Showing results by narrator "Eknath Easwaran" in All Categories

The Upanishads are among the oldest of the Indian wisdom texts, the records of teaching sessions of illumined sages and their students, who were asking the fundamental questions of life. Easwaran's translation of these classic texts has been highly acclaimed, and in these informal talks to close students he draws out the main themes of eleven Upanishads.

In this historic recording Eknath Easwaran, who taught meditation and spiritual living for over 40 years, reads his selection of lifeaffirming writings from the saints, sages, and scriptures of the Christian, Hindu, Sufi, Jewish, Buddhist, and Taoist traditions. This collection includes passages from Easwaran’s translations of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Dhammapada. Easwaran’s reading is sonorous and deep, slowing down the mind and drawing us into a world of timeless wisdom where our worries and concerns fall back into perspective.

Easwaran gives clear, practical, step-by-step instructions in passage meditation: four talks recorded during an intensive course for the University of California Berkeley Extension. In passage meditation, you focus attention on passages, or texts, drawn from all the world’s sacred traditions. You choose the passages that appeal to you, so this universal method stays fresh and inspiring, prompting you to live out your highest ideals. Meditation is supported by the mantram and six other spiritual tools to help us stay calm, kind, and focused throughout the day.

Meditation is the key to finding the Self, and Easwaran recommends this prayer, which begins "Lord make me an instrument of thy peace . . . ," as the first passage to use when learning to meditate. In this talk Easwaran explores the four pillars of wisdom and then gives a line-by-line commentary on the prayer.

In this series of informal talks to close students, Eknath Easwaran comments on short extracts from the Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, a classic 15th-century Christian text. Recognizing that these gems of spiritual counselling are expressed in difficult, medieval language, Easwaran takes care to place them in a contemporary context. He shows how this great text contains much sound, sensitive psychology that can guide us in making wise choices today.

Eknath Easwaran selects key verses from his acclaimed translation of the Buddha's Dhammapada, and explains in these informal talks to his close students how the Buddha's timeless words can guide us in our lives today.

The Imitation of Christ is a classic devotional work on how to live like Jesus. In 50 separate talks, Easwaran goes through each chapter, bringing it to life for the modern listener. This is the second set of ten talks in the series.

The Imitation of Christ is a classic devotional work on how to live like Jesus. In 50 separate talks, Easwaran goes through each chapter, bringing it to life for the modern listener. This is the third set of ten talks in the series.

The Imitation of Christ is a classic devotional work on how to live like Jesus. In 50 separate talks, Easwaran goes through each chapter, bringing it to life for the modern listener. This is the fourth set of ten talks in the series.

The Imitation of Christ is a classic devotional work on how to live like Jesus. In 50 separate talks, Easwaran goes through each chapter, bringing it to life for the modern listener. This is the fifth and last set of ten talks in the series.

A line by line commentary on the Twenty-third Psalm.

Easwaran explains how we can clear our minds of the clutter that prevents us from living our lives the way we want to live.

Easwaran the meditation teacher gives insights into strengthening the mind and the body to help overcome common problems during meditation.

Easwaran links meditation and the inner spiritual life with the imperative of work in the world.

Controlling the mind is easier said than done. Easwaran uses the metaphor of a house, fine on the outside but internally in disarray, to illustrate the challenges in controlling the mind and the techniques we may use to achieve that control.

Anger is a powerful force. Easwaran inspires us to transform it into a constructive, healing friend.

This is the 20th in a long series of talks Eknath Easwaran gave on The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis. This talk discusses book two, chapter three, "Of a Good, Peaceable Man".

This is the 46th in a long series of talks Eknath Easwaran gave on The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. In this talk Easwaran continues to read and discuss book 3, chapter 14, "Of the duty of considering the secret judgments of God that so we be not lifted up for anything good in us".

In this talk, Easwaran reviews the purpose of leading a spiritual life based on the practice of meditation in our current context. "In order to lead the spiritual life, which means to live in abiding joy, unassailable security, and continuous service for the welfare of all those around us, it is neither necessary to leave our family nor turn our back on society." This is the 37th in a long series of talks Eknath Easwaran gave on The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis.

The Imitation of Christ is a classic devotional work on how to live like Jesus. In its entirety, there 50 separate talks, Easwaran goes through each chapter, bringing it to life for the modern listener. This is the first talk in the series.