Become What You Are
There was once a porter who had to carry and struggle under many heavy loads and was inclined, at the worst moments, to cry out and pray to God and say, ‘If only you would release me from work, my Lord, I would be content with two pieces of bread a day.’ One day, he…
Read MoreOpen Wide the Mind’s Cage Door
All of us like to feel we are free. We do not welcome those situations, people and places that make us feel hemmed in or restricted. For instance, if we were to be told that for health and safety reasons, the doors of our meeting room were to be locked, preventing exit for a short…
Read MoreThe Non-Duality of Shri Shankara
Further extracts from H P Shastri’s essay on the Outline of the Advaita of Shri Shankara Theory and Practice (continued) The whole practice is based on vairagya (non-attachment). Our greatest barrier is a desire for self-recognition, self-advertisement. As long as we expect to be recognized as somebody, we are in the muddy pool of deep…
Read MoreSelf-Realisation
There have been many theories about the fundamental nature of the drive in the human mind. Sigmund Freud spoke of it as a fountain-head of energy, primarily sexual, although becoming recanalized in many other forms. Adler, another of the founders of modern psychology, spoke of it as an urge to power or significance. But the…
Read MoreMeditation
If we made a list of the good things in life—in general terms— beginning with childhood, it might include: fun, pleasure, wealth, popularity, creativity, security, professional authority and, as we get older, health. The list may not necessarily include peace of mind. We imagine this will come automatically if we get what we want in…
Read MoreKena Upanishad—Difficulties Resolved
The last of three short talks on this Upanishad by the Warden The Kena Upanishad gives valuable hints about the path to self-realisation. At first sight it might seem that the opposite is the case. For we are told at the start that this is not a teaching that can be adequately expressed in words.…
Read MoreHappy Birthday
Our date of birth is a fact that is likely to gain in importance as life progresses. In this age of form-filling and identity verification, to lack precise information about our age will arouse suspicion and possibly lead to exclusion. And yet, we ourselves cannot know our date of birth with certainty; all we can…
Read MoreSelf-Knowledge Journal – Autumn 2023
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Read MoreSelf-Knowledge Journal – Summer 2023
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Read MoreA Direct Pointer to Direct Experience
The Direct Experience of Reality (in Sanskrit Aparokshanubhuti) is a short classic text on the non-dual teachings. It was once thought to have been written by the original Shankara Acharya, who probably lived in the eighth century and gave what is still the most complete and respected presentation of the non-dual philosophy. Most scholars now…
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