John Sherman Texts

Meeting with John Sherman in Berkeley, California - May 13, 2011

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I see some people here that I’m familiar with and other people not so much, so I might as well start at the beginning.

About seventeen years ago, I set foot for the first time on the path of spiritual aspiration, in an attempt to resolve and get rid of the incessant sense of misery in being a human being in this life.  I had tried a lot of other things up until that time, and none of them had worked, so I set foot on the path of spiritual aspiration.

A Meeting with John Sherman in Santa Monica, California - November 21, 2010

Those of you who have been paying attention to me for any length of time are probably familiar with the fact that I do a lot of complaining about my inability to shake loose from the spiritual vernacular and speak clearly and directly, in plain English, about the simple thing that I actually would like you to try to do, and the insight that underlies it. A few days ago, I started our twelfth retreat with a firm intent to be finished with that once and for all.  I saw the retreat as an opportunity for me to enlist the help of those who were present to wean me away from the spiritual vernacular, to help me see the way through to be able to speak about what I speak about in plain English, so that it doesn’t require a diploma in spiritual understanding to get it.  In fact, a diploma in spiritual understanding makes it much less likely that you will be able to hear what I am saying.

Worldwide Online Meeting with John Sherman - Opening Talk - September 11, 2010

For 11 years now, Carla and I have been doing this work, and we have been trying to find a way to speak clearly and directly about what we see; we've been trying to speak clearly about the fact that there really is a problem and that we have stumbled upon a method whereby anybody, with a very simple act of inward looking, can free themselves of the fundamental problem of being human, which leads to the sense that life is out to get me, that I'm trapped here, that I don't know what I'm doing, that I'm worthless, and makes human life seem like suffering itself.

Afternoon with John Sherman in Ojai, California on March 21, 2010 - Meeting 1

I thought I would do something a little bit different today, partly because there are people here who have never been with me and there are other people who haven't been around for quite a while, and because what I have to speak about seems to be somewhat difficult to hear.

I've just grabbed a few letters and emails that I've gotten in recent days, because I want you to hear from people other than me something about the effectiveness of what it is that I am going to be suggesting that you do. So, here are a few things from people other than me about the effect of entering into this adventure. You'll see that, from time to time, they mention such things as 'self-inquiry' and 'vichara.' Just decline to follow any understandings about what those things mean because, in this context, they do not mean what you might think they mean.

A Meeting with John Sherman in Santa Monica, California - July 26, 2009

Hello everybody, and welcome. Thank you for being here. I have an email here that I want to read and comment on because it raises some questions that I'd like to speak about, and that I hoped someone would raise somewhere along the line.

But before that, let me just briefly say something about what it is that I speak about, what it is that I suggest that you do, and what it is that I see to be the case in the endless struggle of human existence to find a way, to find escape from the unending sense that something is wrong, that I don't know how to lead the right life, that I have got to find some way to save myself from this feeling of being trapped and at the mercy of this life, this mind; that I am at stake and in danger here, that I am a stranger in my own life, seeking to transform or transcend it (or me) in a way that will bring an end to this endless feeling that something is wrong, that there is something I don't have quite right yet.

A Meeting with John Sherman in Santa Monica, California - November 22, 2009

It's really true that I have very little to say. Of course, for those of you who have been with me for a while, it may seem a strange thing for me to say, since once I start talking I can't shut up. That's just an old behavior pattern that seems to be strong. But as far as having something to say that's of any use to anybody, I have very little to say. And what I do have to say, no matter how I go on after I say it, is this. This is what I really want you to hear; the rest of it is optional and it is adornment only.

Is The Looking Spiritual?

Adapted from A Meeting with John Sherman in Santa Monica, California on March 28, 2010

I would like you to check and see if there is an opinion working within you to the effect that what I am suggesting and what I speak about is another version of some other teaching. Another version of advaita vedanta, non-duality, or any other teaching. I'd really like you to check and see whether such relationship to what I am saying is alive within you, because if it is, I would suggest that before you go any further, you really look at that.

A Meeting with John Sherman in Ojai, California - November 6, 2007

2007 Retreat with John Sherman - Meeting # 8

Well, good morning. Welcome back. Okay, you get to go first this morning. With one provision: no expressions of gratitude or expressions of how well you are doing, or how everything is working smoothly. Because this is the last day, and I know how wonderful you are doing and I am as flooded with gratitude as you are. So, this is the last chance there is, this is kind of the last bus out of hell. Let's reserve the seats for those who are still in hell.(laughter)So, who has problems? It doesn't exactly have to be problems, but at least questions...

A Meeting with John Sherman in Ojai, California - November 5, 2007 pm

2007 Retreat with John Sherman - Meeting # 7

Sometimes I really hate to start talking, because it is so sweet here without talking. But then, my tendencies take over and I am off and running. Does anybody want to come and talk to me?

I have a question about our last session. It seemed like everybody that spoke, it was as if they were speaking for me and the experiences, I could feel what they were saying, as if they were my mouthpiece. Is that what you mean, or is that an example of one mind?

A Meeting with John Sherman in Ojai, California - November 5, 2007 am

2007 Retreat with John Sherman - Meeting # 6

Okay, good morning, welcome. Here we are again. Does anybody have anything? Well, good morning. I'm glad to see you.

Last night I remembered a statement that was in Ramana's book, about the little girl who was living at Arunachala Ashram, Sri Bhagavan Arunachala, or whatever the title is, and they were talking about best friends. And everybody was talking about who their best friend was, and she was asked, and she said Dr. So-and-So was her best friend. And then they said, "How come you didn't say 'Ramana'?" And she said, "He's everything, he is everywhere." And then they said, "But don't you see him in the body, don't you see him sitting, don't you feel his touch, don't you follow him walking?" And at that point, she said, "I'm going to stop talking now." I never not see Ramana and Arunachala as anything but everything. I experience that, always. And if I ask myself, What is that? Is that my teacher? It's never that. You are never separate from Carla. You and Carla come together; have always been together in my head, before I even met you. You and Carla were together. I can't separate you.

That is very discerning of you.