Many have argued whether the inner life or the outer life is our home; the reflective saying that the outer world is but an illusion while the pragmatic say that all the meditation you can muster won’t feed you. Each has its lineage. Socrates said, “The unexamined...
When people speak of Alice Coltrane, they often begin with brilliance: pianist, harpist, composer, bandleader, visionary. They speak of the astonishing beauty of her music, the spiritual intensity of her recordings, and the way her work seems to open an inner sky. But...
From Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, the young brahmachari Sambasivam Chaitanya—later known to the world as Swami Satchidananda—traveled some 53 kilometers along the banks of the Kaveri River to the quiet village of Nerur. It was not a casual journey. It was a pilgrimage....
Few spiritual teachers in the modern era spoke as directly to the human heart as Ram Dass. Decades after his teachings first transformed Western spiritual culture, his voice continues to guide seekers navigating a world that often feels fragmented and divided. A newly...
We may look a little different, speak different languages, have different nationalities, but these are all different parts we play. Essentially, we are all one. As an analogy, consider the sea. All the waters came from the sea, isn't it so? From the sea, the water...
This meditation on Sri Ramana Maharshi's instruction to Frank H. Humphreys (a devotee of Sri Ramana) is read by Buddhist nun, Samaneri Jayasāra, whose YouTube channel is filled with the highest spiritual teachings from various traditions for the purpose of deepening...
In Parts 23 and 24 of the Spiritual Odyssey series, we stepped into an important chapter of Swami Satchidananda’s earlier life: his time at Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam (Ashram) under the guidance of the great Tamil monk and scholar Sri Swami Chidbhavananda. Though those...
In this talk, Swami Satchidananda uses practical, experiential language to describe the different dimensions of human life, emphasizing the importance of developing all aspects of our being in an integrated way—Integral Yoga, a complete Yoga. Each person is a mixture...
We are witnessing one of those moments seen in all the epic stories, a time when Maya reigns and the dark energies rise up to veil the hearts of men and women. Those in power are blinded by fear and greed, offering empty promises. People of the light must wait...
In the spiritual history of South India, there are teachers who preserve tradition, and others who reinterpret it for a new age. More rarely, there are those who do something subtler still: they translate inner realization across languages, cultures, and temperaments,...
None of what you experience – thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions – is what you essentially are. You are the silent, aware presence that knows them. In this brief exploration, you are invited to investigate the one element of experience that is completely...
Born in 1938 into a distinguished Nicaraguan diplomatic family, Amma's life crossed continents, cultures, and social worlds long before it crossed paths with her Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda. Yet from her earliest years, the inner thread of her spiritual search was...
How to really let go of wanting the fruits of your efforts? The best way to let go is to realize what will happen if you do not let go. Ask yourself: “If I let go, what will happen? If I do not let go, what will happen?” Make a list of pros and cons. The main reason...
Every story has a turning point, that one moment when everything clicks. At 42 years old, I’ve been blessed with many of those moments. One of the most defining came in Italy, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world went silent. Basketball stopped....
In every authentic spiritual life, there comes a moment when wandering gives way to commitment—not because freedom is lost, but because it deepens. For Ramaswamy, the young seeker who would one day be known to the world as Swami Satchidananda, that moment arrived on...
As December holidays give way to New Year celebrations, it's a good time to move beyond the wrapped presents received and re-awaken to life's gifts. As you make your way through the new year, you can return to this foundational practice as a way to (re)awaken to the...