Moksha Dawn: Talks on Radical & Innovative Approach to Spirituality and the Scared in the 21st Century

By Richard Harvey

Moksha Dawn is the second of a trilogy of books, containing the annotated transcripts of online talks given by Richard Harvey, a psycho-spiritual psychotherapist and spiritual teacher, between 2013 and 2014. The two series of online lectures titled  The Silent Thunder Online Discourses and  The Novena Teachings compile fourteen talks, which highlight a radical and innovative approach to spirituality and the sacred in the 21st century.

"Today we live in the age of individualism. But this age of the individual is far from straightforward. Obsessed as we are with ourselves, addicted as we are to our own self-importance, self-indulgence, and self-aggrandizement, we have the means, the power, and the strength in our possession. These are contained in our obsession and addiction to ourself. If we can only harness the power of obsession and addiction, and redirect it toward the Divine in no time at all we would be free!

But is this what we truly want? Do we—can we—truly weep for God, as Ramakrishna asks? Weeping for people and things, all of which will fade and pass, are we able to give heart-recognition to the deathless, to the eternal, to the Divine?

Do we give our attention appropriately and sufficiently to our spiritual awakening, arguably the only thing of ultimate value, the only thing that really matters? When and if we do, can we sustain our discipline and obedience to the higher calling?

Can we live the human life, the fully human life, the one in which we allow the Divine to manifest through our humanness—not in spite of our humanness—and live within the contradictions and paradoxes that bring us to the very edge of experience, the precipice of the sensible world, the reality and expression of eternity in the field of space and time?

The talks in Moksha Dawn are dedicated to Truth. They are not my opinion, my point of view, or my preference. Neither are they Absolute Truth in the strict sense or the word of God or the only way for you to follow. They are the fruit of the perspective of one human-divine, sacred life form, an individual awareness in the Divine total consciousness. The words appear out of the matrix of emptiness, out of the space between the in and the out breaths. They have been a joy for me to hear, to speak, to receive, and to communicate. In time these words will lapse into the great silence of mouna and all that we say and do and speak here will be a fading part of the universe. Like sand grains or notes of music, like autumn leaves or snowflakes, they will have been and then they will not have been. Let us pause for a moment. Are they merely human foibles, human failings, human gropings to understand? Or are they perhaps, fading, drying on the face now tears—the tears we shed weeping for the Divine?"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Harvey
• Release date: Apr 6, 2019

Book preview

What people say

‘For the benefit of many, Richard Harvey asks us to look at the hard questions of freedom, seeking wisdom and transformation. While he shares his own dramatic inner searching, he stimulates us to do our own inquiry. I recommend Dharma Sky for anyone who is looking for the way through to awakening.’ – Domo Geshe Rinpoche, Founder and spiritual director White Conch Dharma Center, Grand Transitions Institute Hospice training, Mandala Matrix research program, director Foundations of Yogic Healing

‘Richard Harvey is a skilled therapist and a modern spiritual teacher whose writings have successfully combined the everyday practicality of western psychology with the ancient wisdom of eastern philosophy. Although his Three Stages of Awakening is a model of clarity, there are also many other spiritual treasures to be mined here on many other different levels. Highly recommended.’ – Chuck Hillig: Author of Enlightenment for Beginners, The Way IT Is, Seeds for the Soul, Looking for God (Seeing the Whole in One), and The Magic King

‘In this world where the western media promotes pseudo-spirituality because it is HUGE $$$ business, Richard’s Dharma Sky—Three Stages of Awakening, birthing the soul, are Truth, and most welcome for those who are honestly willing to do the fearless self-work required. This heart smiled warmly reading the words pointing clearly to Truth, and a practical way to achieve Self-Realization in this Kali Yuga age dominated by the dark, raging ego. Richard’s soul and divine heart are so obviously available in the context of the writing that one cannot help but be positively affected as Richard’s compassion and Love speaks clearly to the reader’s heart and soul. His teaching is practical and easily comprehensible, but as Richard states, one has to be courageous. So be forewarned, you want warm and fuzzy pseudo-truths, watch Oprah's Soul Sunday charade/parade of characters spewing forth non-sense. You want Absolute Truth, this is a modern practical way.’ – M. Thomas Filippo, Spiritual Counselor and writer/blogger at OnThePathOm

‘Years later, I am still amazed at how different I am because of working with Richard Harvey. Everything that changed was for the better. His insight into spiritual matters is only rivaled by his ability to explain them. He is a genuine teacher, not blinded by spiritual pride like so many self-proclaimed gurus. I can honestly say that my time spent with him was one of the most eye opening experiences I’ve ever had.’ – Eric Krohn, Lab Technician at USDA

‘Richard’s therapy work is healing, empowering and liberating. I recommend you read his book The Flight of Consciousness and keep it by your bedside to re-read!’ – Luke Broad, Author & Certified Law of Attraction Practitioner

‘Richard is an integrous, sensitive and profoundly effective counselor and therapist. I recommend his books, particularly The Flight of Consciousness, which form the foundation of a radically new paradigm in the field of psycho-spiritual psychology.’ – Jose Bueno Murga, Planning Analyst at Cementos Pacasmayo SAA

Richard’s work is highly effective, profound and revolutionary in approach and content. I would recommend him to anyone who sincerely wishes to change and improve their life in terms of purpose, personal fulfillment and loving relationships. – Heidi Nordlund, Advanced Ayurvedic Practitioner, Tibetan Cranial Practitioner, AyurDoula and Yoga Therapist at Namaskar Healing™, LLC

I have found Richard’s vast information and research to be unparalleled. We are grateful to have Richard and his continued help. – René Dasher, Research & Personal Online Asst-Networking Diva

Richard is a highly experienced and trained practitioner whose work brings about the most effective results. The principles of Sacred Attention Therapy are at the cutting edge of human psychology and I consider Richard dedicated, visionary, and highly committed to his unique work. – Alina Flicker, Online Marketing Consultant

May you bask in the grace, glory and divinity embedded in these lecture manuscripts. Herein you are offered true blessings and gifts. Unwrap them carefully, with reverence for these sacred teachings. Your true and essential self will resonate and grow in awareness of the sacred being you are. For some, these manuscripts will initiate your transformation and the beginning of a journey to rediscover who you have always been and will forever be—the light of God, the source of existence, the pure love inherent in all of creation. – Rev. Robert Meagher, Founder and Spiritual Director, Spiritual Guidance

In this modern time where the material forces of this world are so predominant, it is difficult for the poets of today to find a space in which they can share and exchange their creativity and inspiration. Our modern language, and our use of words, mirror mostly what preoccupies our minds and our hearts. Seldom is it used to mirror our struggle to reach our soul. Richard Harvey, in his writings, gently leads us to that place which is far beyond the material world. – Leonard Lasalle, Artist

‘Richard's discourses help us to understand and reflect on the deep elements that influence everyone's life, the need to connect inwards, to re-centre ourselves, and discuss deep and important elements of emotional life. I particularly felt touched by the Love discourse of the Novena Teachings, as I found the illustrations from old spiritual books and the daily-life examples deep and very well explained. Thank you very much for your work, dear Richard.’ – Thierry Clerc, MSc, MARH, RHom, Clinical Homeopath, Nutrition & Allergy Consultant

"In The Novena Teachings Richard has given us wonderful tools for deep exploration of ourselves and its importance. Richard’s enormous knowledge and ability to provide us with the smallest and biggest picture of inner work through his lectures is often breathtaking and very revealing. To have met Richard, the opportunity to have worked with him and listen to his lectures, made a deep change to my life and my work with my clients." – Birgit Niehaus, Alternative Medicine Practitioner

‘As with Richard’s books Your Essential Self and The Flight of Consciousness, I have found the Novena series of lectures absorbing, challenging, inspiring, and enlightening in equal measure. I would thoroughly recommend Richard’s work to anyone wishing to discover and live from their heart.’– Oliver Baum, BA (Hons), MTheol, MBACP, MNCH, Integrative Therapist and Practice Director at The Owl Practice

Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do in making this world a better place. The journey that ultimately led me to you through Rev. Robert Meagher was via the dark night of the soul and an anguishing spiritual crisis. I discovered your profound teachings that resonated so deeply and provided me with the direction that I was desperately seeking You have truly inspired me Richard with my personal journey for growth having transformed into a passion to become a psychotherapist that offers no less than this. Thank you—for more than you know. – Carol Upstone, spiritual psychotherapy student, Transformational Arts College, Toronto, Ontario

Richard Harvey's work touches me deeply, profoundly, and lastingly. It inspires my own conscious evolving and guides my counseling practice in a sacred, focused, and respectful way to bring clients to balance, integrated well-being, and heart-opened awareness. I have benefited from his books, his online seminars and articles. Richard is eloquent, inspirational, and brilliant; he offers a healing presence unlike anyone I've ever worked with before. Thank you, Richard, for the wealth of growth opportunities you offer to your students, your clients, and your fans. I am honored to be among them.– Rev. Sherry Harris, MSW, RSW, Psycho-Spiritual Counsellor, Coach, and Teacher

RICHARD HARVEY

Talks on Radical & Innovative

Approach to Spirituality and the Scared

in the 21st Century

MOKSHA DAWN

Sacred Attention Publishing

Órgiva, Granada, Spain

Moksha Dawn: Talks on a Radical and Innovative Approach to Spirituality and the Sacred in the 21st Century©2014 by Richard Harvey. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Second Edition, 2019

Sacred Attention Publishing

Harvey, Richard, 1952–

Moksha Dawn: Talks on a Radical and Innovative Approach to Spirituality and the Sacred in the 21st Century Richard Harvey. — Second edition

Set in Times New Roman

Includes bibliographical references

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained.

First Edition was published in 2014, Useless Tree Press

Photography: Skyscape from Cortijo Llano de Manzono Personal and Spiritual Growth Center II by Richard Harvey

Cover design: Robert Meagher

Book design: Richard Harvey

Sacred Attention Publishing

Aptdo 183

18400 Orgiva

(Granada)

Spain

http://www.therapyandspirituality.com/

About the Author

Richard Harvey is a psycho-spiritual psychotherapist, a spiritual teacher, the Founder-Director of The Center for Human Awakening and the creator of Sacred Attention Therapy (SAT), a radical new approach to healing and personal growth for the 21st century.

Richard Harvey's work spans over 40 years. During that time he has worked with individuals, couples, groups and communities, psychologically and spiritually. He has helped thousands of people to find greater peace and fulfillment in their lives. Richard's approach is to encourage, empower, and enable people to clarify, heal, and liberate themselves from the restrictive conditioning that compromises their relationships, family, and working lives. 

He lives and work from his personal and spiritual growth center in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in southern Spain and has led groups, workshops, seminars, and training courses throughout Europe, as well as maintaining a private practice.

At the heart of Richard's work is the awakening of individual consciousness, within the wider context of collective spiritual awakening, through a threefold process of work on the personality, the transformation into authenticity, and the realization of our true nature.

You can visit him online at www.therapyandspirituality.com and www.centerforhumanawakening.com.

Even if the crisis of the 21st century turns out not to be a material, physical crisis of human destruction, the crisis precipitated by the final annihilation of the authentic means to spiritual liberation will be every bit as disastrous. For if we lose the means to awakening to freedom, emotional and spiritual liberation, and Self-realization – and especially if we lose it through our ignorance and abandonment of it – we forfeit the way to our essence, to our truth. And then we will sacrifice love, wisdom, peace, bliss, and compassion and we will have betrayed our deepest, most essential self. ~ Richard Harvey

***

Nothing is greater than the human heart. When all our thoughts, concepts and teachings are blown away by forgetfulness, stand in this inner treasure. The entire world is there, all consciousness and awareness. All is there. Nothing as heart-breaking, nothing as heart-stopping, nothing as heart-rending and heart-full, so don’t sacrifice this inner certainty for cleverness and pontificating. May your heart be full… always. ~ Richard Harvey

***

In the 21st century it is crucial that we maintain a spiritual vision that is authentic, deep and doesn’t bow to populism or over-concern to make spirituality palatable, that retains its integrity, genuineness, and mystery, that can genuinely lead us to personal freedom and spiritual liberation. The endangered, disappearing secrets of sacred life, spirituality, divinity and reality are essential for the future of humanity and the world. ~ Richard Harvey

Acknowledgements

With gratitude to everyone involved—the attentive listeners and participants in the Silent Thunder Discourses and the Novena Teachings, to Robert for his unerring application and generous devotion of his time, creativity and industriousness, to all those who gave so willingly their testimonials and appreciation, to the creators of some of the images that adorn these pages (some of the photos are my own, but others have not been credited as the artists are unknown), to the teachers, sages, and adepts who have selflessly remained rather than leave us to wander when there was no other, to the crest-jewel of Truth, the essence of Existence that permeates and pervades our lives in all times and places, beyond this present time and place and surpasses all identity, separation and division, I present this book of psycho-spiritual talks in the hope of rousing the Divine Person within us all.

Foreword

Richard Harvey is a psycho-spiritual psychotherapist, author and spiritual teacher. His career spans over 35 years, working with individuals, couples, groups, and communities. Richard’s formal training includes study at the Devon Centre for Alternative Therapy and Education for four years with the American psychotherapist Richard Dror, the study of group dynamics at the Richmond Fellowship in London, neo-Reichian bodywork (Biosynthesis) with David Boadella, and Gestalt therapy with Paul Rebillot. Richard has worked and studied with a host of other professionals seminal innovative psychotherapists and visionaries, spiritual meditation masters and teachers. Balancing his psychotherapy training has been Richard’s life and study at the Rajneesh Ashram, in Poona (India), Zen Buddhist meditation training at Throssel Hole Priory (a Zen training monastery), and a 3-year post-graduate diploma in Buddhist-oriented psychotherapy.

Richard is a prolific and passionate writer. Two of his books were self-published efforts: The Book of Being (1998) and Tao’s Gift (2005). The Flight of Consciousness was published by Ashgrove Publishing in 2002. His latest book Your Essential Self: The Inner Journey to Authenticity and Spiritual Enlightenment was published by Llewellyn Worldwide in 2013. Richard is currently working on his next manuscript, due to be published in 2014.

Richard’s lifetime of study, work, and experiences has culminated in his independent psycho-spiritual psychotherapy practice from his mountain-top spiritual center, Cortijo Llano de Manzano. The center is set in a beautiful and tranquil three acres on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Spain. From there, Richard offers individual therapy, couples counseling, spiritual training and supervision, courses and retreats.

Richard Harvey’s work bridges personal therapy and inner work with spiritual growth. He believes in the potential for every person to grow into a whole human being and the great challenge of a human life is to discover all that is within the human heart. Richard believes that personal exploration is qualitatively different from spiritual development: the former requires self-absorption, the latter requires self-surrender. In the first we discover ourselves, in the second we liberate ourselves.

The difference between personal exploration and spiritual development has confused many seekers, in Richard’s view. To his knowledge no one has clearly explained how these two processes are really one single connected process. Richard believes that we can pass from one to the other through the bridge of authenticity, a bridge that is crossed when we experience personal transformation; and in personal work we change, but authenticity is only reached through transformation. Transformation, in Richard’s 3-stage model of human awakening, is the ultimate goal of personal inner work. On the spiritual level, Richard believes, our attainment is surrendered in service to our divine nature.

From May 2013 to January 2014 I had the honor and privilege of attending two series of on-line lectures by Richard Harvey. The first series was titled The Silent Thunder Online Discourses and included the following five lectures:

The Crucible of Awakening Parts 1 and 2

Awakening the Heart Nature Parts 1 and 2

The Philozovo: Your Passionate Response to the Divine Call

The second series was The Novena Teachings and included the following nine lectures:

Surrender

Relationships

Anger

Now

Disenchantment

Love

Maturity

Devotion

Awareness

As with Richard’s previous e-book, Dharma Sky (available at www.therapyandspirituality.com/books/dharma-sky.html), Richard has compiled the manuscripts of all the lectures from the Silent Thunder Online Discourses and the Novena Teachings into this beautiful e-book, Moksha Dawn. And I was once again gifted with the honor of being asked to write the Foreword for this wonderful e-book.

Moksha Dawn was an appropriate title for this work. The word ‘moksha’ means ‘liberation’ in Sanskrit; liberation from ‘samsara’, the cycle of death and rebirth. Samsara is thought to have been incorporated, first, in the Buddhism and Jainism faith traditions, and later adopted by the Hindus. These traditions believe that samsara can be attained while one is on earth. In dualistic traditions (e.g., Dvaita), moksha is seen as a loving, eternal union with God and is considered the highest form or perfection in existence.

The compilation of lectures in Moksha Dawn presents the reader with an opportunity to explore samsara. With the Novena Teachings lectures, the reader is invited to explore the worldly emotions that tie us to this existence (e.g., anger, disenchantment, etc.) and the emotions that pave the way to our liberation—like awareness, devotion, surrender and love. The Silent Thunder manuscripts speak to the Crucible of Awakening that leads us to the Awakening the Heart Nature and The Philozovo, our experience of passionately responding to the call of the Divine.

As with previous lectures, I had the joy and wonderment of facilitating breath work and/or guided meditations at the beginning of the lectures. These introductions invited participants into silence. These few minutes together at the beginning of each lecture was a wonderful way and time for all participants to grow in community and unity consciousness throughout the lecture series.

Richard continued his approach of inviting questions and sharing by participants following the lectures. These dialogues continued to be welcomed opportunities for participants to ask for clarification of lecture content and/or share experiences and insights gleaned from the talks. As always, Richard would sometimes graciously honor that aspect of the lectures by integrating questions and answers into the manuscripts.

As always, Richard put so much love and care into preparing the individual lectures and the series as a whole. All lectures, and the entire series, were bathed in truths. For example, the 9-part lecture series The Novena Teachings was inspired by the meaning of the word ‘novena’. ‘Novena’ refers to nine days of devotional prayer to invoke spiritual grace and sacred favor. The novena implies a sense of urgency and spiritual longing. The practice originated in the Greek and Roman custom in which families performed nine days of mourning after the death of a loved one, followed by a feast.

These two sets of lectures are perhaps Richard’s most courageous lectures to date. He challenges conventional and more populous views of spirituality—sometimes to the degree of seemingly contradicting these conventional views. In challenging the status quo, Richard offers us truths to guide us toward a most precious gift—to discover our essential self.

To listen to Richard’s lectures are analogous to receiving a healing—healing on a physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual level. On another level, listening to one of Richard’s lectures is like participating in a meditation. Richard’s voice is soothing, inviting, contemplative, and sagely. You may even be moved to tears, as I was on numerous occasions.

May you bask in the grace, glory and divinity embedded in these lecture manuscripts. Herein you are offered true blessings and gifts. Unwrap them carefully, with reverence for these sacred teachings. Your true and essential self will resonate and grow in awareness of the sacred being you are. For some, these manuscripts will initiate your transformation and the beginning of a journey to rediscover who you have always been and will forever be—the light of God, the source of existence, the pure love inherent in all of creation.

Shanti, Namaste, Agapé,

In love, gratitude, compassion and forgiveness…

Rev. Robert Meagher

Founder and Spiritual Director

Spiritual Guidance

Ottawa, ON, CANADA

Introduction

Who Weeps for God?

Let us borrow from other voices in other times as a way of seeing where we are going and what we are going toward.

Ramakrishna said, Can you weep for Him with intense longing of heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for God?

Malebranche said, … men neglect [self-knowledge] completely. And even among those who busy themselves with this knowledge there are very few who dedicate themselves to it—and still fewer who successfully dedicate themselves to it.

and…

Gandhi said, God is absolute truth. I am a human; I only understand relative truth. So, my understanding of truth can change from day to day. And my commitment must be to truth rather than consistency.

When I took delivery of my second computer (the first one was given me by a friend; it only did digits and letters) it was a major logistical event. Several sizeable cardboard boxes appeared out of the back of the delivery van. Luckily I had a medium-to-large room for my study and therapy space in those days. Just the same the boxes filled a large area. On inspection, each box was full of polystyrene moulds with light grey casings at the center. Once I had unpacked the boxes and arrayed the PC, keyboard, printer, scanner, and monitor over the desk and tables, and the cables, plugs, and paraphernalia all over the floor, there was the manuals, the guarantees and brochures, and finally the instructions booklets for connecting the hardware.

I had seen this written material before. Posing like books and looking as philosophically opaque as the texts on the shelves of a university professor, they were actually quite simple, even simplistic. Even so if you didn’t read this material fully you were in dire trouble. So with pictures, diagrams, and numbered and sub-numbered points you dredged through this highly tedious material. Sometimes after several pages you caught the drift and inserted a jack plug or a din plug into some opening in the back