Seeker's Corner
We welcome your stories, videos, poems and letters about the experience of seeking.  Please send them to - fellowship@advaita.org.
Consciousness

This amazing 2 minute animation by Louis Lefebre chronicles a movement in Consciousness from the Unmanifest to the Manifest to Enlightenment. Those familiar with Wayne's "kleenex trick" will see it immediately.

The Riddle of The Frogs

Can you solve the riddle? Click the link or picture to begin, then click once on each screen to advance to the next step.

Poetry

What It All Boils Down To

I knew, somehow,
someday,
it would all boil down to this:

unclothed, falling apart, waiting...

As if anyone is ever ready for
this chopping block in or
out of time

What made me think I could

bathe frequently in self control,
dress in fashionable lies
and walk around in polished shoes of involvement

when what I seek

is so raw and stripped,

naked and nameless


That is the God I sense now –

A death that reveals
why tears rain in
the echo of a laugh

Gary

* * * * *

The World Outside Your Ego

Dark inside isn't it?
And not all that comfortable
With my majestic jaw
Clamped around your neck.

You're not going anywhere,
So stop struggling.

When people rest their heads
In my mouth,
It's my nature to eat them.
But don't worry!
Your nature is to be devoured,
So we're on the same team.

I feel every twitch
As you try to escape.
Your first trick is to imagine
You're not really here.

It's actually quite endearing,
And adds to your flavour!

You insist that your 'higher' self
Is already away and free.
Think you can silence your mind
And slip from my grasp?
Do you not see,
The only way out is In!

You have to face Reality,
There's no escape for
You.
Claiming to be someone else
Only brings more food to my plate.

Every imaginable part of you is here -
Even your saintly side.

Alright, I'll say it plainly:
Creation does not need your help.
Anything you touch,
Turns into yourself,
And we all know where you're going -
I am a Tiger after all.

So relax,
Even though you can't see it,
The world outside your ego
Is exactly as it needs to be.

Tess

Link to more poems

 

Letters to Wayne

 

Dearest Dear Wayne,

Thank you for this wonderful life.

You talked recently (Guru Purnima?) about two phases on the spiritual path, one in which all you care about is "spirituality" (no interest in things material, etc.) and the second in which involvement and appreciation in everything returns. Well, I can't really repeat what you said but I clearly recognized what you were talking about. Having spent most of my life in stage one, I am incredibly grateful to at last be dwelling in phase 2. Although my interest in advaita remains, in that I am drawn to you and the inquiry goes on in my life, I am at last really enjoying the nuts and bolts of life on this earth. I've lost interest totally in most things "spiritual" and in many things most of my old friends and acquaintances feel are important. I'm totally involved in home improvement, my yard, knitting, all sorts of things and I love them. I love it all.

Life isn't different really. The same problems remain, but with the sense of doership so reduced, everything is different. There's pain, things hurt and so on, but there is so much peace. This phase 2 has been coming on slowly for some time after a period of intense psychological and emotional pain and seems to have progressed to a point where I am enjoying life in a way I never have before.

I know, of course, that without the final understanding I could once again be plunged into intense involvement and suffering, but for now I am sure enjoying myself.

Part of this is due to a lot of psychological and emotional "healing" with the help of an incredibly wonderful therapist, and yet I can't separate that out from the process we call advaita. What difference does it make what we call it? All I can say is that my love for you and gratitude continue to grow.

With all my heart,
Mary

* * * * *

Dear Wayne,

Of those who speak/write about what you speak/write about, I have studied many. I find your exposition of pointers to be by far the most intelligent, elegant, pragmatic, penetrating, logically-consistent (unassailably so, and I've tried) and aesthetically pleasing of the lot.

Thank you for sharing your mind with us.

* * * * *

Thank you dear Wayne

I could say so much. I'm not used to it, and I have to say it in a foreign language.
You said the other day that you felt in love with Ramesh and that is exactly what I feel: being in love with you. 

You pluck my heartstrings

* * * * *

I continue to be amazed at how fresh your internet satsangs are. I've been listening in, pretty much every day, to either live or recorded talks for three years and have heard your stories and explanations many times but there's always a newness to them, a depth that wasn't heard
before that tugs at the heart strings anew. I'm deeply grateful for you and the LIVE teaching. Hope to see you again next summer at one of the retreats.

* * * * *

Dearest dear Wayne,

I can't thank you enough for the day in San Francisco. How can so much come from an afternoon? I can't begin to describe the impact of even that 4 hours in your presence, not to mention these years in my life.

From time to time throughout the day, emails to you are composing themselves in my mind. As I sit here now, all the words have vanished. All the seemingly important and special things I shared with you in my heart have disappeared. All that's left is this love. Oh beloved. This life is so blessed to have you in it. I am so blessed to find you everywhere in me. I am so blessed to find you every time you are needed. I am so very blessed...

 

Link to more letters