My Journey from Head to Heart

Heart-inspired by the beauty of this world, yet heart-broken by the suffering of all beings, neither my mind nor my heart could navigate this paradox. So, my spiritual journey began with a hope of finding a path where I could walk with clarity, emotional balance, and compassion.

A college course introduced me to the Buddha, with his skillful path that integrates wisdom, moral discipline, compassion, and—above all—deep meditation as the way to end suffering. I philosophized on emptiness, I meditated on my breath, I walked the path as best I could. Yet I had a growing restlessness that increasingly whispered to me that modern-day “mindfulness” alone wouldn’t lead me to heart awakening, nor would a sterile inner emptiness nurture compassion. I needed a more expansive path.

My journey brought me to a Tibetan tradition, and I became a formal student. But over time, the many complex meditations and rituals increasingly felt like intellectual exercises—often frustrating, and not really awakening either wisdom or a caring compassion for everyday sentient beings. I felt something profound was missing.

So—I rested on the path for a while.

Then suddenly, a new, provocatively stimulating teacher unexpectedly appeared on the horizon—Sukaishi David—who shares his knowledge online from a wondrously beautiful rainforest garden. Sukaishi gently guides students around the world in the rare, ancient, and closely-guarded technique of OJAYA—a surprisingly blissful, ultra-deep meditation technique that is unlike anything we see elsewhere in today’s meditation toolbox.

A new direction now beckoned me with a new stream of wisdom that showed me how to reorient myself—to deepen and totally transform my daily meditation practice. My previous methods had been effortful, even tedious, and had kept my mind only on the surface levels of thinking. Now I quickly learned that true deep meditation must lead to samadhi—that effortless settling into the blissfully calm and serene depths of inner stillness.

I quickly experienced the striking potency of the OJAYA “Armor” meditation technique, which builds up an “armor” of clear, calm energy to protect one from the stress and frenzy of life in the real world. I found that a brief 10-20 minutes of this refreshingly simple, easy (and yes, blissful) meditation practice effortlessly draws the consciousness deep within . . . automatically, pleasantly. I felt the serene, energetic effects immediately.

Moreover, to the surprise of my naturally skeptical, analytical mindset (remember, I'm a philosophy professor!), my heart now mysteriously stirs and has awakened to a depth of unbounded love which even today swirls and integrates into my daily life. This new, deep, unexpected level of heart awakening with OJAYA assures me that at last I have unlocked the secret to heartfelt compassion and solved the paradox of suffering amidst the extraordinary beauty of this world.

(The OJAYA School of Deep Meditation is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers. For more info, and to learn the sublimely rare, ancient OJAYA "Armor" technique, click the link below.)