Wisdom of the Masters

"Wu Hsin" (meaning No Mind)  was a fictitious character created by Roy Melvyn to create and structure a series of pith teachings and pointers to the Absolute, based on key non-duality teachings. Despite the controversy around the "deceit" in publishing these works as words from an  "authentic" Chinese Master, I have chosen to upload these readings as they are some of the clearest pointer...

The Root Verses on the Six Bardos are some of the most famous sections of The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo (Bardo Tödrol Chenmo), a treasure text revealed by the fourteenth century tertön Karma Lingpa. This text offers instructions on each of the six intermediate states (bardo) and helps us to live a better life while preparing for death and beyond.  The Bardo Thodol , is a t...

A selection of Thoreau's verses taken from "Walden" and various Journals written by him.  Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) was an American philosopher, poet,  a leading transcendentalist, and environmental scientist whose major work, Walden, draws upon each of these identities in meditating on the concrete problems of living in the world as a human being. He sought to revive a conception...

Excerpts taken from the text "All Else is Bondage" by Wei Wu Wei. Terence James Stannus Gray (14 September 1895 – 5 January 1986), better known by the pen name Wei Wu Wei, was a 20th-century Taoist philosopher and writer.  Between the years 1958 and 1974 a series of eight books appeared attributed to the mysterious 'Wei Wu Wei'.  These works draw on a variety of sources, including Taoism...

This is a selection of reflections taken from Lusseyran's  books "And There Was Light" and "Against the Pollution of the I."  Jacques Lusseyran (19 September 1924 – 27 July 1971) was a French author and political activist. Blinded at the age of 7, at 17 Lusseyran became a leader in the French resistance against Nazi Germany's occupation of France in 1941. He was eventually sent to Buchen...

These direct and clear pointers to the Deathless have been extracted from various Dhamma talks given by Ajahn Sumedho.  Ajahn Sumedho (born Robert Karr Jackman, July 27, 1934) is an American Buddhist monk and one of the senior Western representatives of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He was abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, UK, from 1984 until his retirement in 2010. A...

This is a Universal Prayer applicable for any spiritual or religious context and practice. It focuses on developing and generating love or loving kindness and compassion (metta and karuna), peace (equanimity/upekkha), and light (wisdom, joy: mudita). It is both a healing and protective prayer for oneself and others. If practiced with ease, presence, and sincerity it is very powerful and transforma...

This is a readings for meditation of excerpts taken from the text: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words" - edited by Arthur Osborne.  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...

This is a guided meditation on the four (4) Form/Rupa Jhanas based on the methods and teachings of Ajahn Lee. Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Phra Suddhidhammaransi Gambhiramedhacarya (1907–1961), commonly known as Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo, was a meditation teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya order of Theravada Buddhism. He was born in the Ubon Ratchathani Province of I...

Readings of the Commentary - the  Fifth Vajra Point : Moon's Reflection from the text - Finding Rest in Illusion by Longchenpa.   Longchen Rabjam (1308-1363), is a great luminary of Tibetan Buddhism. He was highly skilled in all aspects of scholarship from an early age and excelled throughout his life in the practice and accomplishment of the Dharma. Regarded as a great Dzogchen mas...

This is selection of excerpts from the Tao Te Ching for meditation and contemplation. Lao Tzu (l. c. 500 BCE, also known as Laozi or Lao-Tze) was a Chinese philosopher credited with founding the philosophical system of Taoism. He is best known as the author of the Laozi (later retitled the Tao-Te-Ching translated as “The Way of Virtue” or “The Classic of the Way and Virtue”) the work which exempli...

This is a guided meditation to help you recognize your own inherent Awareness and learn how to abide by that. Pure Awareness is our true nature. Only by intuitively realizing and  understanding the depth and profundity of this impersonal Reality, and resting in it, can we begin the journey to transcend suffering and samsara. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podca...

A selection of Kabir poems for meditation taken from the following website: https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/Poets/K/Kabir/index.html#PoemList 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...

This is a guided Yoga Nidra through the 61 points of the body that is designed for induce deep relaxation and aid in peaceful and deep sleep.  🔆 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 lin...

A reading of the teaching, "The Spontaneous Vajra Manifestation of Awareness and Emptiness' by Mipham Rinpoche.  Jamgön Mipham Gyatso  (1846-1912)  was a great Nyingma master and writer of the last century. He was  a student of Jamgön Kongtrul, Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo and Patrul Rinpoche. Blessed by Manjushri, he became one of the greatest scholars of his time. His collected wo...

This is a reading for meditation of a short section from the The Zohar’s Bereishit (Beginning/start) - the opening verse of Genesis. English version by Daniel Chanan Matt.  The Zohar (Book of "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five books of Mose...

Bassui Tokushō (1327–1387) was a Rinzai Zen Master born in modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture who had trained with Sōtō and Rinzai Zen-masters. Bassui was unhappy with the state of Zen practice in Japan during his time, so he set out in life with the mission of revitalizing it. The problems he saw were really two sides of the same coin. That is, he saw both too much attachment by some monks and master...

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of the "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful" poetry of Gitanjali, he became in 1913 the first non-European...

This is a reading for contemplation of the Kalama Sutta. The instructions to the Kalamas  is renowned for its encouragement of free inquiry; the spirit of the sutta signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance. As Thanisarro says, "The reasonableness of the Dhamma, the Buddha's teaching, is chiefly evident in its welcoming careful examination at all...

A selection of direct and powerful teachings on Love by Sri Nisargadatta taken from various sources.  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.  Music: Suni-Ai (Listening Meditation) - Snatam Kaur...

Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) 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...

These pith and profound pointers were spoken by Ani la - Abbess of Gebchak Nunnery, Eastern Tibet. For more information about the inspiring Gebchak nuns and how to support them, please see these links:   https://gebchakgonpa.org/about/ https://gebchakgonpa.org/donate/ 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there a...

A reading for meditation of the 24 Gurus of Dattatreya - translated by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait.  Dattatreya is considered to be the incarnation of the Trinity- Brahma, Vishnu and Siva – a Trimurti Avatar. The Philosophy propounded by Lord Dattatreya is found in the ‘Avadhuta Gita’ which is a Vedantic text expounding non-dualism. Dattatreya, in the eleventh chapter of Srimad Bhagavata lists hi...

This is a guided meditation on the soft butter method introspective meditation as detailed by Zen Master Hakuin. It was taught to Hakuin as he was suffering from "Zen sickness" (exhaustion) caused by over-exertion and extreme austerities. 🔆 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 Payp...

This is meditation on the Nature of the Mind by Lama Shabkar taken from the text, "The Flight of the Garuda" - translated by Keith Dowman.   Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol  (1781-1851) was a Tibetan Buddhist yogi and poet from Amdo. Shabkar's yogic and poetic skill is considered second only to Milarepa.  Shabkar begin his spiritual practice early, completing a one-year retreat at the age...