"But I don't want to go among mad people", Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that", said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad".
"How do you know I'm mad?", said Alice.
"You must be", said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here".
[From Alice in Wonderland]
Gratitude
It happened, then, that one year ago I took off on a bike tour whose final destination was a kingdom that lies beyond the body and the mind.Unnameable, of course, this kingdom is Alice's Wonderland; it is an enchanted castle full of disillusions; it is a gateway into the beginning of a new journey; it is the killing of so many things I believed to be real; it is my personal dead end whose only way out is a door called L O V E.
In this post you can find the teachers who I have so far met in my way. You can also find my tips on places to meditate and videos to check - and because I'm living in Europe for almost three years now, then most of the people I mention here teach mainly in this continent. If you're faraway, then you can always learn from their videos (some I posted here, too).
This is my way of sharing the beautiful teachings I have received with all my friends who have been asking about those tips. It comes with the deepest gratitude to all of these teachers.
Namastê.
Now it's up to you: follow the white rabbit, Alice.
Meet the teachers:
These are the living teachers who are the closest to my heart. I have not met all of them in person yet, but I was lucky enough to cross their way, be it in presence or in physical distance.
Most of them are related to a spiritual tradition that is very dear to me - the so-called Advaita Vedanta tradition. But Jetsun Khandro is Buddhist. And there's also Adyashanti, who does not affiliate himself with any tradition.
In the core, they are all very similar and teach the very same thing. They just point to different entry doors. When it comes to the mysteries of being-ness, then the path of each seeker is singular. In much the same vein, the form each realized being uses to transmit her/his realization is also singular without leaving behind the belonging of such teachings to the very Unity of everything. So if one particular teaching among these all touches you particularly deep, then you probably found your way to go.
Ah! I have also many teachers who have already left their bodies and whose teachings are very special to me, but I'll write on this maybe some other time.
Mooji
All gratitude to my beloved Guru.
Mooji stays most of the time in his very
simple ashram "Monte Sahaja", located in the south of Portugal. But he
also travels around the world offering retreats and intensive sessions,
mainly in Europe. For his schedule, check the website. There you can also
watch his videos and buy his (beautiful) books:
www.mooji.orgSaraswathi Ma
Ma is a former student of Sathya Sai Baba and Mooji. She is also my direct teacher and a beautiful being who definitely has the ability to take me into those remote hidden corners of mySelf whose existence I insisted on denying and that I thought I would never be able to reach.Yes, self-knowledge is not always easy yet it is undoubtedly rewarding.
Ma also travels around the world and teaches mostly in Europe. This year she will spend one month in the south of Spain (June-July). You can check her schedule here:
http://www.saraswathima.org
Paul Hurcomb
I have been dreaming on meeting Paul, yet our schedules have not yet coincided. A former student of Mooji, too, Paul teaches mainly in England and Spain. I think I've never listened to someone as still as him, and in times of turbulence I always remember his voice to come back to a place of inner silence. Here you can find his website:
Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche
She is based in India yet she teaches a lot in Europe and in the States:http://www.khandrorinpoche.org/
Adyashanti
Once I crossed a photo with a saying written on it and I got mesmerized. The phrase never left me - and then I found it had been written by Adyashanti. His website is here:
..and the saying is this one:
"Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It's seeing through the facade of pretense. It's the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be untrue".
Buddhist meditation in Geneva and around it:
Centre Vilamakirti
Buddhist center directed by lay teachers in the center of Geneva. Very simple and beautiful. Vipassana meditation once a week; sessions last around 1 hour and are suitable for beginners. The center is located at a small street by Rue de Lyon, some 10 minutes walk from Gare Cornavin. http://www.vimalakirti.org/
Sapan Association
It was created by the Swiss Buddhist practitioner Anne Heriatz under the guidance of her teacher and root-guru the Venerable Kenchen Lama Sherab Gyaltsen Amipa Rinpoche.
The Association functions at Anne's house and follows the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Since the passing away of her teacher on the 14th of April, 2014, Anne is away in a 6-week meditation retreat and will be back on the 12th of June/2014. Meanwhile, the meditations are being conducted by me and our sangha friend Jutta every Tuesday at 6.30p.m. We practice silent Avalokiteshvara meditation focused in the personal recitation of the mantra "OM MANI PADME HUM" for 1 hour and a half.
The center lies at Rue Citté Villars, 10. The association is in the 2nd floor. For further information, call me on: +41(0)789042755.
Sakya Tsechen Ling
This center follows the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and is located in a small city very close to Strasbourg. After the passing away of the Venerable Kenchen Lama Sherab Gyaltsen Amipa Rinpoche, the teachings in the center are now given by the Venerable Tashi Sangpo.
Rarely in my life did I feel so well-received in a place as I was here. Being there helped me discerning my spiritual path and understanding Buddha teachings deeper. So if you're interested in diving deep in the Buddhist path, I suggest you to have a look at the schedule and to make your way there:
http://sakyatsechenling.assoc.pagespro-orange.fr/
Avoid!!!! - Vedic Meditation Geneva
I was very frustrated when I checked this place in Geneva - I had high hopes because the name of the meditation it advertised contained the word "Vedic". I thought, then, that I had found a center somehow dedicated to the ancient source of knowledge called the "Vedas". Don't be misled by it. Although the leading person in the organization seemed to have good intentions, the vague and doubtful arguments of spiritual authority he used really impressed me - in a bad way. It also shocked me to see the way he turned meditation into a commodity in his discourse... And the ridiculous amount of money he asked for this (supposedly) ancient technique he was teaching.
Because it is so misleading, then I felt it would be important to warn people who are not used to meditation to avoid looking for genuine spiritual knowledge here.
Meditate at home:
Guided meditation by Mooji-ji:
Guided meditation by Saraswathi Ma:
Guided meditation with Paul Hurcomb:
Meet the teachers in your own home:
Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche
"Sometimes a bar of chocolate does better than a session of meditation!"
Saraswathi Ma
"Intuition is the knowing that you know without knowing how".Mooji-ji
Paul Hurcomb
Adyashanti
Most of us wants to feel better; we don't want to see we're mis-perceiving things. But this is the core of spirituality".
