Walking the Forest Path: Volume 2 is a collection of transmissions from the ceremonial space, delving deeper into the wisdom of the Forest Path that is introduced in Volume 1. This volume focuses on themes that arose organically from Jaya's teachings: light and shadow; love and compassion; no separation; truth and illusion; silence, spaciousness, and stillness; the mind; infinity; leaving the known; integration; and live Q&A. These writings are born of profound presence when Jaya is in a room full of people, the words themselves arriving spontaneously when moved. Jaya's practice is to meet people exactly where they are, speaking to the collective in a way that somehow feels intimate and personally addressed. As a reader rather than a listener, you are invited to attune not only to the words themselves, but to the presence behind them, and to discover that same place of presence within yourself.
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We all found ourselves here. I hope that's a good thing. I trust that it's good for you. That it lifts you up to continue finding that place inside of yourself, even despite the difficulties. Finding the good direction to go in means that no matter how many times you spin around, no matter how many times you fall down, you remember so clearly-more clearly than anything inside of yourself-which way is the right way.
And sometimes you get confused. Sometimes you doubt. If you come back to that place, if you come from that place, in that place, and go towards that place, there is no doubt, because in this world it is easy to get sidetracked. There are many, many paths, but the only path, the real path, the spiritual path, is the one in which you turn inwards and find your source. That's it.
Brind'amour, Samantha: - Samantha Brind'Amour holds a PhD in English and has worked as a college professor and editor. She aligned her professional background with her spiritual path by stewarding the teachings, transmissions, and written works of Jaya and the Forest Path. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and is based in Santa Barbara, California.
Jayaji: - James Roland Hillcoat, commonly known by the pseudonym Jaya (meaning universal glory), is an author, contemplative and lifelong spiritual teacher. His work weaves together unique interpretations of awakening and realisation drawn from many of the world's wisdom traditions, illuminated through his own experience, and has been described as a voice of truth needed in our modern world. His teaching is non-dogmatic, universally inclusive, and not bound to any single tradition. He is cut from the cloth of the bards and the mystics, the peacekeepers, the keepers of faith, and the wisdom protectors. Originally from Australia, Jaya's life has been shaped by deep questions of awakening and enlightenment since childhood, spurred by his mother's premonition that he would one day become a spiritual teacher. A prolific writer and musician, Jaya has completed his seventh poetry collection and has compiled several extensive songbooks for The Forest Path, alongside his personal collection of songs and prayers, which now number in the hundreds. His work continues to inspire and shape the community around him. Through deep listening, presence, and meditation, Jaya guides individuals toward awakening to their true nature. His universal and integrative approach to plant medicines, meditation, sound philosophy, and counselling has profoundly impacted those who study with him, fostering a path of direct experience and transformation. He currently serves as the spiritual director of The Forest Path, Casa Floresta Temple and Retreat Center, Floresta Atitlán, and the Sound Ceremony Academy in Guatemala, where he has resided for the past twelve years, sharing his teachings both locally and internationally.
