Satsang is being in the company of truth by sitting together with an awakened person and a group of spiritual students.”
When we awaken, we transcend the conditioned world of thoughts and live in truth.
It is as if we had gone through our entire life wearing blinders that prevented us from seeing and experiencing all but a very narrow and limited perspective of life. Suddenly those blinders are removed revealing the miracle of life that has always been here.
We live in truth.
Transmission
To be in the presence of one who is awake helps us awaken. A certain energy of limitless freedom, spaciousness, peace, joy and love radiates from one who no longer lives a limited, conditioned life. We experience this energy (transmission) because this is also our natural energy. With the blinders on, we were not aware of this. But in Satsang, the blinders become less limited. We experience more of life. We experience more of our true unlimited Self. And this feels very good. We begin to wake up.
With enlightened people their life-energy is so intensified and stilled, and has such powerful positive qualities, that they “transmit” waves of calm and bliss to everyone around them.”
– Steve Taylor, Waking from Sleep
As a long time student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, we were all aware of the transmissions that occurred in his presence. A number of years ago I first began noticing this happening with groups of people who came to see me. Their reports to me verified this. The deeper I went into awakened consciousness the more this happened and the deeper the effects of it. It is almost as if the students call this forth from me as I go even deeper in their presence than my usual awakened state.
I can’t say I really understand this transmission process. Most recently I perceive it as giving my students permission to experience their own awakened nature. Because I live in this awakened nature, it gives others permission to realize this for themselves. Although teaching happens, it is not the words that give this permission or transmit this energy. It happens on another level beyond words and concepts.
This energetic transmission into awakened nature isn’t generally permanent. It usually only lasts for a few days, sometimes only the length of the two hour weekly Satsang session. But any time we experience our awakened nature is useful. It is a critical part of the transformation process to awakening.
Here are links to two videos where you can experience these transmissions yourself.
Radiant Light Healing Transmission
Direct Enlightened Mind to Enlightened Mind Transmission
Short Moments of Awake Presence
Every moment we experience our awake nature is transforming us. Every moment is helping us wake up and leading toward our full awakening. These short moments, whether a few days, a few hours or a few seconds, are cumulative. The more time, and short moments of time, we spend in our natural awake nature, the quicker we let go of our limited conditioned perspective and return to, and remain in, the limitless freedom of our true Self.
These short moments affect us in several ways.
- Because we are having this experience, we directly experience the truth of it. It’s not limited to concepts or beliefs. It’s real.
- In Satsang, we realize that other people are having these same experiences too. More verification.
- At first these experiences may seem strange and unfamiliar. But as we experience their reliable, unchanging and positive qualities more often they slowly become our new normal. They feel like Home.
- As we experience more short moments, the short moments become longer moments.
- As these short moments become longer moments, the rest of our life becomes happier, more peaceful, more efficient and effortless.
- Slowly we simply begin to lose interest in the limited perspective of life we once thought of as our life as we open up to a far greater reality that has always been here.
These short moments can be experienced in a variety of spiritual practices:
- meditation
- retreats
- Satsang
- silence
- spending time alone in nature
- reading spiritual books
- watching spiritual videos on YouTube
However you experience these short moments of awakened nature, realize these are helping you. Don’t attach to them, but welcome them and relax effortlessly into them when they arise. Awakening does not happen through a force of will but a natural surrender to what is always here.
A great Zen master once said that when enlightenment experiences happen, they are accidents. He then added, but spiritual practice makes us accident-prone.”
– Lama Surya Das
Satsang is one way to become accident prone.
If you would like to attend a Satsang with Peter, either online or at the Zendo of the Awakened Heart in Sedona, Arizona, sign up on the form below. To find out more about the Living Awake Groups click here: Living Awake Groups
To see the most recent videos of the Living Awake Satsangs click here: Satsang Videos
What Group Participants Say:
They say “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
I had started to discover the benefits of noticing awareness, and then the Enlightenment Experience (Living Awake) Groups “appeared”. I have found myself getting up every week at 2.30am to sit in a wonderful group in peace, love and bliss.
Words cannot express my gratitude.”
– Hazel Hardy“Wow, I felt so much healing this evening, thank you so much! Lovely group of people, so much light and peace shared! I couldn’t stop myself just soaking up the energy, I needed this so much!”
– Alex Gillo“Wednesday’s Satsang, my first Satsang with you, was one of the most important events in my life. It was the polar opposite of what I’d been learning for the past year. Your instruction is, quite simply, life-saving. I am so honored to be receiving your teachings, and to be receiving teachings that are so meaningful and true. I have spent the last two-and-a-half days putting into practice what you taught me on Wednesday. This is possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Thank you for bringing out the courage in me.”
– Wendy Thomas“I really appreciate your groups and what you have to offer. I agree that most people are confused or triggered when they see the title of your group, because there are so many teachers throwing around the word enlightenment as though their workshop is going to produce the experience. Your background and traditions are such that you are using simple and powerful techniques that bring a person into Presence very quickly. Although it is in a sense an individual experience, and enlightenment is not necessarily permanent or guaranteed, students have an opportunity to sit with an awakened being who can help them unravel the knots and game-playing mechanisms of the ego. Students have always known for thousands of years that being in the presence of an awakened one also facilitates their own awakening. You have helped me end the struggle, and the waffling back and forth between techniques which bore some fruit but continued to produce a lot of the same unhealthy mental/emotional patterns. I prayed for a long time to find an awakened teacher. I’m so glad that it happens to be in my town just a few streets away.”
– Miguel Montoya“It was so invaluable. Your words, as always, hit the spot. So much transference of love and peace.”
– Dusica Bajic“I woke up this morning elated. I’ve just been bouncing around happily. Reaching a solid state of peace/bliss that seems very persistent. Yay!
Thanks for the wonderful session last night.”
– Justin Riddle“I have had a more clear direct experience of spacious awareness with the separate self falling away in Peter’s Enlightenment Experience (Living Awake) group. With his guidance and my willingness, it was effortless and joyful. I am also accessing this spacious boundary-less oneness more easily as I experience that it is always here.
IT cannot not be here.
I am very grateful.
Thank you Peter”
– Debra Louise“I was deeply moved by the meditation class last week. I felt my heart expanding and connecting to my mom in a deep way. My mom appreciated being part of the group awareness when I told her about it. She understands completely.
I have come to see and feel the process of her passing as receiving more and more of her energy as the places her mortal self occupied leave. I just keep filling up those spaces with her essence.Your meditations with me have helped so much.”
–Edy“Having the privilege to share this sense of expanding into the observer or “zooming out” with others really solidifies the experience and makes it somehow more “real” than just doing it alone. Really grateful for you all for that.”
– Amy Swart“I loved our session last night. It is magical.”
– Edith Scripps“That was really great this afternoon, Peter. I still feel reverberations, though not so strong as when we were exploring together. That felt like freedom.”
– Carolyn Marsden“Again, I had an amazing experience this last Monday. And it is still inside of me and dwelling! After the self-inquiry I developed this wonderful feeling of love and joy bubbling in me and soothing me. Rather than worrying about stuff i felt more trust. And the feeling is still here even 4 days after. It is truly amazing and I am so grateful to learn from this group. Thank you Peter.”
– Alexandra Anasova
