Tag: nonduality

• January 21, 2026

  Can ‘My’ Thoughts Color Your Experience?

  In his marvelous book Thought Power, Swami Sivananda argues that “thought moves,” “thought is a force”–indeed, is a “vital, living force.” This claim is by no means obvious. For many of us, a thought seems almost like a pastime. It’s fun to think about geopolitics, but what effect, apart from entertainment, does such a thought…
• January 13, 2026

  His Face At 50

  In his notebook, George Orwell wrote, “At 50, everyone has the face he deserves.” The claim, in fact, is stronger than this: anyone at any age has the face that reveals “his soul.” If one only knew that one was walking around with a naked face that bore one’s deepest character, one, no doubt, would…
• January 8, 2026

  Power And Clarity

  Over a decade ago, my wife Alexandra and I met a spiritual teacher in Southern California. What puzzled us at the time was the fact that while his teaching was very crisp and clear, the energy in the room was very low. We’ve since come across teachers around whom one feels that the energy has…
• December 30, 2025

  Vivarta Vada And Self-inquiry

  You may have heard this line from Chandogya Upanishad: “May I be many, may I grow forth.” Hearing it, you may have fallen to wondering: “How did the many actually come from the One?” What if manifestation never really happened? In this connection, let’s consider just one doctrine: vivarta vada. This teaching draws upon the…
• December 22, 2025

  Going Beyond The Student-Spiritual Teacher Framing

  We need a new, more deft understanding of “student” and “spiritual teacher.” In fact, ultimately both, rightly says The Avadhuta Gita, have to go. But first the promised understanding. The student in life–be he a spiritual practitioner, an entrepreneur, or (really) anybody–tells a story in which he, the protagonist, is struggling to follow the path.…