Mission

This site is dedicated to the practice of those meditative and yogic techniques that serve as the catalyst for Enlightenment, Perfect Freedom, Union with God (or any of the many other symbolic terms for the realization of the Transcendent/Immortality). This site will focus on methodology, not theology or ontology. As a site dedicated to meditation, however, it will give priority to traditions that have emphasized mystical transformation through various mental and physical techniques. Although "spiritual masters" (gurus, etc.) have typically played a major role in the transmission of technique and the use of "skillful means," this site will not emphasize teachers as being indispensable to spiritual transformation. Rather, it will compare and analyze cases that have utilized successful practices that have brought about a radical change in consciousness that was transformative, profound, and permanent.

Practices will be categorized by comparing techniques. For instance, the Indian practice of Hatha Yoga, the Tibetan practice of Tummo (pronounced "Dumo)," and the Taoist (pronounced "Daoist") practices of alchemy would all be classified as energy or sexual yogas dealing with the manipulation of prana, ch'i, etc. (the life/sexual force), while the Raja yoga of Patanjali, the practice of Mahamudra, and Ramana Maharshi's "self-enquiry" would all fall under the category of the manipulation of thought (or attention).

Ultimately, it is my hope that this site will include a bulletin board that will permit practitioners to share the challenges and solutions to obstacles that arise within their particular yoga or meditative practice. Indeed, the forum itself would then become a sort of "spiritual guide."

Unfortunately, due to various constraints, it will be some time before the site is fully functional. In the meantime, a hodgepodge of essays and quotes will have to suffice….

Religious Faith & Empirical Validation

Mystical Physiology & Immortality: The Energy Yogas

Introduction
The Upanishads
The Hindu Tradition
The Buddhist Tradition
The Taoist Tradition
Conclusions

Recommended Reading

Essay Links

Ramana Maharshi's Awakening
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (30th Dec. 1879 to 14th April 1950), known as The Sage of Arunachala, is widely recognized as one of the most genuine spiritual teachers of the 20th Century.

Is Deity Yoga Buddhist?
The Philosophical Foundations of Tantric Practice

The Ultimate in Early Indian Thought
An exploration of the concept of Ultimate Reality in early Hindu & Buddhist thought.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The greatest classical text from the yoga school of Indian philosophy. The date the text was composed is controversial, although it is believed to have been published sometime between 200 A.D. and 300 A.D. This meditative discipline of liberation is called raja or royal yoga or the yoga of the eight steps, a.k.a., ashtanga yoga.

The Upanishads
Translated by Max Müller. The word upanishhad means secret and sacred knowledge*.

The Advantages of Meditation

The Ten Oxherding Pictures

Methodology

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Tilopa's Song of Mahamudra

Insight

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On Believing In Mind By Seng-t'san (The Third Patriarch of Zen)

Song of the Jewel Mirror Awareness