| Anonymous feedback. Tell us what you think. (more info) |
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| Anonymous feedback. Tell us what you think. (more info) |
| Send us your message. |
| Read the messages we get here. |
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| On CD#2 of the March 22 Ojai workshop... |
Dear John, On CD#2 of the March 22 Ojai workshop, after you had spoken at length (one thing leading to another), you commented something to the effect that you had no idea what that "sermon" was all about. I think I heard someone in the background say "It's Sunday!" Sunday or not, from my perspective, that whole talk was for me. Let me try to explain. As you spoke, internally within me it was like a dawn inside was unmistakably but profoundly unfolding. That is only a metaphor for what I can't speak. It has been a long time coming, and I hope I don't bore you, but part of that dawning I was experiencing was that I knew this as a child of four. I distinctly remembered that moment. Something stronger had swept it away... a feeling like, "Why is everything so crazy?" Life finally became so crazy that I went nerts at about age 38. Then, the search began in earnest. Psychology (Esalen in particularly), women's lib, Haight-Ashbury, more crazies, near suicide, shaktipat with Muktananda, India big transcendental bhakti path. Then I met a teacher called Adyashanti and "something" happened, but I still don't know what that was. Unfortunately, after about 2-3 weeks, I thought it had happened to me, and it took ten years' time to realize it didn't happen to this person. Something happened, but it basically stripped this person away, and I ended up with nothing. Nothing... Literally nothing. The seeker died, the spiritual life was no more. Surprise, surprise. It was sad not being a spiritual person. I thought it would get me somewhere (heh-heh). But hey, I had been thru a lot worse, so I enjoyed horses and dogs, and doing nothing in particular. I saw a YouTube video of a woman named Candice O'Denver and she talked about short moments of awareness, repeated many times and that seemed like no big deal cuz I was already familiar with the experience of ideas, thoughts, images, memories rising and passing away in what I called "my consciousness" ha-ha (still "my"). However, when I crocheted and listened to the above CD, I couldn't stop unfolding into amazement, even "shock" might not be too big a word. I am glad I do not have to try and explain what that was like, as I sat there realizing you were not talking to "me" but to me. The ordinary me I had turned my back on when I was four! What a reunion! Anyway, Mr. John Sherman, since then I am like on "default." I simply can't stay away from looking at myself. Yikes! I have never, ever left myself through all the hairy times. I have never judged myself for the sleaze, I have never hated anybody, I have never hurt my children, I have never had my kundalini blown sky high, I have never groveled in despair... I have been there absolutely and I have never whimpered a complaint, searched for God, denounced God or found God. I have never hurt myself in self-hatred nor even known what that was. That's how neutral I had always stood until the search fizzled. Amazing! I was the most prevalent, unhidden presence right there (closer than that). Halleluia. I still have endless thoughts passing thru, I still don't know who I am (hee-hee). The body has atrial fibrillation and fear galore, but big deal. I am here. There are no words to say to you. This is just ramble jamble, but I know you don't care. I am here and I am talking to this guy named John Sherman who knows what the hell I can't talk about, but DAMN, every time (but every time) I look at me, I am there. What more could I ever want? You are absolutely spot on... the only thing we EVER wanted was ourself. Holy Toledo! My guess is, that will be with me until my last breath. Who could ask for more to get thru this human experience? I am so happy you came upon this for the human race. I somehow intuit what you said, that there is no personal liberation. NO. We are all in this boat together. I like your words... humanity is one creature. Maybe some day I'll get that, but if not... doesn't change a thing. I'm here. I've always been here. My love and gratitude. Now I am going to have another look at myself! I am falling in love with meeting myself this way. Cheers. H.
Santa Cruz, California |
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Your single donations and monthly pledges make up 91% of all income to the foundation. We need to raise $56,500 to finance and sustain our work over the next twelve months. |
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As of August 24: |
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| Worldwide Online Meeting | Saturday, September 11 at 4 pm PDT (UTC/GMT -7) People all over the world gather together with John for a couple of hours. John is available to listen to your questions, and to help you sort out any difficulties you might experience in your own practice of looking at yourself. This is very much like a call-in radio show. If you simply want to listen to the meetings, all you need to do is to install the software and have speakers attached to your computer. If you wish to speak with John, then you will need a headset with microphone. You can also use earbuds and a microphone. |
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All our events are always free of charge. Spontaneous donations for the support of our work are always welcome and gratefully accepted. All are welcome, with no regard for religious and spiritual beliefs and practices.
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| Download our 2010 Schedule of Events: | |
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| Brief report on what was accomplished in 2009. | |
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| Look At Yourself and Meeting Ramana Maharshi by John Sherman are available as free ebook downloads. | |
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| Featured Letter of the Month | |
| We receive many, many beautiful and useful letters. Every month we try to feature one here that seems especially valuable and instructive for one reason or another. | |
| Podcast | |
A Worldwide Meeting - July 10, 2010 My role in this adventure of trying to bring the simplicity of this work to every human being is not to concoct teachings, ways of looking at things, instructions and practices that are my creation, and then pass them on to you for you to receive gratefully, and try to make sense of. My role here is actually to distill and articulate the product of an ongoing conversation among all of us, over a period of more than ten years now, about the discovery that bringing an end to misery in a human life is actually not only possible but easy and simple, and can be done by anyone. It requires nothing at all to accomplish this except the determination to do one simple, solitary, radical act, and that is to turn the beam of your attention onto the feeling of being you. That's it. In the end, and against all odds and all expectation, this repeated act will bring sanity into your life. It will eliminate the underlying sense that life is treacherous and not to be trusted, and that something desperately needs to be done about it. Complete, live recording of a Worldwide Online Meeting with John Sherman broadcast live from Ojai, California on July 10, 2010. |
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| Podcast | |
| Video Blog | |
Our Work First, last, and always, my advice is only to look at the feeling of being you, without the mediation of understanding, the need to resolve paradox, or the requirement that this looking lead to any conclusion. Simply make every effort just to look, and persist in that effort as often as you can. In this effort, understanding is irrelevant, belief is irrelevant, even duration is irrelevant — the briefest look, repeated over time, does all the work. A Message from John Sherman, videotaped in Ojai, California on May 15, 2009. |
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Our work is to bring the practice of looking at oneself to all who are interested. The only problem anywhere to be found is the false belief that you are at the mercy of your life, and the only solution is the truth, which is everywhere and always present and self-evident. Ridding oneself of the false is as easy as repeatedly tasting the truth of being here, unmovingly, unchangingly here. This repeated looking directly at oneself is the infallible method of the vichara. Although our meetings are free of charge, they are certainly not free of cost. The money needed for this work must come entirely from the generosity and compassion of those who, like us, have seen for themselves the immense worth of spreading this good news to all humanity. Please help provide financial support for the work of making this method more widely available in the world by making a donation or a monthly pledge in any amount now. All gifts to the RiverGanga Foundation are fully tax-deductible as charitable donations. |
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| Read a brief report on the work accomplished in 2008. |
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RiverGanga Foundation RiverGanga Foundation is a not-for-profit, 509(a)(2) public charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Our Internal Revenue Service Employer ID Number is 77-0561647. All donations are tax deductible for US residents as charitable contributions. Click to view our letter of determination from the IRS. IRS Tips for Year-End Donations
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