Wisdom of the Masters

Picture Number 7 of The Ten Ox Herding Pictures. The Ten Ox Herding teachings is a series of short poems and accompanying drawings used in the Zen tradition to describe the stages of a practitioner's progress toward enlightenment, and his or her return to society to enact wisdom and compassion.     Commentary by Yamada Mumom. Translated by Victor Sogen Hori 🔆 These podcasts are not...

Ashtavakra Gita is one of the advaitic masterpieces.  One of Sri Ramana Maharshi's most beloved texts. Without mincing matters it comes out with the advaitic truth, the whole truth and nothing but advaita which is the Truth. This book embodies Ashtavakra’s teaching to King Janaka which vouched him Self-Knowledge between the time he placed one foot upon the stirrup of his horse and lifted hims...

The poems are a collection of Rumi's verses on the topic of Awakening that speak directly to the heart, using the metaphors of the ocean, sunrise, and waves to point us back Home. 🔆 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:...

Selected excerpts and pointers from the text "I Am That" by Maharaj (translated by Maurice Frydman). These have been compiled and intended for deep listening and meditation. 🔆 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...

Ashtavakra Gita is one of the advaitic masterpieces.  One of Sri Ramana Maharshi's most beloved texts. Without mincing matters it comes out with the advaitic truth, the whole truth and nothing but advaita which is the Truth. This book embodies Ashtavakra’s teaching to King Janaka which vouched him Self-Knowledge between the time he placed one foot upon the stirrup of his horse and lifted hims...

This is a tribute to the precious teacher, Thích Nhất Hạnh, who has just left his body after 95 years and after giving so much of the Dharma. This is a reading of some key quotes and wisdom teachings that he left us.  We pay homage and reverence to Thầy - a great Bodhisattva. 🙏🙏🙏 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings.

This guided meditation has been formatted from a teaching where H.H. gave a clear exposition on meditation practice in London, 1979.  His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-1987) was considered the greatest terton (discoverer of hidden texts, or terma) of our time, His Holiness has also made a thorough and critical study of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, realizing the wisdom of all lineage...

This is reading of a selection of Ma's poems for meditation and contemplation. Sri Brahmajna Ma (21 February 1880 – 5 November 1934) was an Indian advaitin saint from East Bengal. What little is known about her reveals her as an illumined soul who was established in non-dual realization. Like Ramana Maharshi, she had no guru, but attained enlightenment through her own efforts at self-inquiry. 🔆 I...

Excerpt read from the chapter "Timeless Freedom:  These  "pointers" from Longchenpa have been formatted for guided meditation purposes.   Taken from  the text  - A Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmission - A Commentary on the Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena.  Translated by Richard Barron. Longchenpa , ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drim...

Alone with the Alone by Ibn' Arabi - Translated by Henry Corbin plus selected verses of Ibn' Arabi.  'Abū 'Abdullāh Muḥammad ibn was a Sufi mystic, poet, and philosopher born in Murcia, Spain on the 17th of Ramaḍān (26 July 1165 AD). He was one of the great mystics of all time. Through the richness of his personal experience and the constructive power of his intellect, he made a unique contri...

Excerpt read from the chapter "Timeless Freedom:  These  "pointers" from Longchenpa have been formatted for guided meditation purposes.   Taken from  the text  - A Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmission - A Commentary on the Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena.  Translated by Richard Barron. Longchenpa , ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drim...

A selection of Rumi poems formatted for meditation and contemplation. Excerpts taken from the texts Kulliyat-e Shams, The Divani Shamsi Tabriz, XIII, Mathnawi II and III,  In the Arms of the Beloved.  Music: Klaus Wiese and Oophoi - Deva Mela 🔆 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...

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. 🔆 If you benefit from these podcasts and would...

This is a selection of pointings from the text "Light of the Eternal" by Lillian De Waters.  Lillian DeWaters was born in 1883 and lived in Stamford, Connecticut. She grew up with a Christian Science background and in her early teens began to study metaphysics and during that same period to seriously study the Bible.  She published a few books while actively within the Christian Science...

This is a selection of sublime pointers/teachings taken from Jean Klein's text, "I Am" - formatted for guided meditation purposes.  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...

The anuttarāṣṭikā is a hymn of eight (aṣṭikā) verses by Abhinavagupta, on the method of anupāya (no method) in the light of the highest reality/supreme –anuttara.  The teaching on anupāya, as elaborated in this hymn, have been revered by Kashmir Shaiva Pandits since their inception by Shaiva Master Abhinavagupta, who devoted the second chapter of his magnum opus – Tantrāloka – to the method...

This is a reading for meditation of a collection of sublime pith instructions given by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.  H.H. Khyentse  (1910-1991) was born in the Dergé region of Kham, Eastern Tibet and was recognized as the mind emanation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. Regarded by many as one of the greatest Dzogchen masters of the twentieth century, and the very embodiment of Padmasambhava, Dilg...

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 (including Nisargadatta Maharaj) and helped dozens attain Self-realisation. 🔆 If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to suppo...

Shitou Xiqian – known as Sekito Kisen in Japanese – was an 8th century Chinese monk, a student of Huineng and Huineng’s successor, Qingyuan Xingsi (Seigen Gyoshi). He is credited with writing two of the most famous Zen poems in China – the Sandokai and this, the Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage. The beauty of this poem lies in its humanity and its emphasis on the simplicity of practice – the grass...

This is a reading for meditation of the teaching given by Mipham Rinpoche entitled - "The Instruction on Stillness, Occurrence, and Awareness in Mahamudra'  - taken from the text Perfect Clarity. Translated by Eric Pema Kunsang. 🔆 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: vivekaherm...

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. 🔆 If you benefit...

This is a reading of the Buddha's teaching on the four foundations of mindfulness (The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta - Majjhima Nikaya 10: ) intended as a guided meditation. Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi (with a few minor alterations).  As stated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, this teaching, "is generally regarded as the canonical Buddhist text with the fullest instructions on the system of meditation unique to the Bu...

Excerpts read from the text - Life as Teacher. Vimala Thakar (1921- 2009) was born in Bilaspur District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. She was a great spiritually enlightened revolutionary and activist; mystic, and a notable Indian figure of the 20th Century who boldly forged a radically independent approach to spirituality and the search for truth. 🔆 If you benefit from these podcasts and...

Atisha was born in the year 982 AD in East Bengal.  He was one of the major figures in the spread of 11th-century Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in Asia and inspired Buddhist thought from Tibet to Sumatra. He is recognised as one of the greatest figures of classical Buddhism. Atisha's chief disciple, Dromtön, was the founder of the Kadam school, one of the New Translation schools of Tibetan...

This is a reading from the first section of Benner's book, The Impersonal Life. Joseph Sieber Benner (January 3, 1872 – September 24, 1938) was an American author, New Thought writer, member of the Lutheran Church,  and Representative of the Brotherhood of Christ who used the pen name "Anonymous". He was the first to introduce the Knowledge and Teachings of Impersonal Life (also known as the...