Wisdom of the Masters

Meister Eckhart — from a 'Sermon on the Ground of the Godhead'. Modern English rendering by Matthew Fox.Johannes Eckhart was one of the greatest of Christian mystics. He was born at Hochheim in Thüringen, Germany, in 1260 and died c.1327. He entered the Dominican order when he was 15. Later he became a distinguished professor and taught at different universities. His direct and accessible teachings of a person's closeness to God inspired many people and he became well known throughout Europe. He was later summoned to an inquisition for heretical teachings, at which he vigorously defended himself.

St Joseph the Hesychast (1897–1959) was a Greek Orthodox monk and spiritual elder of Mount Athos, renowned for his life of profound prayer, asceticism and inner stillness. Born Francis Kottis on the island of Paros, Greece, he arrived on Mount Athos in 1921, dedicating himself to solitude, fasting, vigils and the unceasing practice of the Jesus Prayer: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.'Joseph gathered a small brotherhood of disciples whose spiritual influence contributed significantly to the renewal of Athonite monasticism and the contemplative prayer tradition. He reposed on 15 August 1959 and was formally recognised as a saint by...

A meditation on the 'Original Light' - verses extracted from the 'Hung-chih Sermons'. From the text, 'The Five Houses of Zen, Translated by Thomas Cleary.

Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157) was one of the most accomplished Chan masters of the Song dynasty who authored or compiled several influential texts. Hongzhi's conception of silent illumination is of particular importance to the Chinese Caodong Chan and Japanese Sōtō Zen schools.

Hongzhi's distinctive teachings are well illustrated in the poetic practice instructions he left behind and are beautiful lyrical celebrations of our Buddha Nature and of all existence. However, they are...

Ganga Maa is a contemporary Advaita teacher based in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, where she gives regular satsang at Hridaya Kshetram. Her teaching is rooted in the non-dual Self-enquiry tradition of Sri Ramana Maharshi and the sacred presence of Arunachala. Amma does not regard herself as a guru, nor those who attend her satsangs as her disciples; instead, she points to Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi and the one Supreme Self as the true teacher. Her satsangs emphasise direct Self-knowledge, surrender and the recognition of the Self as the ever-present reality. Her teachings have been collected in books including Silent Presence and...

These pointers from the Master, Longchen Rabjam, have been compiled for meditation/contemplation and point to the natural state of the mind - free from contrivance, beyond all characterization, and inconceivable.Passages have been drawn from the texts, 'Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind' (Padmakara translation) and Natural Perfection: Longchenpa's Radical Dzogchen (Dowman translation).

Longchenpa (Longchen Rabjam, 1308–1364) was one of the greatest philosophers and meditators of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and the most influential systematizer of Dzogchen (Great Perfection) teachings. A prolific scholar and contemplative, he synthesized centuries of esoteric instruction into a co...

Selected passages read from the text Gravity and Grace - specifically from the chapters on 'The Self' and 'Decreation'.Simone Weil (1909–1943) was a French philosopher, mystic and spiritual writer whose short life was devoted to the search for truth and God. Although born into a secular Jewish family, she was profoundly drawn to Christianity and experienced several deep mystical encounters with Christ.Her spiritual writings explore attention, prayer, suffering, grace, compassion and the surrender of the ego. She called this radical self-emptying 'decreation' — the relinquishment of the self so that divine love might enter.

Weil never formally ente...

Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882 –1927) was an Indian professor of musicology, singer, exponent of the saraswati vina, poet, philosopher, and pioneer of the transmission of Sufism to the West. He initially came to the West as a representative of several traditions of classical Indian music, and established an order of Sufism (the Sufi Order) in London in 1914.

By the time of his death in 1927, centers had been established throughout Europe and North America, and multiple volumes of his teachings had been published.Inayat Khan's teaching emphasized the oneness of God (tawhid) and the underlying harmony of the revelations communicated by...

This meditation guides you to rest and relax the mind and body, not through force or coercion, but simply by recognising the ever present state of the mind in it natural awareness. Rediscovering our inherent, natural peace within the mind is key to learning how to rest into our meditation practice where "practice" becomes effortless. One can then practice easefully anywhere with eyes open when moving through the world.

🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings.

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Ādittapariyāya Sutta, popularly known as "The Fire Sermon", is the third major discourse delivered by the Buddha. Spoken on top of the Gayasisa Hill to a gathering of 1,000 newly converted ascetics, the sermon provides a psychologically acute formula for breaking free from worldly attachments.This reading is an amalgam of translations including those of Bhikkhu Bodhi, Bhante Sujato, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu and Ayya Jitindriya.

🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings.

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The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣhad is one of the later and shortest of the principal Upaniṣads, consisting of just twelve remarkably dense verses. It belongs to the Atharvaveda and is traditionally attributed to no single author, emerging from the ancient contemplative tradition of India.

Though brief, it became one of the most influential texts of Advaita Vedānta. Its central teaching explores the four dimensions of consciousness — waking, dreaming, deep sleep and Turīya, the “Fourth,” which transcends and underlies them all. Through the symbolism of OM, the Upaniṣad points toward that which is beyond all changing states...

Max Picard (1888–1965) was a Swiss-German philosopher, physician, and mystic whose profound vision and work speaks with extraordinary force to our increasingly noisy and distracted age —yet whose voice seems more necessary now than ever.

Born in Schopfheim, Germany, near the Swiss border, to Jewish parents, Picard trained as a physician before abandoning medicine in 1918. Increasingly disenchanted with the mechanistic direction of modern science, he turned away from clinical life and withdrew to the quiet landscapes of southern Switzerland, settling in Caslano and neighbouring villages, where he devoted himself to contemplative writing and exploring silence, solitude, presence, and the...

Selected teachings from Chuang Tzu excerpted from 'The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu' - translated by Burton Watson. Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) c. 369–286 BCE was one of ancient China’s greatest Daoist sages.

Living during the turbulent Warring States period, he rejected worldly ambition and chose a life of simplicity, freedom and contemplation. His teachings are filled with brilliant paradoxes, humour and stories that challenge our deepest assumptions about reality, identity and the self.

His timeless work, the Zhuangzi, points toward a life of effortless harmony with the Dao—and freedom from the limitations of the thinki...

This is a guided Dzogchen meditation pointing to recognising the natural state of the enlightened mind, free from conceptual proliferation, and practising to rest in it. The instructions are based on various teachings and pointers from Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) and taken from numerous texts.

Dzogchen (often translated as "Great Perfection") is a contemplative tradition primarily associated with the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, though it is also found in the Bön tradition. In essence, Dzogchen teaches that our fundamental nature is already complete, pure, and awake. The aim is not to create enlightenment through effort, but t...

This is a reading for meditation of selected teachings/sayings of the Desert Mothers, taken from 'Apophthegmata Patrum' (Sayings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers) translated by Benedicta Ward; and Philokia: compiled in the eighteenth century by Macarius of Corinth (1731-1805). The teachings spoken here are from the Mothers - Amma Theodora, Amma Syncletica and Amma Sarah.The Desert Mothers lived primarily in the fourth and fifth centuries, withdrawing to the arid regions of the eastern Mediterranean at a time when Christianity had become legally protected and increasingly institutionalized. Like their male counterparts, they sought the desert as a place...

This is a guided meditation formatted from instructions provided in the text, "On Meditation Instructions from talks by Ajahn Chah."The text can be downloaded for free from here: https://www.abhayagiri.org/media/book...Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) was one of the most influential Buddhist meditation masters of the modern era and a key teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition. Renowned for his simplicity, wisdom, and emphasis on direct experience, he taught a path of mindfulness, ethical living, and inner freedom grounded in the teachings of the Buddha. His teachings have inspired practitioners worldwide and led to the establishment of nu...

This is a selection of teachings of Nisargadatta's taken from the text 'Consciousness and the Absolute: The Final Talks - Jean Dunn (editor).The text, 'Consciousness and the Absolute' were the last teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and contain the final dialogues he had with the people who had come from all over the world to hear his words. These talks, coming during the last days of his life, were the culmination of the rarest teachings he had to give; they were the summit of the heights of his wisdom.Nisargadatta Maharaj (17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981), born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an...

This guided meditation offers a gentle and compassionate way of working with pain in practice. Beginning with grounding awareness in the body and the natural rhythm of the breath, it invites you to settle the mind through calm presence and embodied attention. From this foundation, the meditation introduces the Buddhist teaching of the “two arrows” — the understanding that while physical pain may be an unavoidable part of human life, much of our suffering comes from the second arrow: the mind’s resistance, fear, tension, and identification around the experience.Through careful guidance, you are encouraged to explore pain not as an en...

This is a reading for meditation of three poems written by Yeshe Tsogyal on the nature of the Dharmakaya and her complete realisation. Translations are by Keith Dowman (poem 1) and Tarthang Tulku.Yeshe Tsogyal was an 8th-century Tibetan Buddhist master and the foremost disciple of Padmasambhava. Revered as a fully enlightened Buddha in the Tibetan tradition, she played a central role in preserving and transmitting the teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet. Known for her profound wisdom, intense spiritual practice, and realization, she remains one of the most beloved and inspiring female figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

Yeshe...

Ibn Arabi’s Hizb Al-Wiqayah (The Prayer of Protection), also known as al-Dawr al-A‘la, is a powerful 33-verse Sufi invocation for spiritual safeguarding, divine protection, and elevation.The text can be found in 'A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection: Al-Dawr al-a'la (Hizb al-Wiqaya)' by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (Author), Suha Taji-Farouki (Translator).Ibn Arabi’s Prayer of Protection isn’t really about “protection” in the ordinary sense of warding off external harm. Its essence is much deeper and more radical. For Ibn Arabi, "protection" is primarily about maintaining one's spiritual station and protecting the soul from the greatest har...

This meditation guides you through a process of calming the mind in order to begin the process of self inquiry based on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. After establishing a degree of calm and settledness, it invites you to explore and question the nature of this mind-body experience and the relative and ultimate truths. The meditation is grounded in the principles of Bhagavan's teaching and interspersed with some direct quotes of his.

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A reading for meditation of selected verses from the 'Essence of Ribhu Gita'. Translated by Professor N.R. Krishnamoorthi Aiyer.The Ribhu Gita is a revered Advaita Vedānta text that teaches the direct realization of the Self as pure, indivisible awareness. It is presented as a dialogue between the sage Ribhu and his devoted disciple Nidagha. The teaching is uncompromisingly non-dual, declaring that the Self alone exists and that all apparent multiplicity is merely a superimposition upon that reality.The text is famous for its radical simplicity and repetition, repeatedly affirming the truth that Brahman alone is real a...

A selection of excerpts for prayer/contemplation taken from 'The Book of Mystical Chapters, The Esoteric Spiritual Doctrine of the Early Christian Monks and Ascetical Teachers of the East.' The reading includes teachings from: of Hesychios of Sinai, Aphrahat the Persian, John Klimakos The Ladder, Evagrios of Pontus, John Klimakos, and Theodoros.Translated by Father John Anthony McGuckin. The Book of Mystical Chapters presents the inner spiritual teachings of early Eastern Christian monks, focusing on the path of inner purification, stillness, and direct experience of the divine. It emphasizes detachment from worldly distractions, the transformation of the mind...

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 been taken from the text "Great Fool" translated by Ryuichi Abé & Peter Haskel.

🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefi...

A reading for contemplation of the sutta - Dutiyalokadhammasutta - AN 8:6 The Dutiyalokadhammasutta (“Second Discourse on the Worldly Conditions”) teaches about the eight worldly winds that constantly affect human life:Translation: Amalgam of Translations from Bhikkus Bodhi, Thanissaro and Sujato - compiled by Ayya Jitindriya

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🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. 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: v...

This is a selection of teachings on the topic and principles of the 'The True Guru' 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).Nisargadatta Maharaj (17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981), born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an Indian guru of nondualism, belonging to the Inchagiri Sampradaya, a lineage of teachers from the Navnath Sampradaya and Lingayat Shaivism.________________________________🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings.🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and woul...

A reading for contemplation of some of Peace Pilgrim's reflections taken from the text, 'Peace Pilgrim, Her Life and Work in her Own Words.'Peace Pilgrim was born Mildred Lisette Norman in 1908 in New Jersey, USA. She lived a fairly conventional life early on—interested in writing and social issues—but went through a deep personal crisis during the years surrounding World War II.That period profoundly shook her. She saw the devastation caused by human greed, fear, and division—and began to question not just society, but herself. She eventually came to a simple but radical conclusion:𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬.On January 1, 1953, she set out on what she called a “pilgrimage for peace.” She took a vow to remain homeless by choice, own only what she could carry, walk across the Unite...

A reading for meditation of the teaching 'A dear Treasure for Destined Disciples' by Dudjom Rinpoche.Dudjom Rinpoche (1904–1987) was one of the most revered masters of Tibetan Buddhism and a major lineage holder of the Nyingma tradition. Renowned as a scholar, poet, and realized yogi, he spent his life preserving and transmitting the profound teachings of Dzogchen and the treasure traditions (terma).Dudjom Rinpoche’s writings and teachings emphasize the direct recognition of the nature of mind—pure awareness that is naturally free, luminous, and ever-present. With remarkable clarity, he pointed practitioners beyond conceptual elaboration toward immediate realization, often expres...

This is an extended version of the previously uploaded recording of the Bon pointers (Remain Like the Sky). It allows for more spaces between each profound pointing and thus offers a longer and potentially deeper meditation.Excerpts have been taken from the text 'Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyendyud' - the Experiential Transmission of Bönpo Dzogchen. The text contains the heart teachings of ancient Bönpo Dzogchen Masters, translated and commented on by Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the current holder of this unique lineage.The Yungdrung Bön (Bön) Lineage tradition is one of the oldes...

This deeply relaxing 30 minute guided Yoga Nidra will help you relax, find inner peace and drift into a deep sleep. It follows a gentle guidance of sweeping the attention throughout the various body parts in order to relax and let go of any tension in the body and mind. It contains soft background music to help you relax and feel deep inner peace.

Music: Uppbeat Licensed Music

🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings.

🔆 Thank you to everyone who has written to inq...

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 teaching of the Dhamma in its most direct, experiential form.Ajahn Maha Boowa emphasized the centrality of the citta (heart-mind)—the luminous, knowing essence underlying all experience. Through rigorous meditation, he described how defilements (kilesas) obscure this...

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 radical and difficult.Al-Niffarī’s spiritual insight centers on the experience of divine encounter beyond concepts and language. He describes mawqif (a “standing” before God) as a liminal state where the self dissolves and God directly “addresses” th...

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 profound, centered almost entirely on the mystery of the indwelling Trinity.Her core spiritual insight was radical in its simplicity: God dwells within the soul as living Presence, and the task of the spiritual life is to b...

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 Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. In 1895, an attraction to the sacred hill Arunachala and the 63 Nayanmars was aroused in him and in 1896, at the age of 16, he had a "death-experience" where he be...

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 contribution lies in his mystical interpretation of Scripture. Reading the Torah allegorically, he taught that beneath its literal narratives lies a spiritual map of the soul’s journey toward God. Biblical figures such as Abraham, Moses, and Jacob...

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 all sentient beings.

🔆 Thank you to everyone who has written to inquire about offering a donation or gift. You are welcome to do so, and all offerings will go towards supporting monastic requisites and overhe...

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 1950 to Oxford, he secured First Class Honors in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and later earned a D. Phil. Degree in moral and political philosophy.

He was professor of political philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara for 21 years.His mess...

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 composition and compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion dates to the late 4th century BCE. While tradition places Laozi earlier, modern versions of the text could more conservatively be estimated to...

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 M. GrangerSaint Symeon the New Theologian (949 -1022 AD) was an Eastern Orthodox monk and poet who was one of the three saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and given the title of "Theologian." "Theologian" was not applied...

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 preservation of wilderness in the United States.His books, letters and essays describing his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park, and his example has served as an...

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 herself adding depth to its principles of spiritual evolution and world change. In essence, The Mother serves as a concise manual for understanding and connecting with the Divine Mother's presence and power, essential for humanity's spiritual evolution towards a divine life on Earth. The Mother is one...