Hello, My name is Gary Heller and I live in Woodstock, NY. Welcome to my website. I hope you are enjoying the beautiful photos. They are reflect humanity's technological ingenuity and the artistic inspiration of particular individuals. I want to tell you the purpose of this website which is the same as my purpose.
First let me say something about spirituality. Genuine interest in spirituality appears in a minority of people. What am I talking about? I'm talking about people who persistently ask questions such as, “Who am I?” “What am I?” “How did I get here?” “What's actually going on?” Spirituality is where people might go when they want to find out what's beneath the surface; for people who sense that the ordinary world is indeed a surface and intuit that there is a beneath and want to know that; who can't feel satisfied until they know something of that. Of these folks the conviction, dedication, and grace required for spiritual practice to bear fruit occurs in an even smaller number. And yet, all are invited. The beauty and miracle is that when practice bears fruit the fruit is you; you are it; you are that.
A genuine spiritual teacher is not one who merely gives instructions. He or she is one who embodies the teaching on offer; who is the fruit of practice; whose own self-knowing/being resonates within the student such that the student may become awake to what is hidden within. That awakening might be but a fleeting glimpse, but for those who “get it” it could be the life changing moment they have sought and longed for.
Now, something about me. For the past 30+ years I have the greatest good fortune to be a student in the Ridhwan School practicing a spiritual path called The Diamond Approach. The Diamond Approach is an exceedingly rare and remarkable phenomenon, a new and contemporary path, a genuine path to knowing, knowing oneself, knowing the world, knowing the fullness of reality. It is path of knowing by being, being ones true and fundamental self and knowing that one is that. It is a spiritual path of exquisite intelligence and generosity expressing the exquisite and unsurpassed intelligence and generosity of our own potential; our and the world's true and fundamental nature. My teachers have been embodiments of that intelligence; that free and heartful generosity.
Now, being moved by the path through its Guidance and with the knowledge of my teachers I am moving to teach this work (The Work) as I know it and understand it. The best way to describe this move is to say it will be an offshoot of the Diamond Approach. It will be a sincere and honest effort. The Diamond Approach is taught under the auspices of The Ridwhan School. As I said above, I am a longtime student of the Ridhwan School, but I am not an official Ridhwan teacher. The school exists, in large part to protect the integrity of The Work and to make The Work available to new students by, in large part, training teachers who can teach and support new students. I support this without reservation. But that is not the only way for The Work to enter the world. The Work has its own will and its own dynamism. What this means is that, as I understand and embody, I will teach the practices, the orientation, the philosophy, and the initial realizations of the Diamond Approach. I will present this with the intention to honor what I have been given by the Work; to preserve The integrity of the it; to be its servant.
On the resources page I list three the books written by the founder of The Diamond Approach, A.H. Almaas, the pen name of Hameed Ali. Listed is an audio interview giving an detailed overview of the Diamond Approach available from SoundsTrue.com. Also you will find links to two videos of him speaking. Hameed has authored 20+ books and there are numerous videos of him publicly available through the Diamond Approach Online website. Visiting that website should be worth your while. The ones I have listed are directly relevant here.
On the contact page is a email link. By writing and requesting further information I will answer your questions and provide details of when and where meetings will begin and how I plan for us to proceed. Meetings will be in Woodstock or Saugerties, NY. No online teaching. You are warmly invited to make contact.
With love and respect,
Gary