Franklin Merrell-Wolff is at times dense reading. He often seems primarily concerned with reconciling divisions between philosophic schools of thought. Of course, this is a man who considered pure mathematics excellent training for the spiritual life and loved to read Kant. It takes enlightened voices of all ranges to reach the varieties of seekers, so many, I am sure, will enjoy Merrell-Wolff’s style. Continue reading “Franklin Merrell-Wolff: Words that blaze with Truth”
Category: 4 Star
All of these spiritual teachers are excellent resources, and this category includes: Franklin Merrell-Wolff, Bernadette Roberts, Paul Hedderman, Art Ticknor, Bob Cergol, Gary Weber, and Adyashanti.
Bernadette Roberts: A Christian Mystic for Our Time
Bernadette Roberts passed away in her sleep on November 27, 2017. What follows is a review written before her passing.
Bernadette Roberts’ path is that of a Christian and if you have any affinity with Christian mysticism you must read her books. Her primary concern is with addressing the passage from what she calls the unitive stage to the no-self stage. While the unitive stage (or stage of being one with God) is well known in Christian literature, that there is a path beyond this stage is virtually unknown. Bernadette Roberts writes from her experience of living in the unitive stage until the self and its experience of being one with God disappeared into a new way of knowing. As she says: Continue reading “Bernadette Roberts: A Christian Mystic for Our Time”
Adyashanti – Honest but Use in Moderation
Adyashanti presents a blend of Zen and advaita teachings that’s popular in the West Coast guru scene. Below you’ll find my initial impressions of Adyashanti, as well as updates from 2012, 2019, and 2023. Years ago, a reader mailed me a DVD of his which I dutifully watched, then put on the shelf. 
It wasn’t that I didn’t like what I saw — I wasn’t sure of my impression. On one hand, I saw a witty, soft-spoken American with an Indian-sounding name, smiling a lot, pausing for long silences, and talking about how we are already that which we seek. Yet I couldn’t dismiss him outright as I also felt an undercurrent of seriousness and honesty. Continue reading “Adyashanti – Honest but Use in Moderation”