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— Philosophical Counseling and Nondual Inquiry —
NEW! Recession Stress Buster! Free e-mail consultation!
NEW! New Audio on the Direct Path!
NEW! Emptiness Teachings
NEW! Conference on the Science of Nonduality
NEW! Nondual Gatherings in New York
Philosophical Counseling
Nondual Inquiry
How Counseling Happens
New!
- Emptiness Teachings — The way of emptiness is an extremely rich and sophisticated form of nondual inquiry. It is practiced in the East through Buddhism, and set forth in philosophical form by Nagarjuna. But what is not so commonly known is that for thousands of years there have been Western parallels to these teachings. There is an entire tradition of Emptiness teachings outside the context of Buddhism. Lately there has been a resurgence of interest in this approach; some of these Western emptiness teachings are being practiced today. So stay tuned for an introduction to Eastern and Western emptiness teachings, as well as meditations, exercises, and lots of book recommendations. Begin reading about emptiness on the new Emptiness Teachings page.
- "Inquiry Via the Direct Path" (audio interview, 47 min) — I am interviewed by Dr. Tomas Sander, who asks a series of questions about the teachings of the Direct Path and its use of Awareness. We cover a wide range of topics, from the initial notions, to how one actually pursues the teachings, through enlightenment, possible difficulties, and where to get more information. Good introduction to this kind of teaching, as inspired originally by Krishna Menon (Sri Atmananda). The interview is on the Readings and Links page.
- October 2009 - Science of Nonduality Conference (http://www.scienceofnonduality.com) — I'm helping organize this conference and will be speaking there. The conference will be held October 23-25, 2009, at the Marin Convention Center, San Rafael, California. The conference is still in the planning stages. As more details come together, I will be posting them here, along with links. If you wish to discuss this conference, you can join the Science of Nonduality Conference Yahoo Group: scienceofnonduality-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
- Nondual Dinners in New York City — I haven't written about it here, but for the last 10 years, I've been hosting gatherings in New York called Nondual Dinners. They have nothing at all to do with counseling - they are lively conversations among friends about some aspect related to nonduality. There is no teacher, no leader, and no privileged voice or view. The dinners are totally free (except for the food you order) and are held one Thursday evening a month at a classic New York diner. Sometimes, but not always, there is a speaker who will talk about a topic for 20 minutes, after which there is open conversation. Sometimes we have no agenda items at all, and just talk about anything that comes up. Past topics have included Traditional Advaita and Neo-Advaita, Western Emptiness Teachings, Types of Buddhist Meditation, Types of Enlightenment, The Spiritual Life and Ordinary Human Needs, Pure-Land Buddhism, The Evolution of the Satsang Movement, The Devotional Path, and many other topics. For further information, write to greg@heartofnow.com.
Philosophical Counseling
Have you wondered -
- Who am I?
- What is this “realization” I hear so much about?
- What is the meaning of life?
- What kind of life do I want to live?
- How can I find happiness and inner peace?
- Are limiting beliefs blocking the pursuit of my goals?
- I feel a conflict between my mind and my heart. What to do?
- I can't decide on this problem... I want to know what is right.
- Is the story of my life being told in my own voice? Are there parts that lay undiscovered?
- Which job? Which school? Which lover?
then read on!
Socrates, Buddha, and most of the world's saints and sages have this common. Dialog! It is a way of being-with and an exploratory tool. It is an expression of celebration. Beloved by the ancients, dialog is being rediscovered by modern thinkers as basic to the very way that thought functions. Philosophers, mystics, scientists, and therapists of all kinds are using dialogical means more than ever before. As practiced at the Heart of Now, dialog combines compassionate communication and deep listening with Socratic questioning to explore your beliefs, values and goals. Dialog yields insight into all manner of issues, from everyday problems to questions of life and death.
This inquiry heals, empowers, and liberates. It is a compassionate exploration that begins from your questions, and results in insight and understanding. You can experience peace and clarity on issues pertaining to self-knowledge, the meaning of life, conflicts in values, cross-cultural tensions, ethical dilemmas at work and at home, family and relationship issues, and more. Even for issues that don't seem "philosophical," this kind of investigation has the time-tested ability to foster radical shifts in your intellectual, emotional and perceptual experience.
- This inquiry heals because thinking and feeling are so closely intermingled that a sincere investigation pays off throughout all of one's experience. Regardless of where one begins inquiry - from the point of anger, fear, hope, wonder, or from the global perspective one's view of life - sincere philosophical inquiry transforms both thinking and feeling.
- It empowers by focusing on issues you suggest. It's not disempowering, and works most effectively with your active participation. The direction we take, as well as the results, are yours.
- It liberates by freeing you from false beliefs and limiting assumptions. You come to discover a more joyful experience of yourself, others and the world.
Nondual Inquiry
Nondual inquiry is another ancient and powerful form of investigation, especially strong in Eastern traditions. Are you seeking inner peace, the meaning of life, contemplating your true nature? Nondual inquiry (self-inquiry) is a fast and direct direct route to peace and clarity on these issues. I use methods culled from Eastern philosophical traditions — the “direct path” from Advaita Vedanta and the Middle Way from Mahayana Buddhism. Nondual inquiry is holistic. It is based on the insight that experience is global, not sectioned or partitioned. Besides conversation, it involves body-sensing, perceptual exercises, visualizations, meditations, readings, and just being.
How Counseling Happens
We can discuss any issue that interests you, whether you are making a tactical life decision or whether you wish to do nondual inquiry. I have an office in Manhattan, New York, and am available for face-to-face, telephone or online consultation. Online consultation, the most recent form, is surprisingly effective! More than ever before, people are busy and are much more comfortable with electronic media. Any questions, just write to ask. greg@heartofnow.com Find out more about online counseling.
NEW! Recession Stress Buster! Free e-mail consultation!
In our current economic times, one small step that might help put counseling within easier reach is this: it is now free via e-mail. Or if it's not a counseling issue, it might be a question arising from the books or essays available on this site. Any question, just write! greg@heartofnow.com
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Any questions?
For information or an appointment:
Dr. Greg Goode
37 East 28th Street, Suite 800
New York, NY 10016
212-686-8082
201-585-2881 (leave message any time)
greg@heartofnow.com
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