Adyashanti – Spontaneous Awakening – Pt. 1 to 3

Published on May 25, 2013

These 11 lessons from Adyashanti were recorded live. They include lectures, personal stories, interviews, and guided meditations. While the content of the lectures will be familiar to listeners already versed in Zen or Eastern spirituality, Adyashanti’s explanations are quite lucid, even homely, making difficult concepts readily accessible even for those new to them. Sound quality is uniformly high, and the recordings capture much of his warmth and spontaneity. His excitement for spirituality and his eagerness to share with his listeners are apparent. It is especially nice to hear jokes, or to hear Adyashanti fumble a term and then laugh at himself. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine– Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

After a series of transformative spiritual awakenings, Adyashanti began teaching in 1996, at the request of his Zen teacher with whom he had been studying for 14 years. Adya’s teachings have been compared to some of the early Chan (Zen) masters of China as well as teachers of Advaita Vedanta in India. Meetings with Adyashanti include teachings, meditation and satsang. Bring your innermost questions or join in deep silence, as Adya leads a profound and intimate investigation into the freedom of spiritual awakening. A native of Northern California, Adyashanti is a teacher of growing recognition and popularity in the United States. He teaches extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area, offering weekly satsangs, frequent intensives, and silent retreats. He also travels to teach in other areas of the United States and Canada.

Adyashanti – Spontaneous Awakening – Pt. 2

Adyashanti – Spontaneous Awakening – Pt. 3

Lack and Transcendence: The Problem of Death and Life in Psychotherapy, Existentialism, and Buddhism ~ David Loy

Whatever the differences in their methods and goals, psychotherapy, existentialism, and Buddhism are concerned with the same fundamental issues of life and death and death-in-life. In this unique work, David Loy brings all three traditions together for the first time in a synthesis receptive to the insights of each, thereby casting fresh light on familiar problems.

Dr. Loy’s work grew out of the cross-fertilization of two basic ideas: the psychotherapeutic concept of repression and the Buddhist doctrine of nonself. Buddhism implies that our primal repression is not fear of death but the quite valid suspicion that “I” am not real. This shift from libido-instinct to the way we understand our situation opens up new perspectives and possibilities which this book explores.

Written in a clear, jargon-free style that does not assume prior familiarity with the topics discussed, this insightful book will appeal to a variety of readers including psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, psychologists, scholars of religion—particularly of Buddhism—Continental philosophers, and literary and culture critics.

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Is individual awakening crucial to reach social transformation?

This is an excerpt from the interview with David Loy at the Science and Nonduality Conference 2011 featured in the 3DVD set “Science and Nonduality Anthology Vol.3″.

David Loy, PhD, was the Best Family Chair Professor of Ethics/Religion and Society at Xavier University in Cincinnati from 2006 to 2010. His books include “Nonduality: A Study in Comparative Philosophy” (Yale University Press, 1988). He is an authorized teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage of Zen Buddhism, where he completed formal koan training under Zen Master Yamada Koun Roshi.

David Loy: Society is Separating the Self from Nature

David Loy, author of Nonduality: A Study in Comparative Philosophy, argues that in establishing a separate self in a constructed civilization, we have grown disconnected from ecology and the natural world.

The Forsaken Truth: The Simple Dynamics of Life by Peabol El-Shilay

The Forsaken Truth is highly recommended to anyone who desires freedom from even the most deep-seated ignorance.

By coming to terms with deep and very essential truth about life (presented as clear as possible), the answers to the serious questions of life are finally here within your grasp. And it is very likely that for the first time ever, you are about to truly enhance your understanding of who you really are, what this world is, why you are here, and what the hereafter is all about.

And having overcome all open and disguised ignorance; without the help of anybody, you will appreciate how to easily generate joyful experiences and add true value to your life?leaving behind every worry, sorrow, confusion and despair as you move on confidently to achieving your invaluable and ultimate goal.

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The Forsaken Truth by Peabol El-Shilay

WITHOUT A MASK: Discovering Your Authentic Self by Avikal E. Costantino

Who is behind the mask that we have learnt to wear in order to survive and function in the world? Who are we really, behind familial and social conditioning? If we are free from fear and the preoccupations that in the name of survival justify adaptation? Is it possible to be spontaneous and authentic, or is it just an infantile desire to leave behind us along with our dreams?

This book tackles these themes and offers understanding and techniques for recognising our authentic Self, helping us to realise that behind the personality mask there is a mysterious universe, an ocean of potentiality, and that that is our true nature. Then the phrase “know yourself” will no longer just be an indication of philosophers and mystics, but will offer us the concrete possibility to ask the right questions, those that enable us to lift the veil that hides our true face and find peace and fulfillment.

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Avikal Costantino

Avikal is a spiritual teacher. Curiosity, passion and love for the truth guide his teaching and are transmitted in a clear and focused way. He is the founder and director of the Integral Being Institute active in Europe, Asia and Australia. Avikal traveled extensively around the globe in his youth working as an anthropologist and a free-lance photographer.

His love for Martial Arts took him to teaching Aikido and Sword, while his love for the body produced diplomas and professional activity in different healing techniques.
From 1989 to 1994 he was the director of the Osho School for Centering and Zen Martial Arts in Pune, India, in the commune of the Indian mystic Osho.
Being involved with Zen and Advaita for more than 25 years, he now leads retreats such as Satori and The Awareness Intensive where the direct experience of True Nature is searched through the question Who am I?.

Since 1997 he has developed an innovative and original approach to the work with the Inner Judge and he is a well known teacher of Essence and Ennegram.
He is also a Life-coach, Management Trainer and Executives Mentor working with presence, leadership, resilience and conflict resolution in Italy and Australia.
He is the author of: “Freedom to Be Yourself. Mastering the Inner Judge”, Sydney 2007 and “Without a Mask Discovering your Authentic Self”, .London 2011

The Mind of the Guru: Conversations with Spiritual Masters ~ Rajiv Mehrotra

In The Mind of the Guru Rajiv Mehrotra presents dialogues with twenty contemporary sages and masters who have illumined the minds of millions around the world. Ranged here are gurus as diverse as B. K. S. Iyengar, who brought yoga from the world of esoteric to our living rooms, and Mata Amritanandamayi, whose mere presence invokes an overwhelming awareness of low. There is Deepak Chopra discussing a quantum healing of mind and body, Sogyal Rinpoche encouraging us to look at death so that we might live a better life and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar reaffirming each person’s right and access to happiness. And there is the unique and contrary voice of U. G. Krishnamurti telling us that all talk of transformation is poppycock. There are no grand narratives or final solution, only guide who can show the way to the light within. Underlying the dialogues is their wisdom on how we make ourselves unhappy – and guidance on how we can turn our lives around to achieve happiness.

As Vipassana guru S. N. Goenka says, ‘The teacher shows the way. One must walk in the path and experience it step by step.’ This book is a remarkable journey both for those looking to take their first tentative steps and those already well on the path.

Rajiv Mehrotra was educated at the universities of Delhi, Oxforc and Columbia. For over three decades he has been a familiar face on public relevision, notably as the anchor of an in-depth one-on-one talk show that has been through several incarnations. He is presently secretary /trustee of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and managing trustee of the Public service Broadcasting Trust. He is a trustee of the Norbulinka Institute of Tibetan Culture and has served on the governing councils of the Sri Aurobindo Society and the Film & Television Institute of India.

As an independent documentary film-maker, he has won several international and three national awards from the President of India. He was nominated a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the Word Economic forum at Davos.

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Interview by Rajiv Mehrotra for Doordarshan TV, India

His Holiness the Dalai Lama in conversation with Rajiv Mehrotra for Doordarshan National TV of India originally broadcast on March 31st, 2009.

Abide as the Self ◦ Ramana Maharshi ◦ Full Movie [ updated April 8, 2013]

Special Note: The transformational nature of this one hour video’s deep inner revelations of Ramana Maharshi teachings necessitates that viewers should focus attention and digest on the messages, free from distractions of the mundane worldly chores. Hence, view this video during solitary time of mental ease and reflective contemplation. – Namaste

Abide As the Self is a transforming video that takes you on an inner journey into the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the path of Self-knowledge. Comprehensive film footage of Ramana comes alive, with emphasis on the teachings of Self-Inquiry and its practical application. A special collection of rare photographs enhances Ramana’s presence and captures the compassion and grace of one of the most respected sages of our time.

The inspired narration by Ram Dass provides an overview of Ramana’s teachings. Also included are interviews with H.W.L. Poonja, Douglas Harding, Allan W. Anderson, and others. In Abide As the Self, you will experience how the profound teachings of Ramana Maharshi can be easily applied in our daily life.

This is a deeply inspiring video in which the sage Ramana speaks directly to your heart. “Abide As the Self skillfully interweaves old and new still photographs, excerpts from Ramana’s writings, interviews with longtime devotees, narration by Ram Dass, and, not least, rare and precious footage of Ramana from 1935 to 1949. Highly recommended.” – Yoga Journal

“The presence of the great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi, his clear approach to Self-Realization, and the teachings of Self-Inquiry are beautifully presented. Interviews and exceptional film footage of Ramana Maharshi make this video an inspiring and transforming experience.” New Renaissance Bookshop

“The video concludes with the encouraging words of Ram Dass, who tells us that Maharshi’s message is not Indian but universal: the peace that illuminates the heart and mind is always present. Anyone curious about this aspect of Eastern spirituality will find this informative and interesting video worthwhile and surprisingly accessible to general viewers. Recommended.” ~ Video Librarian

“Bhagavan was always silent, that is everyone’s true nature . . . In this quietness the mind will automatically return to its source and there will be a tremendous fountain of peace. All doubts are cleared and one remains quiet, in the heart.” ~ H.W.L. Poonja

Beyond the Illusion – A Time Of Awakening ~ Michael and Sarah Feeley

Beyond the Illusion – A Time Of Awakening is the second amazing book by ex-Police Officers Michael and Sarah Feeley, and is the sequel to their first, Walk Into The Light – The Journey Of A Lightworker Duo. It describes how world events in today’s society are orchestrated to prevent humanity from awakening to the coming Spiritual revolution that is changing the world forever. Once again Michael and Sarah relay their own personal experiences of a fascinating Spiritual and Supernatural nature as well as provide information to help awaken those still sleeping.

They explain how those that work from the shadows, try desperately to keep humanity pinned to prevent it from discovering its true, infinite nature and potential. The ‘powers that be’ stand to lose complete control over the population and are now throwing everything at us in an attempt to keep us distracted and in constant fear with the regular feed of negative events that take place… This book includes never before seen photographic evidence of ‘the Light’, the passageway from this dimension to the next, and ‘Life after death’ taken by Michael and Sarah themselves. From Angels and Cosmic Beings, to Astral travels and Orbs to the truth about the ancient monuments of Egypt, this book will awaken your soul to a wonderful journey of self-discovery. Join Michael and Sarah as they take you Beyond the Illusion.

“An absolute Must Read for those who feel that something just isn’t right and know that there is much more to our existence then we are currently led to believe”.

Ex-Police officers and Husband & Wife team Michael & Sarah Feeley experienced the spiritual awakening of a lifetime in 2009 when they relived the murder of a Victorian teenager. Although an horrific and unbelievable experience and having basically survived being murdered, Michael and Sarah came through the event unscathed with the help of each other and those around them. Following this event, M&S began to experience all manner of weird and wonderful things and felt as though a switch had been flicked within their brains allowing the experiences to happen.

M&S found themselves on a truly unique journey! They soon realised that there is so much more to life than we are led to believe and that not everything in life is as it seems and as such, being unhappy in their careers as police officers, in 2009 the pair resigned. Michael & Sarah began writing books about their experiences the first being entitled Walk Into The Light – The Journey Of A Lightworker Duo. They began to see that there is a secret sinister agenda playing out on Earth at this time and that those at the helm are attempting to completely enslave humanity without us even realising.

M&S also found that there is a global spiritual awakening that is and has been taking place and that those that rule from the shadows are terrified of this event and try desperately to keep us pinned with one distraction after the other. It was following these revelations that the pair wrote ‘Beyond The Illusion – A Time Of Awakening’. Michael & Sarah now present many talks on these subjects and in an effort to reach out to more and more people, they have appeared on many radio stations in both the UK and USA and alternative TV programmes on Sky satellite and Freesat amongst others. They have been described as “the consciousness shift that everyone is talking about” by Kevin Moore of The Moore TV and radio show and by others as now “policing the universe” and have gone from criminal law to divine law!

M&S are passionate about helping people to understand that they are so much more than they realise, and that we all really are capable of anything but that we all just need to start working together. They wish to expose the dark agenda that seeks to enslave and suppress the spiritual connection of humanity and as such they relay what they learn along with their own experiences to others in the hope and belief that together we will change the world for the better…

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Authors Michael & Sarah Feeley present their second book ‘Beyond The Illusion – A Time Of Awakening‘. It describes how world events in today’s society are orchestrated to prevent humanity from awakening to the coming Spiritual revolution that is changing the world forever. Once again Michael and Sarah relay their own personal experiences of a fascinating Spiritual and Supernatural nature as well as provide information to help awaken those still sleeping.

Adyashanti : When Truth Takes Over

Traditional Tales: The Garden of the Heart

Walking within the garden of his heart, the pupil suddenly came upon the Master, and was glad, for he had but just finished a task in His service which he hastened to lay at His feet.

“See, Master,” said he, “this is done; now give me other teaching to do.”

The Master looked upon him sadly yet indulgently, as one might upon a child which cannot understand.

“There are already many to teach intellectual conceptions of the Truth,” he replied. “Thinkest thou to serve best by adding thyself to their number?”

The pupil was perplexed.

“Ought we not to proclaim the Truth from the very housetops, until the whole world shall have heard?” he asked.

“And then-”

“Then the whole world will surely accept it.”

“Nay,” replied the Master, “the Truth is not of the intellect, but of the heart. See!”

The pupil looked, and saw the Truth as though it were a White Light, flooding the whole earth; yet none reaching the green and living plants which so sorely needed its rays, because of dense layers of clouds intervening.

“The clouds are the human intellect,” said the Master. “Look again.”

Intently gazing, the pupil saw here and there faint rifts in the clouds, through which the Light struggled in broken, feeble beams. Each rift was caused by a little vortex of vibrations, and looking down through the openings thus made the pupil perceived that each vortex had its origin in a human heart.

Only by adding to and enlarging the rifts will the Light ever reach the earth,” said the Master. “Is it best, then, to pour out more Light upon the clouds, or to establish a vortex of heart force? The latter thou must accomplish unseen and unnoticed, and even unthanked. The former will bring thee praise and notice among men. Both are necessary: both are Our work; but – the rifts are so few! Art strong enough to forego the praise and make of thyself a heart center of pure impersonal force?”

The pupil sighed, for it was a sore question.

~ humanityhealing.net

Asteroids, Randomness and the Absolute Truth About God ~ Rabbi Gil Steinlauf

When asteroid 2012 DA14 makes its perilously close encounter and near miss with Earth, there will be plenty of people who will thank God. We all know that one hit from a big asteroid, and life on earth as we know it could be wiped out. But, as some may reason, God is not letting that happen to us. Not now. For now, God is still merciful.

As a deeply religious Jew, I must admit that I cringe when I hear people express certitude that God chooses to avert asteroids or hurricanes or any random destructive force of nature — especially if we pray hard enough. The God I pray to is a God of a 13.7-billion-year-old universe. My God is a God whose majesty and greatness only deepens for me as we collectively discover the ever-expanding mystery of the cosmos. My God is a God of a universe that includes randomness and accidents. And yes, my God is a God of a universe where, sometimes, tragically, bad things happen to good people despite our prayers, and asteroids might hit the earth and wipe almost all life out.

It’s not that my religious traditions and texts don’t affirm the classic omnipotent, infallible God who runs the show. I have come to see, however, that religious texts and rituals exist not so much to shape hardened, dogmatic beliefs about God or the universe.

The judgmental Heavenly Monarch-on-the-Throne imagery isn’t there to be taken literally. It’s there to capture the awe and mystery of our experience of life itself. When I contemplate a 45-meter-wide boulder hurtling to earth at 17,500 miles-per-hour, I am terrified and humbled. When I hear it will come right in line with the orbits of some GPS satellites — and then miss us — yes, I’m relieved. But I’m also further humbled and awe-struck that life as we know it is so precious and tenuous. And it’s right in that moment, in that uncanny experience of fear and wonder, that I truly find God. My God arises not in arrogant assertions of Absolute Truth, but in those life-experiences that inspire the greatest of doubt and a multiplicity of more questions.

In Judaism, there is a tradition that when someone survives a near-miss brush with death, they are called up before the congregation to “bensch gomel,” to say a blessing acknowledging their survival. They say, in effect, Although I am unworthy, I bless God who has been good to me. And the congregation responds together: May God continue to be good to you, Selah! On the surface, this ritual smacks of the conventional benevolent-despot God, a God who might not choose to be so nice to us next time, especially if we misbehave. But if you look deeper at that ritual, you begin to find that the imagery of a God meting out goodness to the unworthy is actually just a vessel, a technology. It’s a technology that fashions a moment in time, a moment of an individual acknowledging their humility and wonder together with their people. It’s a moment of no illusions, no answers, no certainties — only the Truth that we are together in this uncertain, imperfect, miraculous moment of being alive. The moment becomes sacred not so much in the words recited, but in our mutually felt connection to each other. I am comfortable calling such a moment, “an experience of God.” And I fully respect those who might choose not to name it at all.

The meteorite which fell in Russia’s Urals on Feb 15, 2013 injuring more than 1,000 people.

So when Earth’s gravitational field sends 2012 DA14 hurtling away from us faster than a speeding bullet, it will be a moment for all life on Earth to collectively “bensch gomel,” no matter what our religion, even if we don’t believe in God at all. It’s a moment for us to acknowledge the power of prayers, rituals, blessings and yes, even age-old notions of God — however we conceive of God — in the service of what is really Divine: In this often frightening, chaotic, deeply imperfect and perilous universe, here we are! We’re alive, and what’s more–we are affirming that life can be Good even as it is so precious and fleeting. And most importantly, 2012 DA14 reminds us that despite the terrible uncertainty of it all, we are so blessed to have each other for the time that we’re here.