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Eckhart Tolle On Relationships
July 24, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · Leave a Comment
Earlier in the year I wrote an post on karma in personal relationships It was very popular and very quickly rose up the most viewed list for the site. I just came across this video of Eckhart Tolle speaking on the same kind of subject. I really like what he has to say, and I enjoy his quirky humor too. Take a look and let me know what you think and what are your own experiences.
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Adyshanti – What Is Awareness?
June 3, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · 2 Comments
Awareness, it’s the whole enigma, the eyeball trying to see itself, the sound of one hand clapping. It isn’t you, you can’t be it, it’s ever present and we don’t notice.
The simple timeless state of awareness is the heart of all this spiritual jiggery pokery, nothing like a good paradox to confuse the mind into believing itself. It won’t make any sense until you have direct experience, but you never know which pointing finger will finally reveal the moon.
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Go See Amma – 6 Reasons Why
May 26, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · 2 Comments
On Thursday Amma begins her annual US summer tour. If you’ve never been to see her and wonder whether you should here are six reasons why.
1: There are spiritual teachers who have knowledge, there are spiritual teachers who have wisdom and there are spiritual teachers who have shakti, there are spiritual teachers who are enlightened. From personal experience I can tell you that Amma it’s something beyond all of these.
When we have the idea that enlightenment is some kind of completion it is very difficult for us to comprehend anything beyond it. I am convinced by my own experience that enlightenment is the beginning of a whole new experience in consciousness evolving. As such I do not believe it its possible comprehend just what or who Amma is, and i don’t advise trying.
2: Amma Has been a touring the world and hugging people for decades now, she has made the analogy that a life of service is like an incense stick burning to ash to offer its fragrance of the world. My point is that it won’t last forever, so if you’ve never been make sure you do while you still can.
3: The analogy I will offer Re: number one and two is this. if Jesus or Buddha were alive and you could go and just be with them, even for a day – wouldn’t you go? And if Jesus or Buddha don’t inspire you just replace them with whatever spiritual figure does. Well, would you go?
4: If you are sincere about your desire to spiritually evolve, then Amma can help you, all you have to lose is your pride.
5: After spending years with her in India and other parts of the world, it seems to me that Amma cam to Earth on a mission – it’s us – humanity. We can be as positive as we like (and I’m not saying not to be) but we are walking a tightrope through a pivotal time in earth’s history and we may not make it. At it’s core the outcome will be decided by our level of consciousness. (Read more of my thought on this here)
The point is, we are all in this together, we are forging our collective future in every moment, and as I see it, if we are conscious of this we can best serve by doing everything we can to raise our own consciousness.
6: It’s free. All public programs are completely free, all you have to do is show up, and if you want a hug be willing to wait. If you go and want a hug, go early. Whatever you do, stay as long as you can as close as you can and be as receptive as you can – to the energy of Amma’s consciousness. This is especially true when you go for darshan (hugging).
| Seattle | 05.28-05.31 | |
| San Ramon | 06.03-06.13 | |
| Los Angeles | 06.15-06.19 | |
| Albuquerque | 06.21-06.25 | |
| Dallas | 06.27-06.28 | |
| Iowa | 06.30-07.01 | |
| Chicago | 07.03-07.04 | |
| New York | 07.07-07.09 | |
| Washington DC | 07.12-07.13 | |
| Boston | 07.15-07.18 | |
| Toronto | 07.21-07.24 |
Visit the US Amma website for details of public programs and retreats – Go and Enjoy!
If you aren’t in the US check the main site for other Amma world tours.
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out moreRam Dass – Still Hip
May 23, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · Leave a Comment
Many times over the years I meet someone, usually in the baby boomer generation who tells me that Ram Dass was their first introduction to Eastern spiritual ideas. Now, nearly 40 years after the landmark publication of his book ‘Be Here Now’ he is still going strong.
For those of us who have grown up in later generations it is hard to imagine a world where the richness and diversity of spiritual knowledge from the great land of India are not readily available. Maybe because of that it is harder for us to appreciate just what a trail blazer Ram Dass was on his return from India in 1969, inspired by the teaching of his Guru Neem Karoli Baba and Baba Hari Dass.
Admittedly, he was slowed down over the last decade by a stroke in 1997. That life change became a deepening of Ram Dass’s spiritual journey and not a hindrance to it.
Hidden deep within all of us is a primordial fear of death. Despite his many years of work with the dying through the ‘Dying Project’, his stroke brought Ram Dass to direct experience of his own mortality.
Of that debilitating event Ram Dass later said, "I had been superficial and arrogant and the stroke helped me to be humble. I had gotten power from helping people and now I need help for everything. That was the grace. The stroke happened to the ego, and when I could witness the pain, my life got better."
Now 79 and with a new hip replacement Ram Dass is still teaching on retreats and giving satsangs. Recently some of these activities are being made available to those outside Hawaii through the internet as Ram Dass continues to inspire new generations of spiritual seekers.
This Sunday May 24th, renowned spiritual teacher will give satsang with guest speakers Lei Ohu Ryder and Lama Gyaltsen at The Studio Maui.
Find out what else Ram Dass is up to in the near future and how to sign up for online satsang at http://www.ramdass.org
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out more
Ramana Maharishi – His Life Story
May 2, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · 1 Comment
Ramana Maharishi is one of the giants among 20th Century spiritual masters. One of the rare people to spontaneously awaken to truth almost instantly without any prior spiritual practice, or even interest.
Today there are many Ramana wannabe’s with some spurious claim to connection with him as a lineage teacher. Ramana was the lived embodiment of Advaita Vedanta, it wasn’t a ‘philosophy’ he studied and then espoused, it was the truth of his living experience.
I recently found this full length film on Ramana’s life and Saturday seemed like a good day for a movie. There are days when I really miss India and some part of my heart is always there. Movies like this give a little fix to that part of me and while Arunachala didn’t really do it for me like it does for many this film stirs good memories.
There are many books of Raman Maharishi’s teaching, my personal favorite is..
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On Retreat With Adyashanti
April 22, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · 2 Comments
It is a couple of weeks ago now since the retreat with Adyashanti finished, and I finally feel ready to write about it. It was a truly powerful experience, not in a dramatic flashing lights and fireworks kind of way, but in a subtle and deeply penetrating way.
The retreat was held at Mount Madonna Retreat centre, nestled in the Redwood cloaked hills above San Jose. A beautiful space built with love and dedication over many years. The retreat was in silence which for some may sound like a challenge, for myself a blessing and effortless. My hermit nature loves silent retreat. What a gift it is to have all your basic needs taken care of, and the only requirement is silent meditation.
It has now been more than half my lifetime that I had been doing spiritual practice and that spiritual evolution has been central to my life. In that time I have met and seen many spiritual teachers of different persuasions and philosophies. Many hold satsang in the manner that Adyashanti does, where there is a dialogue process of self enquiry, many sadly are doing little more than spiritual theatre. Adyashanti is the real thing, he is
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out moreHow To Find Happiness – Adyashanti
March 30, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · 2 Comments
How to find happiness, don’t we all want to know?
The pursuit of happiness outside ourselves can only lead to sorrow because anything attained can be lost. Even the search within ourselves can lead to suffering because of unconscious beliefs and misperceptions. In his sword-swinging yet playful manner, Adyashanti cuts to the heart of what’s really true and points to the causeless happiness that comes with knowing the sacred reality of who we are. How to find happiness? – Waking up to our true nature, it’s the only show in town!
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out more
Krishnamurti :Why Don’t You Change?
March 13, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · Leave a Comment
I was reading Krishnamurti in my 20’s, and at that time I vibed with what he was saying. He was the original contemporary anti-guru guru. Now half a lifetime later I find some of his message doesn’t do anything for me anymore. I do admire though his uncompromisingness, and the aspects of his teaching on rejecting conditioned beliefs and dogmas, to find our own experience, is still valuable.
The big challenge for me in Krishanmurti’s teaching is his assertion that spiritual practice is a waste of time. The evidence is conrary to this. What Is great about Krishnamurti is his call to look beyond the mundane of life at our place in a bigger picture. Without relevent tools and resources to get there, we remain where we are.
His method to create movement was to ask questions about our beliefs systems and habitual tendencies. In person you will see from the video he was very charming and like able. I recommend Total Freedom: The Essential 
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out more
Spiritual Awakening – Eckhart Tolle
February 12, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · Leave a Comment
Spiritual awakening is really the discovery and remembrance of the deepest truth of human existence, our spiritual nature. Here then is the wonderful Eckhart Tolle speaking on his understanding and experience of the essential nature of humanity as inseparable from the Divine.
I personally enjoy both Tolle’s quirky personality and the depth of his wisdom and understanding of the human condition and our true spiritual nature. To help inspire your own spiritual awakening you can find more Eckhart Tolle DVD’s here
Amma – Gods Love In A Human Form
February 6, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · Leave a Comment
I consider myself deeply privileged to have spent so much time withAmma. It would take an entire book to describe the experience of being with her and I suspect even that would offer an inadequate description. There are many gurus and teachers in the world today, some wonderful, many dubious. Amma is quite literally beyond. Beyond the capacity to describe, to know or understand, beyond any normal human parameters. Amma doesn’t do miracles, she is a miracle. A regular, or even spiritually advanced person could not do for one month what she has been doing now for decades.
I have lived and traveled with her in India, seen her give darshan (embracing) to tens of thousands of people, not just once, but day after day after day. At the end she stands up her eyes shining, bright and radiant. She travels almost continuously and yet has initiated more humanitarian acts and charitable works that probably any other other person on earth.
These outward manifestations of her life and actions are on such a huge scale that it is easy to focus on them. What happens internally to those who come to her is equally if not more profound. It is naturally more difficult to quantify and will be described differently by different people.
I have never been a guru chaser, my own profound spiritual experiences early in adulthood left me certain that the truth was within. I saw bowing to a guru as disempowering and sycophantic. I still believe it can be. I also know that when the guru is a Sat Guru (established in truth) or in Amma’s case something beyond even that,whatever that is, it can be the most profound, mysterious and powerful relationship we can ever have.
Even from the more rare instances when the autobiographies or biographies those who have awaken actually describe the blood and guts details of the process, it is hard to appreciate just how courageous one must be. More than this is the potential of reaching some degree of awakening and believing it is complete when it is not. When we see the continuous catalog of revelations and scandals about spiritual teachers and gurus, we are seeing the consequences of this.
I am entirely confident, from many direct experiences with Amma, that she can, and is guiding – usually invisibly – towards liberation, and wants nothing else for us. I had the good sense to recognize that she could and was helping me and that there are parts of the process that it is a really good idea to have help with. To have help with the whole process, well, I know of no greater blessings. Maybe in the future I will recount some of these experiences her on lifedivine.
Here then a short excerpt from the film ‘Darshan the Embrace’ hope these words and images inspire you to make the effort to see Amma somewhere in her world travels.
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out more
