Brian D. Stephens
An effective spiritual practice is the foundation for real spiritual progress. Learn spiritual practices that will enable you to still the mind and draw closer to the divine. The list of spiritual practices is followed by a description of each practice… Read more
Muruganar was a prolific poet and writer who attained liberation through the grace of Ramana Maharshi. Muruganar spent years in Sri Ramana Ashram listening to Ramana answer questions from devotees. He summarized many of the answers into four line verses which were then edited by Ramana Maharshi. Read some of Muruganar’s profound spiritual insights… Read more
There is a surface reality of separate objects and a deeper reality of oneness. The spiritual journey is the process of learning how to perceive the deeper truth and eventually become one with it. There are three major stages that you will pass through on the journey to oneness. Discover what they are… Read more
Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian spiritual master and author. He moved to America to share his spiritual knowledge with the west. This page includes some of my favorite quotes from Paramahansa Yogananda… Read more
The divine is present throughout creation. It is the formless intelligence that guides and sustains creation. Enlightened teachers have different names for the divine such as the Paramatman or the Self. And they describe the divine in various ways such as light, stillness, and love… Read more
Ramana Maharshi is one of the most well-known spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. He lived as a renunciant at the base of Arunachala mountain. His Advaita Vedanta teachings emphasize the spiritual practices of surrender and self-enquiry. Many of his devotees attained liberation. Learn what he had to say about the nature of reality… Read more
There are many translations of the Upanishads. Many people who read the Upanishads recommend the translation by Swami Prabhavananda. I found it on Internet Archive and began reading the first Upanishad in the book—the Isha Upanishad. After a few moments my mind stilled, and I was deeply immersed in the formless… Read more
There is a direct path to God through Jesus Christ. Yet for many Christians their beliefs about Jesus, God, and the spiritual path keep them trapped in the mind. They do not recognize a difference between God and the beliefs about God. They are not taught how to go beyond the mind and experience the divine directly. You can learn how… Read more
Read quotes from Eckhart Tolle, one of the few modern spiritual teachers who is elightened. He teaches the Zen practice of focusing on the present moment. Learn how to align with the present moment in order to still the mind and touch the deeper reality… Read more
Mother Meera is an avatar who travels the world giving free darshans. Through her grace you will find greater peace in your daily life. And you will learn how to connect with the Paramatman light… Read more
According to many enlightened teachers there are three planes of reality: mental, energetic, and physical. The vast majority of people on the planet perceive only the physical plane of reality. The true spiritual journey begins when a person learns to perceive the energetic plane of reality. You can feel energetic forms through your energetic body. And you might even see energetic forms with your physical eyes… Read more
Reading Ramana Maharshi’s teachings each day has attuned my system to his enlightened presence. It is a deep and profound stillness. The grace of Ramana Maharshi is present in all of his teachings. By reading them you will be drawn into the deeper reality… Read more
While lying in bed, I rested in a state between being awake and asleep. An image appeared in my awareness that I have never seen before. It was a silver ball made of water. The water flowed down the ball in ripples that looked like tiny waves. The image was so real that I tried to open my eyes in order to get a better look at it. But when my eyes opened the image vanished. Until this evening, I didn’t know what the image represented… Read more
Papaji is a modern enlightened master who practiced devotional japa to Krishna for 25 years. According to Papaji, there are stages to using japa as a spiritual practice. In the beginning, you repeat a mantra using the voice. In the second stage, you repeat the mantra in the mind without saying it out loud. During the third stage, you learn to synchronize the mantra with the breath. And eventually the mantra and the breath become one. The mantra is repeated automatically, without your conscious attention. In the last stage, you become aware that the mantra is arising from the Heart—the formless unity from which the “I” arises. And the sound of the mantra subsides into the silence of the formless… Read more
For the last few days, I have practiced self-enquiry throughout the day. When placing my attention on the source of the ego I clearly perceive Papaji’s enlightened presence, which is very similar to that of Krishna. Perhaps it is a result of Papaji attuning himself so closely with Krishna. Papaji was a Krishna bhakti before meeting Ramana Maharshi and attaining liberation… Read more
Spiritual development is the weakening of the ego. It is formed by past conditioning (or karma) and sustained by thoughts. A spiritual practice enables you to still the mind so you can perceive and connect with the deeper reality. While connected your karma dissolves, weakening the ego. When all of your karma is gone the ego is destroyed and you attain liberation… Read more
Perhaps the biggest impediment to spiritual progress is your ideas about God. You may hold your spiritual beliefs to be true. Yet they are nothing more than ideas in the mind. They are only mental representations of reality, not reality itself. There is a deeper truth that cannot be accessed through the mind. It is experienced directly beyond the limitations of thought. Ideas can at best lead you to the experience. And at worst they keep you from the experience… Read more
I’m reading Ramana Maharshi’s teachings and a biography about Papaji. Being exposed to their grace has affected my system. Both men taught the spiritual practice of self-enquiry. You focus on the source of the “I” (or ego) in order to draw your attention inward and still the mind. When the “I” recedes into the Self permanently you attain liberation. After an encounter with a dove tonight my mind stilled… Read more
At each point along the path, a seeker has only experienced the divine at a certain level. And he is ignorant of what it is like to experience the formless at a deeper level. If a seeker is not careful he can delude himself regarding his level of spiritual knowledge and development. As you walk the spiritual path remain humble and open to new and better ways of connecting with the formless unity… Read more
While living in Los Angeles, I became interested in spirituality and unknowingly chose the worst kind of spiritual teacher. Although I didn’t know it at the time, he is a charlatan and a sociopath. In spite of everything I am doing well. I am surrounded by God’s mercy and grace. Yet you should let my story be a cautionary tale. And be careful in whom you choose to guide you along the spiritual path… Read more
Choosing a spiritual teacher to guide you along the path is an important decision. The teachers who have reached an advanced spiritual state can show you how to still the mind and directly experience the deeper reality. Many spiritual teachers falsely claim to have attained liberation in order to attract seekers looking for spiritual guidance… Read more
There is no shortage of people falsely claiming to have attained liberation. You will not be able to tell for certain whether someone else is enlightened until you reach an advanced spiritual state. But most of us need an enlightened teacher to help us progress spiritually and reach an advanced state. How do we resolve this dilemma? … Read more
There are some advanced spiritual teachers that help others to progress along the path. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people who play the role of a “spiritual teacher” are not spiritually advanced. If you make the mistake of relying upon such a person for guidance they will become an obstacle to your spiritual progress. You can be aware of how these unqualified teachers market themselves… Read more
It is common to find a list of enlightened people on someone’s website. But most people have not advanced far enough along the spiritual path to ascertain another person’s spiritual state. The best they can do is guess. They assume that just because a lot of people believe someone is enlightened that it must be true. This list is different, it contains real spiritual masters… Read more
There is a great deal of misinformation about spirituality, and it is easy to make a mistake in choosing a spiritual teacher. By relying upon the local pastor, priest, or rabbi to lead you on the spiritual path you are indoctrinated into a particular belief system. But you do not learn how to make true spiritual progress by moving their awareness beyond the ego and connecting with the deeper reality. Beyond the confines of religious institutions is a world without any rules. It is common for charlatans to lie about their spiritual state in order to attract naïve seekers looking for assistance… Read more
One of the more popular spiritual memes is that more people than ever before are on the spiritual path. What does Meher Baba, the most recent incarnation of the world savior, have to say on the subject? There are 8.4 million yogis who perceive the energetic planes and another 8.4 million who are aware of the mental planes. So the total number of people on the spiritual path is 16.8 million. There are currently 8.7 billion people on the planet. That means the number of yogis make up only one-fifth of one percent of the world’s population… Read more
It is of upmost importance that you chose the right spiritual teacher. A spiritually advanced teacher can teach you how to align with the deeper reality. A teacher who is not advanced can delay your progress. Unfortunately, may people choose poorly and fail to reach their spiritual potential… Read more
My favorite spiritual practices are to focus on the Paramatman light or an enlightened teacher. Of late, another spiritual practice has arisen spontaneously. I step back and observe myself interacting with the world. The way I perceive the world changes. I am freed from the ego’s influence and the mind stills. The external world loses its sense of reality. It is more like a play… Read more
Of late, I am more cognizant of how much of the day is spent focused on unimportant things. The mind moves from one meaningless thought to the next. And only when I stop to read an enlightened teaching is my attention fully focused on the divine. I must do a better job of attuning to the deeper reality throughout the day… Read more
While working at the office today, the Paramatman light is much more noticeable. It usually appears as a fine mist that is always falling whether I am indoors or outdoors. Today it is much larger, the size of rain drops… Read more