Best Spiritual Sites on the Web

Recommended and favorite spiritual sites to assist in the spiritual search.

Members' & Friends' Sites Other TAT Favorites Spiritual Humor
Your Recommendations Criteria Used

Web Sites of TAT Members and Friends

Spiritualteachers.org
Is there such a thing as a successful searcher? Take a look at this terrific resource compiled by one searcher as a documentation of "hits" and "misses" he encountered along the way. This spiritual search guide is designed to save you time.

Spiritual Friends Locator
A standalone discussion board on the spiritualteachers.org web site is designed to help you find like-minded people to work with, especially those in your geographic area.

Self-Discovery Portal
In addition to being the home-site for the Philosophical Self-Inquiry Discussion Group of Pittsburgh, this site includes: Zen for the Western Mind: A recap of Hubert Benoit's Supreme Doctrine: Psychological Studies in Zen Thought; Ch'an Masters of Ancient China: Excerpts from the inspiring writings of T'ang Dynasty Zen masters; Pulyan & Transmission: Zen master without lineage and master of the lost art of transmission; Greatest Teachers: The greatest western teachers of recent times on finding a total answer: Franklin Merrell-Wolff, Douglas Harding and Richard Rose; and Conquest of Illusion: Is what we see real? (excerpt from the van der Leeuw classic).

Richard Rose: Zen Master - Poet - Philosopher - Friend
This site contains "The Three Books of the Absolute," Rose's epic poem on his realization; the full text of After the Absolute: The Inner Teachings of Richard Rose—a student's memoir of life with Rose; and an account of "The Last Hours of Richard Rose."

SearchWithin.org
Access over 100 essays, stories, transcriptions, and wisdom from Richard Rose and other spiritual writers. Here, you will find rare reading material for seekers who are serious about discovering something meaningful—something about their Self.

Raleigh NC Self-Inquiry Discussion Group
Provides an opportunity to meet up with others involved in the search for Truth and Self-definition via self-inquiry.

Just Perception
Just Perception explores the often overlooked starker aspects of the pathless path toward the realization of truth.

Albigen.net
Facilitates the practical application of the Albigen system of self-knowledge described by Richard Rose in his book The Albigen Papers.

The Mystic Missal
This web site provides practical steps as well as valuable references for the spiritual seeker. It also includes a newsletter, which pays tribute to a selected spiritual giant and provides arresting commentary by the editor. See also the companion sites: The Listening Attention, with additional writing and humor aimed at the Gateway to Within; and Nostalgia West, containing photos from the Rockies to West Virginia, past and present.

Spiritual Books Worth Reading
The well-researched titles listed on this site provide a reliable source of information and guidance on the esoteric path. Also includes a guide to locating titles along with excerpts and articles. A new companion site, Gates of the Mind, contains the most complete assembly of Joseph A. Sadony writings found on the web.

Truth Realization
Truth Realization is a site devoted to helping others understand and clarify what the spiritual search is about. While it draws on personal experiences, it also draws on various scientific fields to help demystify the processes involved for anyone searching for the meaning of the bigger questions in life.

LiveReal.com
"Where religion and science meet common sense." This site presents largely ignored spiritual perspectives on practical issues such as emotional problems, spiritual questions, relationships, and health; hosts a collection of teachers, scientists, and thinkers from many perspectives; and serves as a meeting point where seekers can openly discuss topics relevant to their lives and searches.

The Self-Knowledge Symposium
A North Carolina-based community of serious spiritual seekers, with active student groups at Duke, NC State, and UNC Chapel Hill.

First Know Thyself
An umbrella site for self-inquiry groups meeting in various cities and following Richard Rose's recommendations for ways to work with others in accelerating the spiritual search.

Poetry in Motion Films
A site featuring the first work by two new filmmakers. A spiritual documentary, "Closer than Close: A Portrait of Seeking and Finding Our True Self." Includes film clips, spiritual cinema links, and notes on low-budget filmmaking.

Other Favorite Sites of TAT Members and Friends

Douglas Harding
Visit this site to get a feeling for the teachings of this remarkable Englishman. "This method of self-enquiry, sometimes called 'headlessness' or 'seeing who you really are' ('seeing' for short), has been pioneered by the English philosopher and workshop leader Douglas E. Harding (1909 - 2007). It is a contemporary approach which investigates the question Who am I? and suggests that you can see Who you really are here and now. It provides simple but deep awareness exercises that direct you to this Seeing within yourself."

The Zoo Fence
An independent commentary on issues of interest and importance to seekers in search of the Truth about themselves. Also an open forum.

Religious Worlds
A comprehensive portal site serving as a resource for the study of religious traditions that developed in the Middle East and Asia. The Mysticism Resources page focuses on traditional and modern spiritualities.

Religion and Spirituality Resources
Dedicated to wisdom, spiritual growth, and the impartial study of all religious and spiritual traditions.

Wei Wu Wei
An archival site for the teachings of Wei Wu Wei (Terence Gray).

Nonduality Salon
This site contains over 1,000 pages, thousands of original articles and letters, and unique links. "Contributors to Nonduality Salon have changed the terrain of nonduality in the world. A powerful resource of quotes, links to spiritual teachers, essays, and online communities."

Write Spirit
Inspirational quotes, talks, spiritual poetry, free music downloads, and more. "Sharing ancient wisdom and modern inspiration."

The Great Space Center and American Sage of Advaita Vedanta
Two web sites about Franklin Merrell-Wolff.

The Franklin Merrell-Wolff Fellowship Site
"For those who, having found the emptiness of life external, hunger for the Life that is Everlasting."

Painting A Way
Out of Sheldon N. Cohen's art emerges an expression of the vibrant inner life—one that we can tap, one that we can rely on to guide us, to help us find our bearings in a world where we often feel lost, disconnected from meaning.

Wikipedia
Richard Rose biography.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi Web Site
Richard Rose admired Ramana Maharshi's simple, straightforward teaching of Self-Inquiry, and devoted a large portion of his Profound Writings: East & West to the Maharshi's dialogues.

Nisargadatta Maharaj
This page on the Spiritual Teachers site is a good introduction to this Indian guru. The interview of Alexander Smit provides a fascinating look at how Nisargadatta worked.

Allspirit
Allspirit is a site of spiritual writings, poetry, quotations, and song lyrics. "From Advaita to Zen, ancient to contemporary, there is something here for everybody. Check the poetry index for a list of poets, who include Rumi, Rabindranath Tagore, William Blake, Hafiz, Rainer Maria Rilke, Thich Nhat Hanh, Mary Oliver, Anna Akhmatova; along with many others."

Gurdjieff Internet Guide
Resources related to the Gurdjieff teachings and the Fourth Way.

Capacitie
Capacitie was the word used by Thomas Traherne to describe essential being. This site is especially valuable for the section on the contemporary specialist in the field, John Wren-Lewis. There's another section on Douglas Harding, one on the dialogue meetings (inspired by David Bohm) in Sydney, NSW, and an online newsletter, "Now."

Vicky Woodyard
Vicky Woodyard initially resisted the truth of what God was asking her to do: care for a beloved spouse when his time had come. Ultimately, she partnered with her calling, surrendered her husband to the good earth, and walked alone. Listen to a rich treasure trove of essays through free MP3 recordings. Each audio is an adventure into the tao.

Bernadette's Friends Blogspot
Information on workshops and retreats with Bernadette Roberts.

Book of Daleth
A unique handbook concerning the human potential known as enlightenment and the depths to which this philosophy is unsuspectingly embedded in our society.

William Samuel & Friends
Introduction to the life and teaching of William Samuel (1924-1976).

Spiritual Funny Bones

It's easy to get depressed, pessimistic, and other forms of taking ourselves too seriously when we're on a spiritual quest and seem to find more downs than ups in the elevator ride of life. As an antidote, here are some sites that TAT members and friends recommend for their humor.

Also check the current and previous issues of the TAT Forum for its humor section.

Chris Madden's Meaning of Life Cartoons

Mark Twain Quotes

Sarlo's Inside Track

Walking the Path with Brother Theophylee

Your Recommendations

us with your recommendations for sites to consider, or for other communications.

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Criteria for Consideration

Although the TAT Foundation members' and friends' choices are strictly subjective, many of them consider the criteria that Richard Rose outlined in The Albigen Papers as a good set of guidelines in forming evaluations "On Gurus and Unique Systems."

From chapter four of The Albigen Papers, the following guidelines weigh whether they enlighten us ably or poorly about...

The nature of man, especially the inner man.

Life before birth.

Life after death.

The relation of man to nature, the world and the visible cosmos.

The relation of man to the Absolute. Most people, and this includes philosophers as well as humble lay-seekers, put the cart before the horse and proceed to try to understand the universe, or life after death, before understanding first their own nature and how they come to be here.

The following are keys in analyzing -isms:

Of the many -isms that take on the tasks of explaining any of the above five items, we determine to gauge for the least unlikely or those nearer to the truth.

We take note of the avatar or other original exponent of the -ism, and we look for personal inspiration and perhaps miraculous evidence of his being a superior and, hence, wiser being.

We study writings of the -isms for contradiction.

We look for isms that explain more phenomena than other isms.

We pay heed to isms that appeal to our intuition.

We watch all the isms for most common factors, in the business of equating that some truth must accompany concurrence by a number of faiths or movements.

So we look for a workable system or discipline superior to other disciplines...