The Essence of the Philosophy of Shri Shankara
What is the essence of the philosophy of Shri Shankara? Shri Shankara is a follower of the Shruti, the revealed knowledge as transmitted and recorded in the Upanishads, and which concerns ultimate Reality. The essence of Reality must be its absoluteness; it must remain ever the same, unconditioned by time, space and causality. The human…
Read MoreThe Path to the Inner Summit
There is a story about a poor woman who lived in a hut. One day, they found her outside searching on the ground. ‘What are you looking for?’ ‘I dropped my needle, and I am searching for it.’ ‘Where did you drop it?’ ‘In my hut.’ ‘Then why don’t you search the floor of your…
Read MorePoetic Approaches to Non-Dual Truth
Poetry and insight into higher Truth often go together, and the Sanskrit word ‘kavi’ means both a sage and a poet. Many poems point the way to the supreme non-dual wisdom, and wisdom in its verbal expression is often transmitted through utterances that are poetic. The Bhagavad Gita is a poem or song, several of…
Read MoreThe Wisdom of the Katha Upanishad
We enter this world as an unknowing baby, and even after a long and learned life-span, our knowledge is minute compared with what remains unknown to us. Given more time—‘life piled on life’—our store of knowledge may grow, but will always remain a fragment of the whole, and we have no idea of the extent…
Read MoreMeditation and Enquiry
Meditation is a means to peace of mind. When partnered with enquiry into the true nature of the Self, our meditative sphere is extended almost infinitely, like changing one’s swimming pool for the ocean. We may still hug the coastal shallows, but when we look seawards, the boundless deep beckons. Our self-enquiry is not meant…
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