Advaita On Zen And Tao: Insights On Huang Po & Lao Tzu

We are at a unique moment in the evolution of spirituality. For centuries, sages of various traditions around the world have been expressing the Truth of non-duality; and their disciples have been faithfully preserving the teachings and passing them on. But it is only now, in this era of advances in mass communication, that it has become possible for a living sage of one tradition, to produce commentaries inspired by the mystical traditions of another. Imagine if Chuang Tzu had written a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, or if the sage Jnaneshwar had produced reflections on the Heart Sutra! Within these pages a similar dream has been realised – commentaries on the teachings of the revered Zen Master Huang Po, and a modern Book of the Way inspired by Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, both written by Advaita Master Ramesh S. Balsekar. The repetition of tradition cannot be termed as wrong, but when the teaching is embodied the teacher is at liberty to put it in his own words instead – because he is It. Ramesh’s words bridge the apparent gap of centuries and geographical boundaries, revealing the hidden Truth behind the illusion of time and space: Advaita, Zen, and Tao. Ramesh Balsekar, author of over 20 books, discusses the Indian philosophy of Advaita daily at his residence in Mumbai, with visitors from around the world. The basic concept is that “all there is, is Consciousness;” all actions are happenings, the functioning of the Primal Energy, and not the doing by anyone. He has a unique focus on what we all have to deal with in our daily living. His teaching has impacted the lives of many people.