Katie Davis
is an American spiritual teacher, public speaker and writer. She is author of Awake Joy: The Essence of Enlightenment
.
Katie Davis Website
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KATE DAVIS TICKETS
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Biography
Katie Davis was born in the
United States and is a graduate of the
University of Washington. She is a former secondary school teacher, businesswoman and mother of two. Davis is author of
Awake Joy: The Essence of Enlightenment
.
In 1986, Katie Davis radically and spontaneously awakened without spiritual practices or teachers. In fact, she had no intellectual reference whatsoever for what occurred, since she had never heard of awakening and enlightenment. The awakening did not arise from psychological suffering, but rather through a pure passion and freedom of the body through aerobic fitness. Davis spent the next twelve years integrating the profound realization.
In 1988, she met her husband, Sundance Burke, author of
Free Spirit
, who had similarly awakened before their meeting in 1982 with his teachers Satoshi (Osho) and Sunyata (Shunyata) who was named the Rare Born Mystic by his friend Ramana Maharshi. Since 2004, they have lived in Hawaii.
In 1998, Katie Davis became close friends with Eckhart Tolle, now author of
The Power of Now
and
A New Earth
. Since 1999, Katie has been sharing her message of conscious freedom and causeless joy. In 2004, Eckhart Tolle directly encouraged her to write her book,
Awake Joy
, and it published in 2008. She now travels worldwide for public speaking, satsang, intensives, silent retreats and private consultations.
Katie Davis is also published in numerous magazines and websites throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan and also has had appearances on Chicago's Never Not Here Television Show.
Teachings
Katie Davis offers talks with people of all faiths in public meetings, churches, organizations and universities. She points to freedom from the ego state of consciousness, its time, thought and negative emotion. In this manner, we sense a more genuine aliveness, while living in the present moment, which might lead to spiritual awakening.
Davis also offers satsang for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and Self-realization that includes meditation, talks and an opportunity to ask questions or share. The teachings are consistent with Non-duality, Advaita and Self-inquiry.
The first step to awakening from the ego state of consciousness is a shift from time to timeless presence. She recommends conscious breathing and becoming aware of the body's sensing. This draws attention away from the world of form, or what she calls object consciousness, back to the "I" thought that is the "I am the body" idea.
The ego "I" functions as a veil that ties a knot between the pure consciousness that we genuinely are and the body. In this identification with the false "I," we are unable to become conscious of the sacred dimension of formlessness that lies within.
Self-observation is an important key to her teachings. Through silent and still watching, we recognize all that we are not. Once all of the false ideas of the mind are surrendered, what remains is who we are. It will be realized that Pure "I" alone shines.
Once we are able to rest solely as "I am," she recommends Self-inquiry by asking the most essential question, "Who am I?" The ego "I" is an altered state of consciousness, but has within it the fundamental pure consciousness. This question unties the knot and removes the illusory veil so that we may realize that we are already pure Awareness being-consciousness-bliss. This Self-realization is the end of all psychological suffering.
Katie Davis then points to full embodiment of the Totality in the recognition that the appearance of the universe is none other than the magnificent power of Pure "I." Awake-living can be functional in the world of form.
Influences
As friend and mentor, Eckhart Tolle has influenced Katie Davis in her teaching and writing for the clear and pragmatic manner in which he presents the teachings of Advaita and Non-duality to the western mind. Although not aligned with any tradition, Katie has also been influenced by the teaching methodology of Advaita, Non-duality and the Self-inquiry teachings of Shankaracharya (Adi Shankara) and Ramana Maharshi.
Works
- Awake Joy: The Essence of Enlightenment
ISBN 9780980091229 (2008)
- Heart of Life: The Katie Collection
E-book (2008)
- An Introduction to a Weekend of Enlightenment
Video (2008)
- Diamond of Joy
Video (2008)
- Essential Question
Video (2008)
- Postponement
Video (2008)
- A Certain Hesitation
Video (2008)
- Enlightenment Video
(2008)
- Enlightenment Vancouver BC Radio
Podcast (2008)
- Sundance and Katie Maui Radio
Podcast (2008)
- Love of Being Video
(2008)
- No Dilemma Video
(2008)
- Never Not Here Show 26
Video (2008)
- Never Not Here Show 27
Video (2008)
- Never Not Here Show 28
Video (2008)
- Never Not Here Show Awakening Group
Video (2008)
Quotes
- "Awakening is waking up from the daytime dream and realizing that who you thought you were is not limited to thought, emotion or form. Beyond the imaginary seeker, beyond concepts and beliefs, there is a field of innocence and purity. We are this deep peace and sacredness, which is absolute and beyond all intellectual understanding. I invite you to recognize this Essence of Being and to directly realize the illusion of all psychological suffering due to misidentification, misperception of separation and attachment to conditioned thought."
- "As conditioned human beings, we seek adventure in becoming. Yet, because this compulsive search is ultimately unsatisfying, we then seek refuge in the peace of being. Once we realize both the complexity of becoming and the simplicity of being, Awake Joy
emerges. Its Essence is the rapture of true fulfillment. It is a mystery that the human being fears the Unknown, when unconditional love birthed us into existence."
References