CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEWS
“For anyone who has ever thumbed the smooth knobs on a string of meditation beads. For anyone who has tried to meditate and sat both painfully aware of time, and yet found seconds strangely spacious. For anyone who has ever sat in a mindfulness class and pondered the perplexing instruction to ‘hear the sound of the room without trying to listen.’ Bien speaks volumes.
Bien doesn’t turn away from suffering—his own, or that of the world. Rather, facing the cries of the mind, and the cries from the shanty town, staring down mortality, grounds us to what is essential.
In the tradition of medieval South Asian poet, Kabir, Bien blends imagery across multiple spiritual traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, celebrating them although wry of dogma, while hunkering down always to the simplest kernel of truth within and perhaps beyond them all. He describes the union of the mystic by borrowing images from scripture, and insinuates a yogic union in which the singer becomes the song and the seeker merges with the sought.”
Jessica Torrens, Prism International
“…a human rights defender who is a legend”
GQ
““A spiritual heart-warming voice. His words, music, and teachings unearth the source we seek. An awakened consciousness has arisen in the West.”
Yogrishi Vishvketu, Yoga Master, Rishikesh, India
“He is not the one who opens the door, he is the door opened.”
Alexander Petrogiani, Life Cosmic
“His voice calls the soul to join the silence and keep it there, in abandon. His words bring warm shivers to a mind suddenly startled in the headlights of God. He writes like a fool of words, playing in inextricable ways with the possibilities of the Other sense, the full one, the secret one…in that unknown place, where you, disguised as a human, use a body of flesh and fire.”
Michele Cassou, Painter and Spiritual Teacher, San Francisco (“…offering the heart a beautiful garden for its dance.” – Jack Kornfield)
“Jeff is in touch with the source…we work for that all of our life and most of the time not even get a momentary glimpse of it. He is somewhere we are all destined to reach… In my humble opinion his words neither come from his mind nor his heart — mind forgets, heart stops — his words come from his soul; universal, timeless and eternal.”
Mercan Dede, Composer and Spiritual Practitioner, Istanbul
“Jeff Bien is an exemplar of compassion and courage who demonstrates daily that regardless of what circumstances we find ourselves in we can always do more for those in need. (He is living proof that overwhelming odds can be toppled in the fight for justice and human dignity. It is no wonder that the first press conference of the Interfaith Coalition to Fight Homelessness, at Toronto’s City Hall was organized from his home, and teaching sanctuary, as were subsequent advocacy actions that helped to alleviate the plight of those who were suffering. Jeff Bien has been my greatest teacher.”
Rafi Aaron, founder and spokesperson, Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless, Toronto
“He has a formidable knowledge of medicine and is fierce in his pursuit of the tyranny of hegemony and injustice. Widely known as a teacher of consciousness, he has journeyed, often at the cost of his own life, with hundreds, if not thousands of those suffering in the spiritual crisis of this age. He is the lineage of love and awakedness, and the infinite inventory he teaches.”
Robertson, CPASS, Patient Advocate, Ministry of Health, Ontario
• “Of great merit” Charles Bliss, Bliss Symbols, Australia • “Very fine and spiritually guided.” David Broza, Songwriter and Activist, Israel • “An inspiration…the strongest human being I have ever met.” Jamisse Jamo, Mozambique (founder Africa Night), TO • “One can catch overtones of the Hebrew prophets… [his] poetry crackles with prophetic energy.” Canadian Literature • “Poetry of pure sentience and godlike laughter. The mysticism of the source is here.” A. F. Moritz, Poet and Scholar • “The exquisite text springs from a master’s heart… a truly profound collection of spiritual elation.” Erich Kory, Cellist (Leonard Bernstein, Andre Previn) • “He is a mystic poet, but will be remembered as a prophet.” Dan Clost, Columnist and Author • “A master of the way… his gift lights up the entire world.” Simon Greene (poet, translator of Céline and Claude Simon), Brittany • “It is worthy of a biblical prophet at his angriest.” Juan O’Neil (poet and translator) • “He will be recognized some day for the great spiritual figure he is. He has much to teach others who have travelled along similar paths, but not with the depth and courage that he exemplifies, not only the freedom to be, but the freedom to suffer.” Chris Marks, former lecturer, York University • “How blessed and grateful I am to be gifted with the words and meditations of this angel among us. I thank him for continuing to keep hearts and eyes open and honest.” Susan M. Fraser, In The Spirit Yoga Studio, Toronto • “It takes us right to the heart of spirituality.” Julie Miller CJMQ radio Sherbrooke, Quebec • “In one way or another his love has touched us all.” – Rick Lazar • “Charged with the prophetic…with something of revelation.” Chapters Book News Publication • “His spiritual teachings bring to yoga, what is missing in the West.” Moksha Yoga, St. Clair West, Toronto