The Meditative Mind
People often ask about the state of mind brought about in meditation. Characteristic replies speak of tranquillity, one-pointed concentration, and a sense of unity with all. But more significant than mental states that occur in the stillness and withdrawal of our meditation period, is the development of a meditative mind. This is a mind that…
Read MoreThe Kena Upanishad
One of the signs of mature thought is the urge to discover the ultimate meaning and purpose of life. If this urge arises in us and persists, it is usually linked to our recognition that the goals which most people pursue—or would pursue if they had the opportunity—are insufficient to cure the restlessness of the…
Read MoreThe Non-Duality of Shri Shankara
An extract from H P Shastri’s Outline of the Advaita of Shri Shankara Limitations are a darkness and obstruct the vision of Truth. They make Reality appear what it is not; where there is bliss they paint a picture of distress, pain, sorrow and disappointment. Our mind is a limitation and so are the senses…
Read MoreThrough Non-attachment to Freedom
A previously unpublished talk by Marjorie Waterhouse When we choose to follow the inner path that leads to the ultimate self-knowledge, we may be told that true practice is to rise above the pairs of opposites (joy and sorrow, gain and loss, success and failure, etc.), to regard the material world and the realm of…
Read MorePrayer and Self-Knowledge
Let us consider the nature of prayer—where God is usually worshipped or prayed to as if separate from our Self—in the light of the non-dual teachings. For prayer is a practice common to all the great religions, and it is considered by many to be essential for safe and wise living. First, what is prayer?…
Read MoreLight and Darkness: Bhagavad Gita Chapters 16 and 17
On the Bhagavad Gita Chapters 16 and 17 The Bhagavad Gita teaches that the Supreme Being, Brahman, God, is the support and inner controller of all manifest beings, and is also the transcendent cause of all beings, and is yet also the ultimate Reality which has no connection with any cause and effect. The Gita…
Read MoreRyokan—Friend of Peace and Freedom
Ryokan (1758-1831) is one of many Japanese poets inspired by the teachings of Zen Buddhism. He lived at a time when Japan had closed its doors to foreigners, cautiously guarding itself from the threat of conquest by the European seafaring powers, as well as the greater conquest of minds brought about by those set on…
Read MoreMaking the Best Choice
Our choices in life are invariably limited by the force of circumstances. But suppose there were no constraints, and that society was such that we were entirely free and independent. It is then that we would have to face up consciously to the question which we alone are in a position to decide: What should…
Read MoreThe Way to Soul-Satisfaction
A storm rages outside. Snow, driven by furious wind, is falling on the earth. Probably in a day or two the storm may be followed by a sunny day. There is an inner storm raging in our being. The rain of desires incessantly invades our heart. In the event of acceptance of a desire, the…
Read MoreThe Supreme Spirit: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15
Life presents us with a mystery and our deepest desire is to solve it. Sometimes the mystery presses on us as a question demanding an answer, at others as a vague feeling of incompleteness. The world proceeds in space and time according to the laws of cause and effect. The origin of all this is…
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