Wisdom of the Masters

This is a guided Dzogchen meditation pointing to recognising the natural state of the enlightened mind, free from conceptual proliferation, and practising to rest in it. The instructions are based on various teachings and pointers from Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) and taken from numerous texts. Dzogchen (often translated as "Great Perfection") is a contemplative tradition primarily asso...

This is a reading for meditation of selected teachings/sayings of the Desert Mothers, taken from 'Apophthegmata Patrum' (Sayings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers) translated by Benedicta Ward; and Philokia: compiled in the eighteenth century by Macarius of Corinth (1731-1805). The teachings spoken here are from the Mothers - Amma Theodora, Amma Syncletica and Amma Sarah. The Desert Moth...

This is a guided meditation formatted from instructions provided in the text, "On Meditation Instructions from talks by Ajahn Chah."The text can be downloaded for free from here: https://www.abhayagiri.org/media/book... Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) was one of the most influential Buddhist meditation masters of the modern era and a key teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition. Renowned for his simp...

This is a selection of teachings of Nisargadatta's taken from the text 'Consciousness and the Absolute: The Final Talks - Jean Dunn (editor).The text, 'Consciousness and the Absolute' were the last teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and contain the final dialogues he had with the people who had come from all over the world to hear his words. These talks, coming during the last...

This guided meditation offers a gentle and compassionate way of working with pain in practice. Beginning with grounding awareness in the body and the natural rhythm of the breath, it invites you to settle the mind through calm presence and embodied attention. From this foundation, the meditation introduces the Buddhist teaching of the “two arrows” — the understanding that while physical pain may b...

This is a reading for meditation of three poems written by Yeshe Tsogyal on the nature of the Dharmakaya and her complete realisation. Translations are by Keith Dowman (poem 1) and Tarthang Tulku. Yeshe Tsogyal was an 8th-century Tibetan Buddhist master and the foremost disciple of Padmasambhava. Revered as a fully enlightened Buddha in the Tibetan tradition, she played a central role in preservin...

Ibn Arabi’s Hizb Al-Wiqayah (The Prayer of Protection), also known as al-Dawr al-A‘la, is a powerful 33-verse Sufi invocation for spiritual safeguarding, divine protection, and elevation. The text can be found in 'A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection: Al-Dawr al-a'la (Hizb al-Wiqaya)' by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (Author), Suha Taji-Farouki (Translator).Ibn Arabi’s Prayer of...

This meditation guides you through a process of calming the mind in order to begin the process of self inquiry based on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. After establishing a degree of calm and settledness, it invites you to explore and question the nature of this mind-body experience and the relative and ultimate truths. The meditation is grounded in the principles of Bhagavan's teaching and...

A reading for meditation of selected verses from the 'Essence of Ribhu Gita'. Translated by Professor N.R. Krishnamoorthi Aiyer. The Ribhu Gita is a revered Advaita Vedānta text that teaches the direct realization of the Self as pure, indivisible awareness. It is presented as a dialogue between the sage Ribhu and his devoted disciple Nidagha. The teaching is uncompromisingly non-dual, decl...

A selection of excerpts for prayer/contemplation taken from 'The Book of Mystical Chapters, The Esoteric Spiritual Doctrine of the Early Christian Monks and Ascetical Teachers of the East.' The reading includes teachings from: of Hesychios of Sinai, Aphrahat the Persian, John Klimakos The Ladder, Evagrios of Pontus, John Klimakos, and Theodoros. Translated by Father John Anthony McGuckin....

Ryōkan Taigu (1758–1831) was a quiet and unconventional Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived much of his life as a hermit. Ryōkan is remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, which present the essence of Zen life. He renounced the world at an early age to train at nearby Sōtō Zen temple Kōshō-ji, refusing to meet with or accept charity from his family. These selected excerpts and poems by Ryokan have...

A reading for contemplation of the sutta - Dutiyalokadhammasutta - AN 8:6 The Dutiyalokadhammasutta (“Second Discourse on the Worldly Conditions”) teaches about the eight worldly winds that constantly affect human life:Translation: Amalgam of Translations from Bhikkus Bodhi, Thanissaro and Sujato - compiled by Ayya Jitindriya 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the...

This is a selection of teachings on the topic and principles of the 'The True Guru' as taught by Nisargadatta Maharaj. The words are an amalgam of pointers/teachings taken from the text 'I am That' by Nisargadatta (translated by Maurice Frydman).Nisargadatta Maharaj (17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981), born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an Indian guru of nondualism, belonging to th...

A reading for contemplation of some of Peace Pilgrim's reflections taken from the text, 'Peace Pilgrim, Her Life and Work in her Own Words.'Peace Pilgrim was born Mildred Lisette Norman in 1908 in New Jersey, USA. She lived a fairly conventional life early on—interested in writing and social issues—but went through a deep personal crisis during the years surrounding World War II.That p...

A reading for meditation of the teaching 'A dear Treasure for Destined Disciples' by Dudjom Rinpoche. Dudjom Rinpoche (1904–1987) was one of the most revered masters of Tibetan Buddhism and a major lineage holder of the Nyingma tradition. Renowned as a scholar, poet, and realized yogi, he spent his life preserving and transmitting the profound teachings of Dzogchen and the treasure traditi...

This is an extended version of the previously uploaded recording of the Bon pointers (Remain Like the Sky). It allows for more spaces between each profound pointing and thus offers a longer and potentially deeper meditation. Excerpts have been taken from the text 'Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyendyud' - the Experiential Transmission of Bönpo Dzogchen. The text contains the heart teachings o...

This deeply relaxing 30 minute guided Yoga Nidra will help you relax, find inner peace and drift into a deep sleep. It follows a gentle guidance of sweeping the attention throughout the various body parts in order to relax and let go of any tension in the body and mind. It contains soft background music to help you relax and feel deep inner peace. Music: Uppbeat Licensed Music 🙏 May whatever good...

This reading for contemplation/meditation about the nature of the citta has been excerpted from several discourses given by Acharya Maha Boowa. Ajahn Maha Boowa or Bua (1913–2011) was one of the most revered Thai Forest masters of the 20th century, a direct disciple of Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta. Known for his uncompromising practice and penetrating insight, he dedicated his life to the realization and...

Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-Niffarī (c. 10th century) was a little-known but profoundly influential early Sufi mystic, best known for his enigmatic work al-Mawāqif wa’l-Mukhāṭabāt (“The Standings and the Addresses”). Living during the formative period of Islamic mysticism, he left no biography of his own; what survives is his dense, visionary prose, which later mystics regarded as spiritually r...

Readings of passages from the text 'A Soul of Silence' by Μ. M. AM. du Couer de Jesus, O.D.CSaint Elizabeth of the Trinity (Élisabeth Catez, 1880–1906) was a French Carmelite nun and one of the most luminous contemplatives of the modern Christian mystical tradition. Entering the Carmelite monastery in Dijon at the age of twenty-one, her short life was inwardly intense and theologically pro...

These profound teachings on the nature of pure consciousness as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi were taken from various sources/texts, including, 'Talks with Ramana Maharshi,' 'Day by Day with Bhagavan' and 'The Maharshi’s Gospel'.Ramana Maharshi (1879 -1950) was an Indian sage and jivanmukta (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bh...

Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BCE – c. 50 CE) was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher and mystic who lived in Alexandria, one of the great intellectual centers of the ancient world. Deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures and equally fluent in Greek philosophy—especially Plato and the Stoics—Philo sought to show that true philosophy and authentic revelation were ultimately one. Philo’s distinctive contri...

This guided meditation track provides some spacious pointers and instructions for settling into a natural and easeful state of meditation. Rediscovering our inherent, natural peace within the mind is key to learning how to relax and deepen into our meditation practice where "practice" becomes effortless. 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of...

Reading of excerpts from Dr Raghavan's essay 'Consciousness and Existence'. The full text can be found here: ⁠https://theosophytrust.org/⁠ Professor Raghavan N. Iyer (1930 -1995) was an internationally known philosopher, political theorist, and spiritual practitioner who devoted his life to the intellectual and spiritual uplift of human society. The only Rhodes Scholar from India in 19...

A reading for meditation of selected verses from the The Tao Te Ching - translation by Tolbert McCarrollThe Tao Te Ching or Dào Dé Jīng, ('Classic of the Way and its Virtue'), is an ancient Chinese classic text, becoming a foundational work of Taoism. It is traditionally credited to the sage Lao Tzu, though with some several early versions recovered, the texts' authorship and dates of...