Today there are a number of spiritual teachers emerging to bring an ever expanding knowledge and deeper experience to greater audiences than ever before. They have experienced spiritual transformation themselves and are now taking their message publicly through a number of marketing vehicles.
Meditation is a key component of the message of each Modern Master that we have selected to feature on this page.
Wayne Dyer – Getting in the Gap
Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now
Jose Silva – Dynamic Meditation Course
Dr. Wayne Dyer – Getting in the Gap
An internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He has written numerous bestselling books, including the New York Times bestseller 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace; has created many audio’s, CDs, and videos; and has appeared on thousands of television and radio programs, including The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Dr. Dyer’s book, Getting in the Gap, is one of the most simply, direct and helpful how-to meditation books that I have found. It also comes with a CD. He teaches a method of meditation called Japa which means "to say the name of God repeatedly." Here are several quotes from the book:
"The paramount reason for making meditation a part of our daily life is to join forces with our sacred energy and regain the power of our Source (God). Through meditation, we can tap in to an abundance of creative energy that resides within us, and a more meaningful experience of life. By meditating, we come to know God rather than know about God" page 2
"It’s been said that it’s the space between the bars that holds the tiger. And it’s the silence between the notes that makes the music. It is out of the silence, or "the gap" or the space between our thoughts that everything is created – including our own bliss." page 71
"By making conscious contact with God, it is said that you will come to know the power of that Source and use that power to attract anything into your life. God is that one force in the universe that is indivisible. There’s only one force, one power, and you can’t divide it." page 72
"It is said that the average person has 60,000 thoughts every single day. The problem is that we have the same 60,000 thoughts each day. Our mind is very noisy. And very seldom in a place of silence…. If you could reduce the number of thoughts from 60,000 to 20,000 there would be more gaps." page 73
Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now
Eckhart Tolle is widely recognized as one of the most original and inspiring spiritual teachers of our time. He travels and teaches throughout the world.
Eckhart is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition, but excludes none. His profound yet simple and practical teachings have helped thousands of people find inner peace, healing and greater fulfillment in their lives. At the core of his teachings lies the transformation of individual and collective human consciousness – a global spiritual awakening.
He is the author of The Power of Now, a #1 New York Times Bestseller, which has been translated into 32 languages and become one of the most influential spiritual books of our time.
In his book The Power of Now – A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart describes a simple form of meditation to use which he calls "Connecting with the Inner Body:"
"Please try it now. You may find it helpful to close your eyes for this practice….Direct your attention into the body. Feel it from within. Is it alive? Is there life in your hands, arms, legs and feet – in your abdomen, your chest? Can you feel the subtle energy field that pervades the entire body and gives vibrant life to every organ and every cell? Can you feel it simultaneously in all parts of the body as a single field of energy?
Keep focusing on the feeling of your inner body for a few moments. do not start to think about it. Feel it. the more attention you give it, the clearer and stronger this feeling will become. It will feel as if every cell is becoming more alive, and if you have a strong visual sense, you may get an image of your body becoming luminous….
The feeling of you body is formless, limitless, and unfathomable. you can always go into it more deeply. If you cannot feel very much at this stage, pay attention to whatever you can feel. Perhaps there is just a slight tingling in your hands or feet. that’s good enough for a moment. Just focus on the feeling. Your body is coming alive…..Please open your eyes now, but keep some attention in the inner energy field of the body even as you look around the room. The inner body lies at the threshold between your form identity and you essence identity, your true nature. Never lose touch with it." pages 93-94 The Power of Now
Jose Silva – Dynamic Meditation Course
I have included Jose Silva in our list of Modern Masters because in the mid-1900’s he developed a very practical system to learn meditation. I feel that this no nonsense, down to earth instructional method might be appealing to 12 Step members that are unsure of a relationship with a Higher Power.
Jose Silva is more than a great American success story… his life is a Universal Success Story. Born into a poor family on the Texas-Mexican border, orphaned at the age of 4, he nevertheless always seemed to lead a charmed life, as if some higher power were guiding him.
In fact, he always believed that he was guided by "higher intelligence" to achieve the success he achieved. With no formal education, no mentors to guide him, no power, no money, no influence, he followed the guidance from higher intelligence to become a successful businessman. In 1944 he began to conduct research into the mind and human potential. In 1966 he established the World Number 1 Mind Training System, which eventually spread throughout the United States and to more than 100 foreign countries.
When one of his children began bringing home bad grades, Silva began to study psychology in an effort to find ways to help his children do better in school. Psychology led him to hypnosis which led him to meditation, which led directly to his children developing the ability to sense what he was thinking. As a result of this unexpected turn of events, he began to study metaphysics.
Eventually Silva refined a method that can teach anyone how to develop their own intuition so that they can gather information with their minds that is not available to their physical senses and verify that the information is accurate. He founded the Silva Mind Control Method in Laredo, Texas.