Inflections of the Mystic Message

Swami Sankarananda is a simple pilgrim, as well as a wise teacher who radiates peace, love and joy to all he encounters. Not all that long ago, though, before he was a Swami (Hindu monastic), he was caught up in the madness of the world and the madness of the mind, living a largely self-centered and ultimately unsatisfying life. A life that collapsed when it dawned on him that he would never find happiness by living this way, and he fell into a suicidal depression that lasted several years. Swami shares this incredible true story, explaining how the light of grace miraculously lifted him out of despair and into true freedom, happiness and love; a happiness and love that is not personal but is inclusive of all. It is a story that takes us from the jet-setting life of the worldly and influential businessman to an ashram in India learning at the feet of awakened sages and saints to a coast-to-coast walking pilgrimage across the United States cultivating a deeply transformative faith. It is an illuminating, inspiring and entertaining tale that Swami infuses with amusing anecdotes and insightful observations alongside deeply practical wisdom for how we too can go beyond the limited mind and into the limitless Self. It is a saga that takes us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light; finding in the end that the light has always been here, all along. To contact Swami, or to learn more about him, his mission, and the retreats he offers, visit divinegraceyoga.org. Swami is active on facebook at facebook.com/shankar.ananda.11, and you can explore his teachings on YouTube at youtube.com/user/ompeaceandlove. The website for Inflections of the Mystic Message is at mysticalmessenger.com

Inflections of the Mystic Message returns for 2024 with 12 new episodes tailor-made for seekers of Truth. In season 3 we ask: What is enlightenment? What does it mean to spiritually awaken, and what does enlightenment tell us about how to live according to universal laws? How do we best serve the world? How do we contribute the greatest good in life, according to the teachings of our wisest sages? What about the words that we use, and the concepts we put forth? How do they hinder, and how do they help? And what can we learn from the silence that these words come out of, and to which they return? What is silence anyway? Join mystically-minded truth-seeker Brian Clark for alternating talks, meditations and discussions into these profound topics, and discover the wisdom of the world's wisest sages as they point you back to a sacred place within yourself. Call it Love, or the Heart. Call it Reality, if you like, or Truth. Call it Presence, or God. Call it your True Self. It doesn't matter what you call it, but it is in connecting with it; it is in experiencing yourself as Pure Life before your mind's commentary about what's going on; it is in awakening from the ego's dream into the soul's immensity that we know the profundity of the mystic message and experience the blissful magic of life for ourselves. Inflections of the Mystic Message is not for everyone. But it is for anyone who has a desire to understand their own nature, and a willingness to learn from the wisest souls who have ever walked this earth. It is for all seekers of Truth. Inflections of the Mystic Message is a love offering for anyone wishing to understand the deepest spiritual teachings, and discover the truth for yourself. Enjoy season 3 of Inflections of the Mystic Message :) p.s. This is a good episode to share with friends or family you think might be interested, as it is short and gives a good overview of the podcast. Visit mysticalmessenger.com for more.

Naren Schreiner is a former monk, present day pujari, and always and forever lover of the Divine who joins Brian for this final conversation of season 2. They talk about the perfect bliss underlying this often chaotic world, and how that blissful perfection holds human suffering within it … or does it? Naren shares stories from his own life, as well as the divine life of Paramahansa Yogananda, that great Indian yogi and guru to thousands who is often considered the godfather of Yoga in the West. Throughout the conversation Naren sprinkles in Sanskrit teachings, Vedantic wisdom, and even blesses us with a devotional song glorifying Divine Mother. How do we acknowledge suffering - and wholeheartedly accept the human realities of the world - while at the same time honoring that mystic truth that we are invited in this very moment to participate in an eternally blissful perfection? What role does our intellect play, and what role does the heart play in this process? How do we “remain happy while uprooting the causes of unhappiness,” as Yogananda-ji instructs us? Join Brian and Naren for this probing and illuminating conversation that is at turns humorous and serious, which raises questions and offers insights; as these two lifelong spiritual seekers tease out the underlying Reality of this confounding, glorious, complicated, simple, paradoxical, self-luminous Life. To learn more about Naren and his offerings, please visit ⁠⁠⁠nivedanam.com⁠⁠⁠. More Inflections of the Mystic Message at ⁠⁠⁠mysticalmessenger.com⁠⁠⁠.

Follow your breath and find your bliss. This bliss — a kind of cosmically perfect peace — is inside of you, and by participating in this pleasant and accessible half hour meditation, it can help you experience this peace and rest for yourself. You don’t have to chase after bliss. You don’t need to go anywhere else to find it. All you have to do is shift attention away from restlessness, and dwell in the center of awareness within you. It is quite ordinary. And it is most extraordinary. Follow your bliss in this most simple and straightforward manner, and find out for yourself what wholeness and peace has always been here, all along, inviting you to abide in the happiest center of your true Self.

The struggle is real ... Or is it? Our experience says largely that it is - for we cannot deny the angst of this age, and the suffering experienced in this body, on this earth. But the enlightened sages say differently. The world's great sages, saints and spiritual teachers all share a crystal clear message that beneath the suffering lies an unimaginable and immense universal power known as love, and this love is an intelligent force that is aware and awake, and synonymous - nay, identical - with the true nature of your true being. Throughout history, countless souls have come out the other side of suffering, and swear that this anguish we experience is only on the surface; that beneath the pain of existence is an absolutely perfect bliss. To awaken spiritually means to abide in this bliss, forevermore, and discover that it has always been here, all along. It’s almost too good to be true, but in fact this is the absolute and unerring Truth of the mystic message, of the perennial philosophy that crops us again and again and again on this earth. Everything is infinitely well and always was and always will be. Rumi, Patanjali, Ram Dass, Julian of Norwich, Adyashanti and a great many more wise souls confirm this good news from their own experiential inner understanding; and they invite us, wholeheartedly, whole being-ly, into the eternal salvation and unending love that is the perfect bliss of it all. Enjoy the Truth. Enjoy the bliss of your true Self. :) mysticalmessenger.com

Brendan J. Fox is sometimes described as a modern day St. Francis or (more often) a real life Disney princess - someone who befriends wild animals in a way that most of us surely find astonishing and unimaginable. He is also a wise soul on a conscious spiritual path; a good-humored guide who is helping others to develop mental toughness, physical wellness, and cultivate inner peace. Join host Brian Clark as he asks Brendan about this profound and unexpected connection to animals, the deeper lessons of spiritual surrender that underly the mystery and grace moving through the world, and how we can embody peace, love and lasting happiness in an experiential way that honors the totality and richness of our life's purpose. To experience Brendan's incredible wildlife encounters for yourself, visit him on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ (where you can also watch a video version of this conversation). For more about Inflections of the Mystic Message, including a satsang talk and guided meditation that go along with this nature-based conversation, visit mysticalmessenger.com.

Take a break from your conditioning and attune to the true nature of life that is within and all around you. It is deliciously restful and full of infinite harmony and peace. Usually we think in terms of being separate from the world of nature. We’re conditioned to believe that I am in here and nature is out there; but what is the truth? Could it be that rather than being separate from the rest of the world, we instead belong to a single harmony, an indivisible unity that we are invited into when we stop to enjoy the fullness of this present moment? Join Brian Clark for this nourishing 25-minute guided meditation where you experience your true nature in all of its wondrous happiness and connection, in all of its sumptuous love, peace, and rest.

Many enlightened sages have realized the truth about reality while immersed in the world of nature. Many sensitively attuned nature-lovers have seen through the surface of this world and into her mystic depths. For many souls — perhaps you are one? — nature is a sacred temple; the church where you go to commune with the Divine One. So what does all of this say about spiritual Truth? How precisely does nature reveal, and how does she conceal the sacred essence? What do the nature-drunk mystics have to teach us about the profound secrets of powerful, beautiful, revelatory, almighty nature? Join host Brian Clark for an in-depth exploration of what John Muir and Jesus Christ, Joseph Campbell and Aristotle, Brother Lawrence and Russel Williams, Krishnamurti and Ramana Maharshi and a great many other mystic seers have to say about God & Nature. What do the wisest and most joyful beings in human history — the mystic sages — have to teach us about the intersection of this world that we can touch and see, and the sacred dimension of Unified Consciousness that is forever shining through that wild and beautiful and mysterious and awesome aspect of our planet that we call nature?

Brian is joined by his mother and 13-year-old niece for a stimulating conversation about how we find true happiness and how - underneath the conditioning of our confused minds - we are happiness itself. For all of Sofia’s life, Uncle Brian has spearheaded an annual charity drive in honor of Sofia’s September birthday. In this conversation, he talks to Sofia for the first time about this annual tradition and the spiritual lessons behind it, starting out by reading a letter he wrote that summarizes the spiritual necessity of living selflessly, and how this holds the key to living a meaningful life that is in harmony with the way of things. From there an interesting conversation takes place across the generations, as from these three different generational perspectives we hone in on how to get out of our own way and unleash the divinity that we always were and already are. mysticalmessenger.com

Join Brian for a simple but powerful practice following the sound of a bell as it fades into silence. Inspired by Eckhart Tolle, this meditation brings our awareness immediately out of the noisy mind and into the silent Presence that underlies every moment of existence. Brian explains how we can use this technique throughout our day with any sound - or any sight - we perceive, and takes us through this peaceful practice several times. Enjoy establishing in the silent stillness, and come away with a new tool that can help you at any time attune to the peace and Presence that is always here, now.

“Replace greed by love, and everything will come right,” says Mohandas Gandhi, one of the many saints who has ordered his life around the ideal of selfless service. In this profound and quite possibly life-changing episode of Inflections of the Mystic Message, we identify the limitations of living a self-centered life — a life that most people would describe as “normal” — and elaborate upon the immense spiritual benefit of serving with selfless intent. And in this shift from self-centered to selfless we discover true freedom and limitless joy, as is explained by such luminously enlightened beings as Amma, Swami Sivananda, and Dr. David Hawkins, amongst others. Learn the secret of happiness that comes from giving rather than getting, from replacing greed by love: which is not only the key to spiritual freedom, but the cure for solving every single problem in the world today. As the 11th century Sufi saint, Ansari of Herat, sums it up: “Know that when you learn to lose yourself, you will reach the beloved. There is no other secret to be learned, and more than this is not known to me.” Listen. Live selflessly. And set your Self free.

For this first back-and-forth conversation of Inflections of the Mystic Message, Brian is joined by his partner, Shannon Lynn Smith, to discuss a plethora of interesting subjects relating to wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual understanding. Included in the hour-long discussion is an emphasis on embodying wisdom, the role of intuition, meditation and prayer, and tips for rooting in a lived experience of yoga. Spiritual inspiration abounds as this conscientious and contemplative couple open up about their own personal spiritual practice and unique approaches to connecting with the Divine, as well as some of the methods that help and some of the challenges that get in the way. To learn more about Shannon and explore her offerings - including online yoga and meditation classes, periodic newsletters, spiritual inspiration, women’s circles, and the yoga teacher training program she leads, click here to visit her linktree page, or visit her on facebook or instagram.

What is meditation? Why should I meditate? How do I do it? Brian gives a nuts and bolts 15-minute introduction to meditation in all of its simple essence and all of its peaceful power, before leading an accessible 20-minute guided meditation where you can experience this delicious peace and delectable rest for yourself. Designed for the beginner, this Meditation 101 primer is equally valuable to experienced meditators, as we re-connect with the profound clarity that comes from the intelligent awareness that is independent of our restless and repetitive thoughts. Experience the joy of doing nothing. Experience the joy of resting in yourself. Guided meditation starts with the bell at 14:55.

What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge? What did Laozi mean when he said, “To realize our knowledge is ignorance, this is a noble insight. To regard our ignorance as knowledge, this is mental disease”? What understanding was the Zen master Huang-Po referring to when he said, "If you wish to understand, know that a sudden comprehension comes when the mind has been purged of all the clutter of conceptual and discriminatory thought-activity"? Why did Albert Einstein say, "The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical"? Take heart, intrepid explorers! The mystic sages are here to show us the way from our confused world of delusive ignorance into a blissful world of wisdom that is full of real peace and lasting love. Join Brian Clark for the first satsang discussion of Season 2 of Inflections of the Mystic Message; an exploration of that Perennial Philosophy that is found in every time period, all throughout the world, and which leads to immense happiness and spiritual liberation.

Life is not a meaningless mistake. Truth exists. God is real. Happiness awaits. Join host Brian Clark for an exploration of the perennial philosophy - that universal and liberating wisdom of the mystic sages - through episodes alternating between metaphysical talks, guided meditations, and spiritual discussions. Discover the wisdom within. Season 2 of Inflections of the Mystic Message starts Jan. 10, 2023.

What is the one thing that has remained constant amidst the never-ending changes of life? What is the truth about that continuous identity of I, that unbroken sense of self which constitutes the core of this very life? In other words: Who or what am I? In this meditative self-inquiry, we shine the light of awareness on awareness itself, discovering what happens when this self-luminous light returns to its source. What is the truth waiting to reveal itself when the mind is quiet and the light of being rests silently in itself? How vast are we really? How blissful? How divine? Join Brian Clark for this final meditation of season 1 of Inflections of the Mystic Message, and find out the truth for yourself.

What more relevant question can there be than to ask: Who Am I? What more pertinent investigation can we undertake than to discover the truth about this very Self? Join host Brian Clark for this final talk of season one of Inflections of the Mystic Message as he weaves together the teachings of Yoga gurus, Christian saints, nondualist sages, and enlightened contemporary teachers all expounding upon the truth of our true identity. What do Adyashanti and Gandhi, Ram Dass and Byron Katie all have to teach us about our egos, our souls, and our one true Self? How do Eckhart Tolle and Anandamurti, Krishna, Christ and Ramana Maharshi all teach us to win the divine freedom? Listen, and rise to your true stature. Be your true Self.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that the only statement we can make with any certainty is: I Am. We may not know exactly who or what this I Am is, but we know (quite obviously) that we exist, and (quite obviously) that we are that existence. We are that being, that life, which is self-evident and ever-existing within us. The mystic messenger Robert Adams, an awakened 20th century American sage, invites us to rest in this irreducible sense of “I Am,” offering a short and simple — but altogether profound — meditation that brings us out of a sense of separation and into an experience of presence, in all of its unified splendor. Enjoy the magnificent peace of resting in the one true statement that any human being can make. Enjoy an experience of sinking into that spacious awareness where truth, silence, love and being all converge into one self-revealing and shining affirmation of eternal life.

Mysticism is the heart of religion; that place where the sacred is not merely conceptualized but intimately experienced and unmistakably understood. It is a total transformation, turning everything you think you know on its head, in the best possible way.  But the word mystical is also used to describe things that are vaguely magical or exotically mysterious.  So which is it?  Is mysticism a more or less frivolous concern having to do with incantations and seances and synchronicities and the like, or is it something more essential that is pointing directly to the truth about the nature of reality?  Join guide Brian Clark for a deep dive into what mysticism is and what it is not, with the words of the world's great sages helping us to understand this profound topic. Through this understanding we can come to a better appreciation of how to live in harmony with the truth, whereby we find our greatest happiness, purpose, and freedom in this life. 

Experiencing the divine is an open invitation. All you have to do is nothing. It’s a miracle, really. This lovely guided meditation coaxes you into your inner divinity by anchoring you in the breath, and thereby funneling awareness away from the noisy thoughts of your restless mind, and towards the omnipresent consciousness of the indivisible Self. Here you encounter your life force, and sink into a natural silence that is beckoning you, wordlessly, into a sacred dimension of limitless peace. “What was said to the rose that made it open was said to me here in my chest,” says the ecstatic poet Rumi. “Be still and know that I am God,” sayeth the Psalms. Experiencing the divine is an open invitation. All you have to do is nothing. It’s a miracle, really.