Through Tom I’ve found a connection with Sri Ramana Maharshi. That’s made all the difference. It feels like there’s guidance that comes from beyond my own mind. I feel that my own mind can’t be trusted, that following the deeper intuition of the heart is the only way forward. That can only be done by quietening the mind and quietening the mind can only be done by self-inquiry. This has been transformative.

Miracles happen regularly and they are not miracles, but just the way it is. God is speaking directly to me through the heart and I have a sense of what direction to go in, what direction not to go in. It’s like having an inner compass. My questions and doubts are answered internally (though ‘internal’ and ‘external’ don’t make sense). I realise I don’t have any worries.

I’m reading scripture in a way I never have before and I’m reading it because I want to, not because I ought to. There’s a pull towards it, not a push. The scripture seems to have some direct line to the teacher, the teacher within. It settles the mind. Tom taught me through silence, through words, through laughter, through transmission (for want of a better word) that I’m OK.

He taught me to have faith, to trust that intuition, to put down the load I’ve been carrying and allow Bhagavan (the Beloved) to carry it for me. It’s been a huge release. My mind whirls sometimes at the immensity of it and then there’s silence. I can sit in silence and look at a garden. That’s the best thing. It’s a gift.

Anne, Scotland