Wisdom of the Masters

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...

A reading of reflections and poems of Saint Symeon taken from various sources and translations including:~ The Book of Mystical Chapters: Meditations on the Soul's Ascent from the Desert Fathers and Other Early Christian Contemplatives, Translated by John Anthony McGuckin~ The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell~ The Fire rises in Me - English version by Ivan...

A reading of selected musings from the great John Muir with nature video montage for your contemplation and relaxation. John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and early advocate for the...

Sri Aurobindo's seminal text The Mother (1928) is a concise, foundational work in Integral Yoga, outlining the Divine Mother's crucial role, her four great aspects (Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati), and the path to divine transformation on Earth, emphasizing sincerity, self-opening, and the descent of the supramental consciousness, with later comments from the Mother herse...

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 selection of profound pointers taken from the text 'The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones' 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 Padmasamb...

A reading for meditation of the St John of the Cross poem - "I Entered the Unknown."John of the Cross (1542 -1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and a Carmelite friar of converso origin. John became a priest in 1567 and considered joining the Carthusian Order where monks lived cloistered in individual cells. He was attracted by the simple and quiet life. However, he encountered...

Harada Sekkei Roshi (1926-2020) was the abbot of Hosshin-ji, a Soto Zen training monastery and temple, in Fukui Prefecture, near the coast of central Japan. He was born in 1926 in Okazaki, near Nagoya, and was ordained at Hosshin-ji in 1951. In 1953, he went to Hamamatsu to practice under Zen Master Inōe Gien (1894-1981), and received inkashomei (certification of realization) in 1957.In 1974, he w...

This is a selection of non-dual pointers taken from Jean Klein's texts, 'Dialogues with Jean Klein' and 'The Flame of Being.' 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 secretl...

A reading of the Khemaka Sutta from the Saṁyutta Nikāya - Connected Discourses on the Aggregates SN22.89. Translated by Bhikkhu BodhiKhemaka's teaching clarifies that a noble one (in his case a non-returner or anāgāmi) can still have a sense of "I am" without identifying with the aggregates. He explains that he has let go of the lower fetters, but the notion of self still exists. How...

This is guided meditation for practising and understanding the principles of the 'I Am' 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), The Nisargadatta Gita by Pradeep Apte, along with some of my own added points for clarification. Nisargadatta Maharaj (17 April 1897...

Selected excertps of poems from Rumi - translations by F. Hadland Davis and R.A. Nicholson. 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. Music: Envato Elements - Licensed m...

This is a spoken guided meditation (no music) that commences with an open awareness and listening - accepting and allowing things to 'be' - to come and to go. It then progresses to an investigation of the thinking process to see and understand its empty, substanceless nature. This insight brings freedom, relaxation and inner peace. 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offeri...

Text reading taken from:Treasures from Juniper Ridge (Padmasambhava's Advice #3) by Padmasambhava by Tulku Urgyen, Erik Pema Kunsang (Translator) , Marcia Binder Schmidt (Translator).Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru), was an Indian Vajrayana Buddhist master from the 8th century who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet. He is considered the founder of the Nyingma school...

A reading of excerpts from Margery Kempe's autobiography 'The Book of Margery Kempe.' A number of translations have been consulted to render the writing into modern English parlance. Margery Kempe (c. 1373 – after 1438) was an English Catholic mystic, known for writing through dictation The Book of Margery Kempe, a work considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English la...

A reading of two discources on the profound teaching of Dependent Origination (Paṭiccasamuppādasutta) as taught by the Buddha. These suttas have been taken from:Saṁyutta Nikāya (SN 12.2) - Paṭiccasamuppādasutta: Dependent OriginationTranslated by Bhikkhu BodhiSaṁyutta Nikāya (SN12.20) - ConditionsPaccayasutta - Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerin...

Reading of excerpts from Dr Raghavan's essay 'The Eye of Self Existence'. The full text can be found here: https://theosophytrust.org/944-eye-of-self-existence 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 Sch...

A reading of verses on 'The Spirit of Wabi-sabi: Beauty in Imperfection' by Sen No Rikyu. Sen no Rikyū (1522 -1591), was a Japanese tea master considered the most important influence on the chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha. Rikyū’s life unfolded during a turbulent period in Japanese history—an age of warlords and shifting powers—but in th...