We all would have probably wondered the following questions at some time in our life:
Is this Material World with all its technological advancements, emotional attractions, with promises and uncertainties aboutthe future, a nurturing place for a spiritual seeker? Or are only mountains, solitude and quiet a necessity for a serious pursuit?
He started by teaching physics in Canada. Midway in his career, he was convinced that science did not have all the answers to deeper questions and thus shifted to studying comparative religion and philosophy to gain a deeper understanding of these existential questions. Having learnt the scientific approach, he put the ideas in the scriptures to test by verifying them in his own experience. He still considers himself a fellow seeker in the midst of his students, both new and old, whom he has been guiding for over 4 decades.
During the last two years, Ravi Ravindra has been meeting with a group of seekers from across the globe, guiding them on several aspects of inner search in a global culture. These have been conducted over Zoom with the possibility every month to ask him questions, raise concerns and share insights. All the meetings are recorded and made available to the participants so they can review the exploration and the answers to specific questions.
For more details - https://www.journeyswith.in/ravi-mM-lp3/
Sooner or later, every searcher will encounter the Devil within. As the Buddha remarked, "In this very body you can discover all the gods and all the demons." Similarly, Rumi said, “If you have not yet seen the Devil, go look in the mirror.”
In principle the entire universe is manifested within each one of us. If that is true, the Devil is also present within us. In the Bible, Satan is referred to as a tempter, the ruler of demons, and the evil one, but Satan was also a son of God.
No Biblical prophet could get to Heaven, nor could a serious searcher like Siddhartha Gautama become the Buddha – without first being tested by the Devil. The Devil is the chief examiner. If searchers don’t honor the Devil, they will be flunked.
The Hebrew word Satan and the Pali word Mara both mean obstacle. Recognizing our own inner Devil can help us to become aware of obstacles that stand in our way. In this course, we will explore the obstacles along the spiritual path and strive to overcome them.
Registrants will receive on-demand access to recording(s) that can be viewed for two weeks following the conclusion of the program. Late registrants will receive recording links to all missed sessions.
Ravi Ravindra, Ph.D., is an author and professor emeritus at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he served as a professor in comparative religion, philosophy, and physics. A lifetime member of the Theosophical Society, he has taught many courses at the School of the Wisdom in Adyar and the Krotona Institute of Theosophy in Ojai, California. He was a member of the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton, a fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla, and the founding director of the Threshold Award for Integrative Knowledge. For more information visit ravindra.ca.
Program Format
This is a live, interactive online program that will also be recorded. Registrants will receive on-demand access to recording(s) that can be viewed for two weeks following the conclusion of the program.
January 20-31, 2025
Each searcher periodically wonders why I have been created on this small planet earth in the vast universe and only for a few decades. What is my responsibility during my transient existence. Much wise advice is brought by great sages. All the sages call us to be free of our usual occupation with me-my-mine and to cultivate a quality of being that will relate us more and more with the mysterious Divine forces of Truth, Love, Consciousness, Delight and sense of Unity and Service.
Each of the sages, ancient ones as well as the modern ones, express their insights and instructions uniquely and emphasize some different aspects. Our wish and effort in the context of this course in the SOW is to explore how we can apply their teachings in our contemporary context and actually try to practice them in daily life. We will take some recommendations or instructions of the great classical spiritual teachers Krishna, Buddha, Christ and Patañjali. Also, if time permits, we will take some suggestions from the modern teachers G.I. Gurdjieff and J. Krishnamurti.
Recommended Readings:
The Yoga of the Christ by Ravi Ravindra [Also published by the Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar].
The Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Navigating the Battle of Life by Ravi Ravindra [Shambhala Publications; also published by Jaico Press in India].
The Wisdom of Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras by Ravi Ravindra [Also published by the Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar].
The Dhammapada: Sayings of the Buddha [Any publication of this great text will do].
Heart Without Measure: Gurdjieff Work with Madame de Salzmann by Ravi Ravindra.
Centered Self Without Being Self-Centered: Remembering Krishnamurti [Also published by the Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar].