“We are one huge universe speaking and listening to itself,” writes non-duality teacher Francis Lucille in The Perfume of Silence. Recently, I had the chance to speak with Francis, and I find myself returning to his words, finding deeper meaning behind them every day since we spoke.
To say a bit about Francis, he is a student and long-time friend of Jean Klein, as well as the teacher of Rupert Spira. As you’ll hear in the conversation, he teaches non-duality more as a way of life than a concept, viewing it as “the common ground of Advaita Vedanta, Ch’an Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, and Sufism” (from his website).
In our conversation, Francis and I explore what non-duality means and how understanding the nature of consciousness can transform the way we live. We discuss how everyday experiences can give us insight into consciousness, and Francis offers several pointing-out instructions… Including a joke about the Pope! We also explore the cycles of desire and suffering, the fear of death behind our activities, and how all this is rooted in ignorance about our true nature. This leads us into a discussion on the role of psychotherapy and how it relates to spiritual insight, and Francis shares a unique perspective on that (delivered with fine humor for good measure).
I have done more than a few of these conversations, and this is one of the rare occasions when I felt I was in the presence of a “teacher” in the full sense of the word. I hope you find meaning and inspiration here as well!
With love and gratitude,
Simeon
Perfect Meditation
Above, I’ve clipped a particularly meaningful moment from the conversation, which gave me a new perspective on the role of meditation on the spiritual path. In fact, a new understanding of what “meditation” even means in the first place.
