Knowledge is an important component of our spiritual growth.
Over the period of some 30 years, I have written these articles to illustrate a variety of spiritual ideas and principles.
Knowledge can guide us in our practices, let us know what to expect along the way and support us in times of doubt. However, knowledge alone can only take us so far. Direct experience is equally as important so I encourage you to choose the practices which resonate with you and make them part of your daily life.
These articles have been grouped by categories to help you select the ones that may be of greater interest to you.
Edited versions of some of these articles have been published in other places, including the Chopra Center Lifestyles Newsletters.
I have always tried to fully research each topic and apologize for any inaccuracies. Unlike scientific “facts”, spiritual wisdom is open to interpretation. These articles reflect my understanding of the subjects. Please read them with an open mind and find the path that best suits you.
Vedic Philosophy
Purushartha – The Four Aims of Human Life
"If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you. If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you." – Christ The Purusharthas are the inherent values of the Universe - Artha (economic values), Kama (pleasure), Dharma (righteousness, purpose), Moksha (liberation, enlightenment). The Purushar-thas are the blueprint for human fulfillment. Working with them helps us create a satisfyingly balanced, meaningful life
Prescription for Perfection
The good news is that we are all already perfect in every way. Unfortunately, the not so good news is that we’ve forgotten it and, as a result, most people spend their whole lives striving for perfection. The perfect look, the perfect relationship, the perfect job and, if they are on a spiritual path, the perfect meditation. How much suffering do we as humans endure in the pursuit of perfection? As spiritual seekers, how many
Oneness
Imagine you are the whole universe. Imagine you live in total joy and bliss. Imagine there is no past, no future only Now. Imagine there is no space, no time, just an unbounded eternity. Imagine endless peace, harmony and unconditional love. Imagine no fear and equality in all things. This is Oneness. Unfortunately we can never imagine it fully. The dilemma is that to understand or experience anything, we need to compare it to something
The Role of the Guru
“A child cannot be born without a father and a mother. Clothes cannot be washed without water. There can be no horseman without a horse. So, without a Master, none can reach the court of the Lord.” - Kabir Do we need a Guru? As we progress on our spiritual journey, sooner or later the question arises, “Do I need a guru or can I do it alone?” Well the answer is yes we
The Grace of the Guru
Moksha mulam guroh kripa The root of liberation is the Guru’s grace There’s a saying in India, “You must cherish four things in your life, first the guru, then your parents, next your spouse and children and finally your nation”. Unfortunately we seem to have reversed this in the West, nationalism appears to be first and the guru has been relegated to way down the line. The word guru means to dispel the darkness of
The Four Paths of Yoga
Vedanta tells us that there are five causes of suffering: Not knowing who we are Attachment - clinging to things that are impermanent, creating expectations Aversion - trying to avoid things that are not real Identifying with the ego and creating separate realities Fear of death Fortunately, Vedanta also gives us the solutions to overcome them. It tells us that by correcting the first cause and remembering who we really are, all others will cease