Return Within

Using the mind to understand reality is like trying to understand silence by making noise. The more we persist in this manner, the farther we drift from what we are pursuing. If we wish to perceive reality as it truly is, we must subside to a state of pure awareness which transcends all mental activity and our feeble human intellect. We must let go of the limited and transitory and unite with the boundless and the unchanging, which is the essence of our being before it gets distorted by the mind. We have to transcend the illusory individual identity and merge into the boundless source from which we arose, similar to the way a wave merges and becomes one with the ocean. Desiring and striving for anything other than unity with the ocean of pure consciousness means sustaining and perpetuating a false identity and a sense of separation, which inevitably leads to suffering.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

Genuine masters and enlightened beings have always avoided drawing attention onto themselves because the sole purpose of their embodied existence was to direct our attention inwards where the true essence of our being can be experienced.
They manifested in the physical realm to impress upon us that the lasting happiness we are seeking cannot be found on the level of the ever-changing phenomenal world, so they always point beyond the impermanent and transitory towards something much more deeper, more profound, and ultimately ineffable. Their teachings are mere signposts, and as such, they should never be mistaken for the destination.
As the great Zen master Bodhidharma points out: "Even if you can explain thousands of sutras and shastras, unless you see your own nature, yours is the teaching of a mortal, not a Buddha."

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

We may profess our longing for liberation, but are we truly prepared to relinquish the attachments that bind us? Liberation means transcending the limitations of this world, and to do that we must rise above our infatuation with it. So long as our minds remain captivated by the enticement of earthly endeavors, we remain prisoners within the boundaries of this finite existence. Breaking free from these constraints requires a shift in perspective, a recognition of the impermanent and illusory nature of worldly phenomena and the inherent contentment that resides within.

Sri Ramana used to say that our unwillingness to let go of the petty pleasures of life, when in exchange we can gain infinite happiness, is like being unwilling to give a copper coin in exchange for a gold one.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

When things do not align with our expectations and preferences, we become unbalanced, and as a result of this imbalance, we begin to suffer. Typically, we attempt to alleviate this suffering by trying to alter external circumstances; however, over time, we come to realize that this approach is very difficult and does not always yield the desired results, simply because we are attempting to change things that are often beyond our control. Even if we are successful in making the desired changes, we soon discover that maintaining the balance is a very challenging task. The minute we put something back in its place, something else falls out of place; or the minute we fix something, we become aware of the next thing that needs fixing. It becomes an impossible undertaking, and the mind remains in constant turmoil.
Even though we understand the futility of our efforts, we persist in trying to manipulate external conditions due to our erroneous belief that our happiness is derived from external factors. If we really understood that happiness is an innate quality that arises from within when the mind subsides, we wouldn't try to attain happiness through roundabout ways, which create dependencies, and attachments to external conditions. We may have been conditioned to pacify the turbulences of the mind by trying to change external situations, but this does not mean that our current approach is the most effective or sustainable way of reconciling the mind. Sri Ramana Maharshi used to say that instead of trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns, it is much simpler to wear shoes.
To attain everlasting and unconditional happiness, therefore, we must give up the insurmountable task of trying to change the world and instead aim our efforts towards finding a direct access to the source of happiness which lies within us. Only then can we truly experience the unconditional and lasting contentment that comes from identifying with our true essence.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

All of our suffering stems from our fundamental lack of self-knowledge. If we could, even for a split of a second, catch a glimpse or our true nature all of our suffering would instantly vanish, much like the way darkness vanishes when exposed to light.

It’s impossible to attain true self-knowledge, though, as long as we continue to identify with what we are not. If we are engrossed and obsessed with the phenomenal world, all we will ever know are things that have nothing to do with the reality and essence of our being. These things are typically a culmination of thoughts, emotions, feelings, beliefs, and other mental constructs, which are nothing more than transient phenomena in the vast expanse of our awareness. Identifying with these phenomena means overlooking the deeper reality that underlies these transient experiences and failing to recognize the profound and enduring essence that exists prior to them.

To this enduring aspect of ourselves is where we need to shift our attention if we are to know the reality of our existence. “Let what comes come. Let what goes go. See what remains” is what Sri Ramana Maharshi encouraged us to do, which means that we must redirect our attention away from the transient phenomena and instead focus on the underlying substratum in which these phenomena arise and fall. When this shift of attention occurs we will come to realise that anything ephemeral cannot be who we really are. How can we be any of these fleeting things when our existence remains evident even in their absence?

Our true essence lies beyond the realms of change and decay; it is the pure consciousness that precedes and exists independently of all else. It is beyond the limitations of time, space, and form, and as such, it is boundless and eternal. If we desire liberation, we must experience ourselves in complete isolation, free from all superimpositions. Only then can we truly understand our authentic nature and transcend the constraints that bind us.

I am currently offering a 30-minute FREE online session to the first five individuals who contact me. If you are interested please feel free to reach out to me to schedule an appointment.

When individuals approach me with an interest in learning about self-enquiry, it is not uncommon for them to arrive with a myriad of doubts and reservations. After experiencing disappointment and discouragement with various alternative methods, such as therapy and meditation, some individuals become increasingly hesitant and skeptical. For those of us who find ourselves in this position, it is of utmost importance to approach self-enquiry with a mindset of openness and receptivity if we are to fully appreciate its transformative potential. If we do not comprehend the philosophy and aim of the practice, we can be certain that we will be led astray and wander off course once more.

First and foremost, it is crucial to recognise that self-enquiry is a method that deals directly with the root cause of our suffering, in contrast with other methods and approaches that merely focus on alleviating the symptoms. It is imperative to understand this because true freedom and happiness is only possible when we relinquish the identification with the one who is bound and unhappy, namely the ego. If this identification is not relinquished, we can be certain that any relief, happiness, and freedom we may experience will be fleeting and transient in nature.
Self-enquiry challenges our most fundamental beliefs and assumptions about ourselves and opens a window that lets us peer into the depths of our being to uncover the eternal and unchanging truth that lies beyond the limitations and constructs of our mind.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

Hope and fear arise in us because of our attachment to external circumstances, and our belief that our happiness and well-being depend on those circumstances. We hope for positive outcomes because we believe they will bring us happiness, and we fear negative outcomes because we fear the potential loss of happiness or the experience of suffering.

As long as we hold the belief that happiness is derived from external circumstances we remain slaves to a never-ending cycle of desires and expectations that disable us from seeing the reality of our true nature, which is inherently peaceful, happy and absolutely free. By cultivating a state of equanimity and detachment from the incessant activities of the mind we come into direct contact with the underlying essence of our being, and experience an inner stillness and freedom that is not dependent on any particular outcome or circumstance. We find refuge in our true nature, which is unchanging and ever unaffected by the fluctuations that occur in time and space. St. Gregory described this state as “Resting in God”.

Learning to abide in this stillness and freedom is a gradual process that requires determination, patience, and persistence. It’s a journey of self-discovery which unfolds as the love to know ourselves, as we truly are, grows. And this love grows the more we let go of other things and take refuge in the stillness that lies within.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

Knowing ourselves as we really are is nothing more than being in our natural state, the state of absolute stillness or pure awareness devoid of all impurities, attributes and perceptions. That pure state of being is our fundamental nature and it precedes all superimpositions, like a canvas precedes paint or the cinema screen precedes the images projected on it. If we really like to know the essence of our being we have to go beyond the superimpositions and investigate the underlying foundation, the substratum without which nothing can stand.

The way to know ourselves, or to go beneath the “paint” so to speak, is to put an end to all the mental activity that “colours” our essential nature. We have to remain still and let all the turmoil of the mind subside in order to get clarity of true self knowledge.

If we try to get self knowledge using the mind we will always be misguided. It will be like applying more paint on a canvas hoping that the extra layer of paint will reveal its essence. It is very crucial therefore to understand that self knowledge doesn’t come about with any kind of mental activity but rather with the cessation of all mental activity, it is not a doing but rather a state of being.

“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?” asks Lao Tzu.

Slowly slowly we have to cease being interested in the mental chatter and the phenomenal world and start being interested in the ground on which all these things take place. We have to shift our attention from the known to the knower and thereby bring the mind to a state of stillness and clarity which will reveal the truth beyond the superimpositions — the truth which will set us free.

If you are seeking spiritual guidance or need some clarifications about the method by which we get acquainted with our real nature contact me for an appointment.

For those of us who have suffered sufficiently in our lives, liberation is something we thing about and hope for often; but what exactly do we wish to be liberated from? Many of us believe, and hope, that liberation will bring an end to our worldly problems, while we still retain our individuality and awareness of the world, which clearly indicates that we don’t understand what the root problem is. We aspire to improve the conditions of our prison, but we do not consider stepping out of it because we believe that the prison is all we have. True liberation though, is only possible when we rise above the limitations and frailties of our embodied existence, by putting and end to our identification with the body and mind. This false identification is the root cause of our suffering and the prison we have to escape if we are to experience absolute freedom and unconditional happiness.

As long as there is desire to hang on to our individuality and the world, we will be subject to the fundamental law of this existence, which is the law of impermanence. Whatever comes will eventually go, whatever goes up will eventually come down, and whatever is born will eventually die. Such is the nature of this existence, and yet we desperately cling to it because, from our current standpoint, we cannot fathom anything beyond it.

If you are currently feeling trapped and out of options, please do not allow your self to enter into a state of despair. Hard times are there to serve a purpose, which is to force us to look beyond this transitory existence and find eternal peace and happiness. The sooner we understand the purpose of suffering the sooner we can begin our journey towards liberation.

If you would like some help to make sense out of the adverse situation you are currently in, please contact me. I will support and help you navigate the troubled times you are currently facing.

Life can be harsh and overwhelming, and sometimes it feels that we have lost all hope.
Despite all our efforts and and our good intentions, we somehow find ourselves in impossible situations, which we are unable to escape or change.

These moments of hopelessness can be very devastating and hard to endure, but they can also be golden opportunities for remarkable transformations, as they sometimes force us to look beyond the confines of our ephemeral and limited existence and search for that which transcends forms, time and space. Ramana Maharshi used to say that “suffering turns men towards their creator”, which for most of us, unfortunately, happens only after a great deal of suffering and the exhaustion of all other options.

If you are at a point in your life where you feel that spirituality could be a solution to an otherwise unsolvable situation, and if you wish to receive some guidance and encouragement, please contact me; I will sincerely and wholeheartedly try to help you find and cultivate your spiritual path.

If we really long liberation from this finite and ephemeral existence, we have to possess two things.First we need to have all-consuming love to know ourselves as we really are, and secondly we need to have the determination and persistence to walk the path all the way until we reach our goal.

All the suffering we are undergoing right now is due to lack of clarity of self. if we clearly knew who we really are we would be instantly freed from this illusion, in the same manner we are freed from a dream once we wake up, in other words once the identity with the dream body is broken.

When our attention is persistently shifted from external phenomena back to our self, the perceiver of phenomena, we will slowly begin to discover that what we really are is far more deeper and profound than our superficial and egotistical interpretation of self. This realization is the true beginning of our spiritual journey, which some masters describe it as the journey of recovering a lost treasure, which in reality was never lost.

When we are in the midst of hardship it is extremely tough to give meaning to our suffering, but we have to trust that the difficulties that we are facing are there to cultivate in us the desire for truth, the truth which will liberate us from the bo***ge of our present illusion. Suffering has a purpose to fulfill, and that’s the way we have to interpret it, if we are to discover the hidden blessings it has in store for us. Suffering is there to show us the impermanence of this life, to make us more humble, to make us more compassionate people, but most importantly to lift the veil of ignorance that obscures our true nature. We have to endure the dark periods of our lives with faith and patience and with the conviction that we are getting closer to the truth. The great masters assure us that if we persevere in this manner we can overcome all the obstacles which confine us to this finite existence and establish ourselves in unbounded freedom and happiness.