest part of the atom all the way up to pulsating stars, everything vibrates. Atoms upon atoms, upon atoms, a whole ocean of electrons, protons, neutrons - making molecules upon molecules upon molecules.   Light is just vibration. Colors are just vibrations. Sounds are vibrations. Many of these things c...

“If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper inter-are.”  - Thich Nhat Ha...

Selected verses from the Anuttariya Sutta (AN 6:30) of Theravada Buddhism. “Monks, these six things are unsurpassable. Which six? The unsurpassable seeing, listening, acquisition, training, service, and recollection. And what is the unsurpassable seeing? Some people go to see an elephant-treasure, a horse-treasure, a jewel-treasure, or a diverse spectrum of sights; or ascetics and brahmins of wron...

Not sure which technique is best for you? Not sure how to find out or where to begin? Here is my short, straightforward answer. Try a variety of methods, multiple times.

We usually react to life by either: wanting, rejecting, or ignoring. But a fourth possibility is mindfulness. Jon Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as a combination of three things:  (1) Intentionally paying attention (2) in the present moment (3) nonjudgmentally. Shinzen Young and his work at Harvard Medical, defines mindfulness as a combination of three things:  (1) Focused awareness (2) sensory cl...

Meditation master Shinzen Young says, mindfulness meditation increases total happiness in five ways: 1. Reduces Suffering & Stress 2. Elevates Positive Feelings of Fulfillment 3. Gives You a Deeper Understanding of Yourself at All Levels 4. Helps You Make Positive Behavior Changes  5. Elevates Your Feelings of Connection to Others See the full happiness grid chart here: https://www.shinzen.org...

Selected verses from the Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta (Majjhima Nikāya 140) of Theravada Buddhism. “He understands thus: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of infinite space and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time. If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and br...

An infinite array of worlds; an infinite ocean of realms…  As I bring them all to mind, I hold with compassion all the beings they contain. My body, enjoyments, and whatever I own; my aggregates, elements, and senses; my aspirations and everything I grasp as mine…  Letting them all go, may I be blessed with the end of self-grasping.  May I now release all forms of greed, hatred, and delusion. Comp...

Selected verses from the Ashtavakra Gita. A beloved book from the Advaita Vedanta tradition. Translated by Thomas Byrom and published as "Heart of Awareness" by Shambhala Dragon Editions. Earlier translations are available through Vedanta Press. "Rare is the broad-minded person who has neither attraction for nor aversion to: duty, prosperity, desire, liberation, life, and death."  "A person of Kno...

Selected verses from The Gospel of Garab Dorje: The Highest Secret Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. Translated by Christopher Wilkinson. Published by Lotus Press. You are and always have been Infinite Consciousness, the living presence and creative power of the Divine, the vast spaciousness of being, always good, and beyond the grasp of the intellect. Perfect love being your essence, attainment is a...

This is where it all starts. An invitation to spend more time tending the garden of your mind. Beginning with understanding the "I AM" principle.