This page is dedicated to Lendl D’Souza, without whom, it would not exist. So thanks Lendl. Let’s hope that it is helpful to some. This page lists books, articles, people, songs, sayings and anything else that have over the years inspired me. In no particular order…

 

Van Morrison

Van has got it going on. No question. The guy knows. Listen to ‘Til We Get The Healing Done’ (click for the lyrics) where he tells of the journey – of life – it is all about getting the healing done. And those stories that he can also be, and very often is in his personal life, a very grumpy, mean and dismissive character only make his words more real. He’s suffering, as we all are (check out ‘Enlightenment’ – “I’m in the here and now, and I’m meditating, and still I’m suffering, but that’s my problem. Enlightenment, don’t know what it is). Van is always an inspiration to me – in some moments more vividly than others, and whenever I play the songs I like, he reminds me, instantly in that moment, he reminds me of that ‘other’ place, that is, of course, right here. When I was teaching sociology at uni, I played ‘Enlightenment’ to my stage II theory class in the first lecture – and the lyrics were on the first page of the study guide.

 

Thanks Van, for expressing a truth, a reality, an illusion that so often is left disguised.

 

Lama Surya Das

I read three of his books almost back to back. His take on buddhism and meditation and being just resonated with me at that time, perhaps it was that he is a Westerner and maybe he wrote in a way, and about a way, that I could relate to. I recommend his books to anyone from a Western background wanting to delve a little deeper into … what? Into being – just that – not so much being anything in particular, not even being Buddhist, although that is the philosophy within which he writes. You can find him here – Lama Surya Das.

 

Thich Nhat Hanh

Huge influence -  HUGE – I love ‘Miracle of Mindfulness’. One of my all time favourite Buddhist books – I read it at a time when I had been meditating every day for quite a while (a few years at least) and this was the book that helped me take my meditation off the mat and into my everyday life. Mindfulness – one of the most important concepts for me – one of the most important practices. If you haven’t read ‘The Miracle of Mindfulness’, do so – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 

Thank you Thich Nhat Hnah for inspiring me. Whenever I  read your words, whenever I see your face I am inspired – you are no doubt a buddha.

 

Isaiah Berlin

In particular a book on Karl Marx, and within that book, one line. The line I do not remember word for word, what I do remember is the message. From that line I learnt something that helped shape my life thereafter. I discovered an ideal, and that ideal I still strive to attain every day.  What I strive to achieve is to dedicate and commit myself to something/everything (be it an idea, a goal, a person) totally and utterly (110%) and at the same time be completely unattached to that thing/person/idea/feeling that I able to walk away from, let go of, and release it without rancour, disappointment, anger or any sense of loss.

 

Rational Mysticism

 

A book I read a little time ago.

 

 

 

 

to be continued ….