Douglas Harding

Douglas was a sincere gentle soul who found what he was looking for. And which he happily shared with whomever expressed interest, in a easy going, relaxed manner.

Unlike the think-story-think-sit-in-silence-think methods of so many, Douglas had some simple exercises which anyone could do, in pointing directly to the obviousness of the obvious. Without the need for anything else. Very lovely.

Douglas did not eschew phenomenon but rather embraced it as a celebration of Self. That face in the mirror was to him unlike so many of the neo-Advaita crowd, not something to be dismissed but rather to be seen for what it was - a natural expression of love by the inexorable stillness at the center of everything.

I was once having coffee with another very well know ’spiritual teacher’ who disparaged Douglas as a ‘one-trick pony’, because Douglas was always pointing people to the clear absence of one’s own head. But surely knowing one thing utterly, is all that is required. Just know it well, rest attention only upon that, and everything else becomes clear. Like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marpole who understood the whole of human endeavor by simply putting all of her attention on what happened in her own little village. Douglas knew that secret too - he put all of his attention on finding where his head went when he was not looking in a mirror…. and found that what remained in that absence was the  ever present joy of Self.

Douglas did not say that thoughts must be stopped, or changed. Unlike the mantra of stilling thoughts of the neo-Advaita, non-dual, neo-Christian, or Zen crowd. Nor did he speak in terms of enlightenment as if it was some kind of goal to be reached - the brass ring of life so to speak. Rather he pointed to the obvious fact that there can be no such thing as awake/not-awake when one simply relaxes.

How refreshing.

Update: Since I wrote this Douglas has passed away. He will be missed.