What we’re about
Through in-person meetings at or around the Univ of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning, we are interested in furthering our understanding of both the perennial and more recent teachings and teachers of:
- Zen
- Advaita Vedanta
- Mysticism East and West
- Buddhism
- Philosophy East and West
- Self-inquiry (Nisargadatta, Ramana Maharshi, Richard Rose and others)
We are a discussion group for those serious about putting into practice what we learn and discuss, or for those curious who simply want to investigate the various approaches.
Our meetings are small, but since Covid are trying to re-establish our regular schedule again.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- INPERSON: Mon, Aug 4: "Is Perception Limited to Thoughts and Feelings?"Aladdins Eatery, Pittsburgh, PA
Regarding "Spiritual Experences", are these experiences or are they something 'other than' experiences?
If we define 'experience' as perceiving sensations, is there something unlike a relative sensation, or less relative but that can still be perceived but perhaps at some other level. Is this what is alluded to as "glimpses", insights, ah-ha's, revelations, visions, maybe even intuitions. This is a short meeting to discuss and to identify possible "eternity" experiences and to discuss and dissect to see whether among the group's experiences that are shared, can we identify a thread that identifies or might lead to this 'eternity' quality that could be perceived?Love is a tree with branches reaching into eternity and roots set deep into eternity, and no trunk! Have you seen it? The mind cannot. Your desiring cannot. The longing you feel for this love comes from inside you. ~ From “One Swaying Being,” Rumi: The Book of Love
All perceptions may be coming from your “left hemisphere” processing. You might interfere with that cycle by answering a question in poetic form, or writing an answer on paper with your nondominant hand, or sketching an answer in an image. -Art Ticknor
*Perhaps you could try some dialoguing with your “inner child”-- asking the “part of you” that feels, that is irrational, what it feel-believes about some current topic on your life. -*Wm Samuel
In his famous work The Ascent of Mount Carmel, John of the Cross describes a contemplative process as going from nothing to nothing thru nothing – going from one’s own nothingness, into absolute surrender of everything. The soul must pass through different stages of detachment, leaving behind everything that distracts from some ultimate union or relationship.
