Biographies

Biographies

         "Hafiz, there is no one in this world who is not looking for God. Everyone is trudging along with as much
         dignity, courage and style as they possibly can."

              - Hafiz

         "The life of the believer is like a torrent making its way out of the high mountains down into the canyons
         and chasms of life, passing through many experiences until finally coming to the spiritual experience of
         death. From there, the torrent experiences resurrection and a life lived in concert with the will of God while
         still going through many stages of refinement. At last the torrent finds its way into the vast, unlimited sea.
         Even here the torrent does not totally come to be one with the vast ocean until it has once more passed
         through final dealings by the Lord."

               - Madame Guyon

         "There are men of enlightenment who cannot throw down a bridge from where they are to where they once
         were, so that others too can cross over. They do not know or cannot describe in detail the way which others
         must follow to reach the goal. Such men are not the teaching masters, and should not be mistaken for them...
         The man of enlightenment who has never been a learner, who suddenly gained his state by the overwhelming
         good karma of previous lives, is less able to teach others than the one who slowly and laboriously worked his
         way into the state - who remembers the trials, pitfalls, and difficulties he had to overcome."

               - Paul Brunton

         "Once a man came to Bhagavan. One of them addressing Bhagavan said, "My friend has taken as his guru a man
         who is not even a sadhu. To show him what a sadguru should be, I have brought him here." Bhagavan replied sternly,
         "Who are you to say who is the right guru for him? By what power can you make out what a man really is? In fact,
         the guru is not as important as the disciple himself. If one worships with utmost devotion, even a stone would become
         the Supreme Lord."

               - Ramana Maharshi

Kirpal Singh: a personal remembrance
A note on the non-dual nature of Sant Mat and the qualities of an extraordinary Master. By Peter Holleran.

Papa Ramdas: Embodiment of the Name
Blessed by Sri Ramana Maharshi, Swami Ramdas embodied the vishista-advaita ideal of duality within unity. By Peter Holleran

Luther Burbank - An American Saint
Life and spiritual philosophy of an American original. By Peter Holleran.

Step by Step To The Temple of Total Ruin: Lessons from Milarepa
The liberating furnace of guru-devotion. By Peter Holleran.

"The Death of a Dream and a Gift of Truth"
A Personal Experience with Sant Kirpal Singh. By Peter Holleran

Kirpal Singh - Beloved Master
One of a kind Sant Sat-Guru. Brief life sketch
and extensive personal accounts by devotees.
By Peter Holleran.

Atmananda (Krishna Menon) - Householder Karana Guru
"You come to realize that you are yourself the goal of samadhi." A life sketch and discussion of the difference between the witness consciousness and reality. By Peter Holleran.

Paul Brunton - Architect of a 21st Century Philosophy
Writer-sage who brought the higher teachings of the East to the West. By Peter Holleran.

Ramakrishna Paramahansa - God-Intoxicated Saint
”Find God, that is the only purpose in life.”
By Peter Holleran.

Swami Vivekananda - Vedantic Pioneer
Tireless exponent for a rational religion.
By Peter Holleran.

Swami Brahmananda - Bhakta Supreme
Spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna, Brahmanda most embodied the devotional ideal. By Peter Holleran.

Upasani Baba - on Tapas and Such
Sadguru. By Peter Holleran.

Lord Chaitanya - Divya Unmada
Divine Madness through Kirtan. And a warning on "cult" madness. By Peter Holleran.

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Meher Baba and the Concept of the Avatar. By Peter Holleran.

St. Teresa of Avila - to Hell and Back
A Second Look at the Dark Night and the Mystics of the Church. By Peter Holleran

The Enigmatic Kabir
Universal guru, beloved by many. By Peter Holleran.

Bankei Yotaku - Unborn Zen
Awakening to prajna-truth versus final enlightenment.
By Peter Holleran.

Paramhansa Yogananda and Kriya Yoga
Inspirer of thousands. Includes link to free on-line Autobiography of a Yogi. By Peter Holleran.

Sri Aurobindo and the Integral Yoga:
"The Ultimate Construction Project"
By Peter Holleran.

The Two Krishnamurti's
Paradox and contradiction in two modern iconoclasts.
By Peter Holleran.

George Gurdjieff - Mysterious Trickster
***Revised 02-15-10*** Proponent of "The Fourth Way", George Gurdjieff taught a hard school of self-understanding. By Peter Holleran.

Those Amazing Christians
A potpourri of interesting, colorful characters. St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Philip Neri, St. Seraphim of Sarov, Theophane the Recluse, Father John of Kronstadt, St. Padre Pio, Teresa Neumann. By Peter Holleran.

H.P. Blavatsy and Rudolph Steiner - Man's Secret Past.
"All You Wanted to Know About Esoteric Evolution But Were Afraid to Ask." An examination of Theosophical and Anthroposophical accounts of man's development through the ages. By Peter Holleran.

St. Augustine to Gandhi: The Sexual Dilemma
The battle with the flesh, as exemplified by St. Augustine and Mohandas K. Gandhi, and thoughts on the role of psychotherapy in spiritual practice.
By Peter Holleran.

Mary Baker Eddy and the Neo-Vedantic Origins of Christian Science:
Its influence on New-Age thinking, and fundamental misunderstanding.
(Sounds boring, but believe me, it's not!). By Peter Holleran.

Ramana Maharshi - Jnani of the Century
Fountainhead of modern non-dualism.

Journey Through the Light and Back
Incredible, cosmic NDE story by Mellen-Thomas Benedict.