Advaita Vision

www.advaita.org.uk

Advaita for the 21st Century

Satsang Teachers M - O

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Those western teachers (whether living or deceased), who provide non-traditional teaching through the medium of satsang, are listed here alphabetically according to their surname. Note that these pages do not attempt to assign any priority or indication of authority. The only criterion for a teacher being listed here is that I have encountered some of their written material at one time or another and found it inspiring to some degree. Many will not be listed simply because, although I may well have heard of them, I simply have no direct acquaintance with their teachings and so have been unable to form any opinion. It should be noted that, as described in detail in my book 'Enlightenment: the Path through the Jungle', I cannot recommend the 'satsang' style of teaching as a viable path to enlightenment, even though the teacher may be accomplished.

Jean Klein

Franklin Merrel-Wolff - Profoundly influenced by Shankara, Franklin Merrell-Wolff is a Master of transcendental awakening as viewed through a western mindset. The Franklin Merrell-Wolff  Website provides an excellent introduction to his life and work. An outline of his philosophy is provided along with his "Aphorisms on Consciousness Without an Object". All of his books may be purchased along with audio taped lectures.

"The movement of consciousness toward experience as an end in itself is equivalent to a growth of spiritual poverty. The ultimate effect of this movement is a complete slavish bondage to the object, in which the entity becomes a mere appendage to appearance. Consciousness in this state is quite without depth; that is, it is a soulless state in the sense that all values connoted by soul are completely unconscious. Even so, the unconscious depths of the individual are by no means inactive simply because the individual consciousness is not aware of them. Thus it follows that anyone in this state is completely at the mercy of autonomous psychical forces. Individuals and nations in this state are continually drawn into impossible and tragic situations wherein what is done, or has to be done, one would prefer to have been done otherwise. The conscious individual or national will has no control over the factors that are unconscious to it."

 

Philip Mistlberger - has been a transpersonal therapist, group leader, and spiritual teacher for over twenty years and is the author of the book "A Natural Awakening: Realizing the True Self in Everyday Life" (see Recommended Book section). He is also a qualified teacher in 'A Course in Miracles' (listen to a very good talk on the subject here). He is based in Vancouver, Canada. Read several essays at this site. His website contains details of all his books, and information about his workshops, skype sessions, essays and much more.

"All spiritual methods are eventually realized to be useless, and yet they are useful at the same time. They are useless becasue consciousness is already the case. They are useful because they help clarify and calm the mind so that we can more readily recognize that consciousness is already the case. "

Philip Mistlberger

 

Satyam Nadeen

Mooji - born in Jamaica and currently living and teaching in Brixton, London, Mooji was a disciple of Sri Poonja. In addition to a brief biography and gallery, there are numerous dialogues and details of his satsangs and retreats in Ireland. -

"Water has no shape, its nature is to flow. If you put it into a vase it will take the shape of the vase. In this cup, it has assumed the shape of the cup. If poured into my cupped hands it will take the shape of the hands. But water has no shape. It is the same with the consciousness, which is subtler than water. It similarly has no form, but it assumes the form of whatever concept it is poured into or identifies with, but it will never be the form. It remains ever its formless nature."

 

Neelam - Neelam was a polish teacher and a pupil of Sri Poonja. There are details of her retreats etc., principally in California and New York but there is a trip in January 2003 to Tiruvannamalai in India.
"You are free - naturally! In a moment of silence you can taste and recognise yourSelf: the limitless boundless being that you are. Happiness, joy, peace and beauty are the qualities of your natural being."

Neelam

 

Nirmala - Nirmala is a student of Neelam and Adyashanti, influenced by Ramana Maharshi and Sri Poonja. He offers satsangs at various locations around the US and Canada. Excellent free Ebooks can be downloaded from his site. There are also audio and video links.
"A very simple but useful definition for ego is the tendency to fixate, or grasp, either by trying to hold on to something that was here or by grasping after something that isn’t here. What I am calling the ego is the movement within consciousness to do that. This tendency to grasp is the source of all suffering."

Read the extracts from Nirmala's books.

Nirmala

 

OM C. Parkin - a disciple of Gangaji, rarely travels, usually holds retreats and talks at his place in Germany; his organization publishes the twice-yearly 'Advaita Journal' (only in German).
" The thinking mind can only conduct research within the boundary of time. Enlightenment, however, is the crack within time. This crack opens in the gap between two thoughts. Welcome to the unknown! "

OM C. Parkin

 

Osho

Osho - www.osho.com ('Osho') is the website of the organization in Pune, India. For description of site, see below. www.oshoworld.com ('Osho World') is the website of those who do not approve of the Pune administration and consider them to betray Osho’s heritage. They have established a center in Dharamsala, North India. For description of site, see below. www.oshonews.com ('Osho News') is an online magazine of Osho Sannyasins around the world, representing quite well the Osho movement nowadays, embracing both of the above mentioned “parties”.

The 'Osho' site has details of the 'Osho Meditation Resort' at Pune in India; fifteen minutes flight from Mumbai (formerly Bombay). To quote from the site: "With its white marble pathways, elegant black buildings, abundant foliage and Olympic-sized swimming pool, it is the perfect setting to take time out for yourself." The website offers, amongst other things, continuous broadcasting of his talks. His complete oeuvre, consisting mainly of his dialogues over the years, is online and may be accessed via a search engine for a fee (currently $50 per year).

"God has not created the universe like a poet creates a poem, the relationship is just like a dancer and the dance: they remain one."

A very slick website, this, with a clear eye on commercialism. Books, videos, etc. may be purchased and you can even have a free Tarot reading based on his Zen Tarot pack! The Osho organisation is still active in many countries, though much less in the news since the death of its founder, Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh, aka Osho.

"Be aware, the one who stands still, in his stillness finds God. The man who runs after God never attains to him because the running is of the mind, and that highest spiritual element can never be obtained by the mind."

 

He very clearly revelled in his notoriety, quite intentionally going out of his way to upset the establishment in order to expose the false notions at the base of their opinions and beliefs. His daily talks to his followers were recorded and much of the material has now been transcribed into books. Many of these are extremely readable and full of profound and thought-provoking observations, as well as many very funny jokes!

 

"A tradition is nothing but the footprints of enlightened people in the sands of time - but the footprints are not enlightened."

Do not expect any consistent teaching from Osho. His intention was to offer to people as many different spiritual viewpoints as possible, thus he talked on Zen, Sufism, Jesus, Tantra, Krishna, Yoga, Hassidism, Vedanta, Buddha, Mahavira, Socrates to name just a few.

Osho World All (?) books by Osho are available here. They are downloadable as PDF documents, although you must send an email request for each book first in order to obtain the download address. This is automatically provided by return email.

Message From Masters has many sections of quotations and extracts from Osho as well as other spiritual masters from various traditions. There is also an extensive list of recommended books and links to related downloads and to other websites. All of his English language Ebooks are also avialbale for free download in PDF format.

There is also a considerable amount of information, links, audio discourses etc. at The Flower.

 

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Page last updated: 10-Jan-2013