Wisdom of the Masters

This is a reading for meditation of selected teachings/sayings of the Desert Mothers, taken from 'Apophthegmata Patrum' (Sayings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers) translated by Benedicta Ward; and Philokia: compiled in the eighteenth century by Macarius of Corinth (1731-1805). The teachings spoken here are from the Mothers - Amma Theodora, Amma Syncletica and Amma Sarah.The Desert Mothers lived primarily in the fourth and fifth centuries, withdrawing to the arid regions of the eastern Mediterranean at a time when Christianity had become legally protected and increasingly institutionalized. Like their male counterparts, they sought the desert as a place of stripping away — a landscape where distractions fell silent and the soul was exposed before God.Some lived in loose monastic communities; others inhabited abandoned tombs, caves, or simple mud-brick cells. Their days were shaped by prayer, fasting, manual labor, and long periods of silence. Water was scarce, food minimal, and illness common. The desert was not romantic — it was a place of bodily weakness and spiritual testing.They were called ammas, meaning “mothers,” a title that conveyed both intimacy and authority. This was not sentimental language. To be an amma was to be recognized as someone whose life had been tested and whose counsel could be trusted.
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This is a guided meditation formatted from instructions provided in the text, "On Meditation Instructions from talks by Ajahn Chah."The text can be downloaded for free from here: https://www.abhayagiri.org/media/book...Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) was one of the most influential Buddhist meditation masters of the modern era and a key teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition. Renowned for his simplicity, wisdom, and emphasis on direct experience, he taught a path of mindfulness, ethical living, and inner freedom grounded in the teachings of the Buddha. His teachings have inspired practitioners worldwide and led to the establishment of numerous monasteries in Thailand and across the globe. He was reputed to be an Arahant.

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This is a selection of teachings of Nisargadatta's taken from the text 'Consciousness and the Absolute: The Final Talks - Jean Dunn (editor).The text, 'Consciousness and the Absolute' were the last teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and contain the final dialogues he had with the people who had come from all over the world to hear his words. These talks, coming during the last days of his life, were the culmination of the rarest teachings he had to give; they were the summit of the heights of his wisdom.Nisargadatta Maharaj (17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981), born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an Indian guru of nondualism, belonging to the Inchagiri Sampradaya, a lineage of teachers from the Navnath Sampradaya and Lingayat Shaivism.Music: State Azure - 'Beyond the Gates of Kunlun'https://stateazure.bandcamp.com/

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This guided meditation offers a gentle and compassionate way of working with pain in practice. Beginning with grounding awareness in the body and the natural rhythm of the breath, it invites you to settle the mind through calm presence and embodied attention. From this foundation, the meditation introduces the Buddhist teaching of the “two arrows” — the understanding that while physical pain may be an unavoidable part of human life, much of our suffering comes from the second arrow: the mind’s resistance, fear, tension, and identification around the experience.Through careful guidance, you are encouraged to explore pain not as an enemy to fight or suppress, but as a changing field of sensation that can be met with wisdom, curiosity, and kindness. The practice helps illuminate the difference between direct physical experience and the layers of mental suffering we unconsciously add to it.

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This is a reading for meditation of three poems written by Yeshe Tsogyal on the nature of the Dharmakaya and her complete realisation. Translations are by Keith Dowman (poem 1) and Tarthang Tulku.Yeshe Tsogyal was an 8th-century Tibetan Buddhist master and the foremost disciple of Padmasambhava. Revered as a fully enlightened Buddha in the Tibetan tradition, she played a central role in preserving and transmitting the teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet. Known for her profound wisdom, intense spiritual practice, and realization, she remains one of the most beloved and inspiring female figures in Tibetan Buddhism.
Yeshe Tsogyal is celebrated for her extraordinary perseverance and realization. Traditional biographies describe years of intensive retreat, austerities, meditation in remote caves, and encounters with both external hardships and inner psychological challenges. Through these practices, she attained complete enlightenment.
She played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting Buddhist teachings in Tibet. Tibetan sources credit her with recording many of Padmasambhava’s teachings and concealing them as “terma” (hidden spiritual treasures) to be rediscovered in later centuries by realized masters known as tertöns. Because of this, she is often seen as one of the foundational figures in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.

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