Reflections on the body

Those in search of the truth, search themselves – Not what they ordinarily understand to be themselves, but what they really and truly are. Eastern sages say that that in truth I am timeless (meaning: eternal), formless (infinite) and all pervading/the very substance of all. Even though this sounds ever so absurd – with many readers of these essays it …

Karma

Most spiritual seekers know the term karma, but not all understand it in the same way. In Advaita Vedanta karma is unambiguously defined. For once as a term: karma, a Sankrit word, means action, activity, act – just that. In the following, however, I refer to the common understanding of karma. Most Western seekers have an idea of karma, which …

Love

Love and the path of knowledge do not seem to have a lot in common, except at the highest level, absolute love – a love of all. But love is part of life, not only the love of the divine, of humanity, of nature, of people in need, of friends and family. What we in the West usually understand by …

Seeking Truth and the issue of time

For most people I know time, or rather the lack of it, is a central subject. How come? In our globalised world possibilities of what one can do with one’s time are almost infinite – particularly for those who live in one of the well-to-do nations of the world. Whoever led a modest life at the beginning of the last …

Emotions

Many western seekers spend years of their lives getting in touch their emotions. In Western industrial nations authentic emotions are basically considered to be a nuisance; related to this often one‘s connection to one‘s own roots, to one’s mother and family, is often disturbed as well. Whoever finally managed to reconnect with his emotional world, considers himself lucky. Life has …

What can I do?

The search for true Self consists in a process of understanding. Basically, it is not about doing but is about thinking, questioning, reflecting etc. For this process certain indicators are needed to help make a distinction between what serves the process of understanding and what does not. And one needs a teacher to help one establish the truth. But what …

Meditation

Most spiritual seekers, Western as well as Eastern, meditate. Therefore countless forms of meditation have developed: still and in motion, silent, with chanting, with prayer, concentrating on something or seeking the opposite of concentration. In Advaita Vedanta meditation plays an important role, too. There are two forms: Meditation on an object and meditation without an object. Meditation with on an …

From devotion to surrender

Advaita Vedanta is the path of knowledge – the Buddhi as the most valuable function of the mind is utilized to find out who or what I really am. But what about love and devotion? Somehow something seems to be missing in bare understanding, dry knowledge. This is right and at the same time not right. Those who think that …

Happiness and Bliss

Everyone is seeking happiness – whether he sets up a company, is a suicide bomber, fights against hunger in the world or destroys nature. Spiritual seekers too want happiness – and, not any old worldly happiness. No, many spiritual seekers want bliss. But what exactly is this bliss? Most would say, it is a sort of happiness, multiplied into something …

Consciousness, Awareness

For most spiritual seekers „consciousness“ has a positive connotation, they want to extend, raise, deepen their consciousness, or simply become more conscious. But as with so many other terms – soul, spirituality, freedom, love, truth, bliss, energy – everybody understands something else by them. In Advaita Vedanta every term is defined unambiguously. In our normal usage of words, depending on …

Spirituality

Today we bundle everything that is considered spiritual under the term New Age. There are even people, who consider therapeutic work as spiritual and again others who would call their traditional religious practices spiritual. Thus „spirituality“ is a broad field. Advaita Vedanta provides a very specific definition for spirituality that sets limits to this broad field. In Advaita Vedanta someone …

The Longing for Truth

What is it that the seeker needs to realize truth? The seeker needs a solid foundation of different qualities – like calmness or discernment. Above all, however, he needs a desire. This may surprise many, a desire?! In the spiritual search desires are usually considered to be obstacles. But just as for  Advaita Vedanta the mind is an indispensable instrument …

What is Vedanta and what is advaita Vedanta?

Occasionally a daring soul has turned inward and has found himself. katha upanishad, 2.1.1. What is advaita? Many seekers of Truth have already heard the term ‘advaita’, because most satsang teachers around the world call themselves teachers of advaita. But still some in their audience do not know exactly what advaita is. Advaita means “not two”, “non-dual”; which means that …