Not believing in God because of religion is like not believing in freedom because of politics. I don’t know how the entire discussion about the existence of God got monopolized by the world’s religious institutions. For sure, there is no doubt that many of the teachings within Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam can offer powerful […]
In the video below Gautam Sachdeva ends with some excellent advice originally stated by Nisargadatta Maharaj. He says to read the Bhagavad Gita from the point of Krishna.
After hearing that I thought, perhaps I could read “I Am That” from the perspective of Nisargadatta himself. So I picked up the book, turned to a random chapter and started reading.
Whenever Nisargadatta would be responding to a questioner I would read as if his wisdom were coming from me. I didn’t have to think about the words, or totally understand them, I just had to act as if they were spontaneously arising in me. Actually, that’s probably how they came to him anyways.
To my amazement it had a profound impact. The words he spoke came from such depth that by simply saying them, without polluting them with my thoughts or analysis, I was taken on a wonderful ride. It was as if new levels of consciousness were revealed to me.
Below is a link to wonderful poem by Gautam Sachdeva called “The World’s Best Astrologer”. Gautam is a former student of guru Ramesh Balsekar who was himself a student of Nisargadatta Maharaj. Through his YouTube channel here Gautam explains many of Ramesh’s most important teachings with extreme clarity. It is definitely worth your time. Enjoy the poem below.
Please check out this encounter between Eckhart Tolle and Ramesh Balsekar. I have often wondered what such a meeting would be like and found this a very interesting read.
If you can excuse the morbid tone of this question you will find that Eckhart Tolle gave the most beautiful answer when this question was posed to him.
Gautam Sachdeva was having a conversation with Eckhart during a time when his Grandmother had just recently passed away. With this in mind he noted to Eckhart that whenever someone you love passes away, there is a vacuum created. Not just a physical vacuum because they are no longer here, but an internal vacuum. So he posed the question to Eckhart:
What would happen if everyone you loved passed away at the same time?
Eckhart looked at Gautum, smiled, and replied “That is a wonderful question. The answer is astonishingly simple.”
“That’s what Enlightenment is.”
This may seem like quite a strange response. But what he meant is that when you no longer derive a sense of self from anything, or anyone, you are enlightened.
When I tried imagining this scenario it was quite a beautiful experience. I was not imagining that everyone had just passed away, as that would be incredibly sad, but that they were simply no longer there. I went a step further and imagined that I had no possessions, and no job. I had nothing to call my own.
As I was walking back to my car with this scenario deep in my thoughts it was like I had no reason to put one foot in front of the other, but yet I was still walking. If there is no one, and no job, and no things, where am I going? My attention was then so effortlessly drawn inward that I felt this powerful presence. It was such a blissful state. I can see that true joy does not come from doing, but from simply being.
Here’s the link where Gautum describes the conversation.
Since I have begun my spiritual journey I have come across a number of amazing online resources that have helped me tremendously in my spiritual development. Below I have listed the best ones out there. Please do check each and every one of them out for yourself.
Shots of Awe – This is a YouTube channel run by Jason Silva who develops these wonderful videos on a bi-weekly basis. The primary theme of his videos is, unsurprisingly, Awe. Experiencing awe is an amazing way of turning off your brain and letting your soul seep in. He has about 40 videos. Start with the one below and go from there.
Gautam Sachdeva – Gautam may be a lesser known spiritual teacher in the western part of the world but I look forward to watching every video he posts. My favourite is this one on non-attachment. His primary teacher was Ramesh Balsekar but he has also spent time with Nisargadatta’s translator offering some powerful insights on his teachings. Please check out and subscribe to his YouTube channel so you don’t miss anything!
Eckhart Tolle on YouTube – Perhaps the most relatable spiritual teacher in the world Eckhart Tolle led me into the spiritual realm. He holds regular retreats and then posts little snippets online free of charge. He used to host links to videos on his website but now his YouTube channel is the best source. However, for a modest fee on his website you can gain access to years of powerful spiritual teachings.
Mooji – I can not stress enough how amazing Mooji is as a spiritual teacher. He often says he teaches the lazy mans way to enlightenment. He posts loads of content and has a backlog of over 500 videos on his channel. Please check him out. You will not regret it.
Super Soul Sunday – Whether or not you are an Oprah fan (I am) she has given the spiritual movement a lot of mainstream credibility. The Twitter account linked above is a great avenue for connecting with your favourite spiritual teacher. Her initial sessions with Eckhart Tolle was watched online by millions worldwide. She is actually redoing those classes with Eckhart every sunday. Check out that Youtube playlist here.
Tragedy and Hope – This YouTube channel is how I discovered the brilliant lectures of Alan Watts. Whomever runs this channel combines his teachings set to a backdrop of amazing footage and music to maximize the impact. My absolute favourite is the one below:
The Honest Guys – This is a guided meditation/relaxation channel. At first the accent in the meditations can be a little distracting. But once you’re over that they are actually quite brilliant. The relaxation sounds are excellent as well. Here’s one of my favourites:
There they are! Please let me know if you have other ones that I would enjoy.
Cheers!
Bonus Resource – This is my own collection of spiritual videos from all of these sources and more that I have posted on my blog. Please enjoy!
My Inner Medium 