About Jake
(Of course our True Self/Atman/Indwelling Christ is infinite and beyond all names and forms.)
“Mysticism is an essential part of all religion which is fully and deeply alive; it is the light which the mystics cast on the normal spiritual life, their disclosure of the landscape in which we really live, not their occasional excursions into an abnormal spiritual life, which gives them their great importance. ”
Beginning at the age of twenty, Jake’s life was transformed by a series of mystical experiences through the grace of the Eternal One. These profound and humbling events of Unified Consciousness rooted him in the Loving Spirit of Oneness and led him to an experiential and scholarly inquiry into the mystical and contemplative dimensions of various religions and spiritual systems: a calling that has taken Jake to 34 countries and 48 states over the past thirty years.
His formal studies include a B.A. in Journalism, a M.A. in Writing and Consciousness Studies, and Post-Graduate work in Pastoral Psychology/Pastoral Care for Marginalized People. However, Jake’s most evolutionary education came during his twelve-year nomadic journey while in his twenties and thirties. During this time he lived, worked, and served all over the world, including contemplative periods at Christian and Buddhist monasteries. During his travels Jake also intuitively met and connected with Vedanta and Sufi teachers. His karma yoga on his travels included engagements as a contemplative retreat leader, writer-in-residence, organic gardener, and holistic chef for many spiritual and multi-faith centers.
Jake’s path of Nomadic Devotion has also brought him into intimate contact with countless homeless and marginalized peoples in various locations. These fringe experiences and moments of mercy in the margins further opened his heart to realize that there are no others——just sons and daughters of the Eternal One——some of whom have no food or shelter. Consequently, he has offered meals, companionship, and spiritual care for destitute and homeless folks on the streets for over thirty years. This has helped Jake to see and form relationships with many people who are usually unseen by mainstream society. Many of Jake’s published poems, stories, essays, and books relate these formative interactions through literary means.
There is no one school or spiritual system or religion that could have provided Jake with the transformational milieu which he has encountered during his decades of Nomadic Devotion. He is truly thankful for the unique path that the Eternal One has ushered him onto and the authentic service opportunities that it offers. Jake tries to live the teaching of Chapter 18 Verse 9 of the Bhagavad Gita, which states: “That person who does holy work because it should be done, and surrenders all selfishness and thought of reward, their work is pure, and is peace.”
Click the cover below to order a free print version of The Loving Spirit of Charity.
THE LOVING SPIRIT OF CHARITY
Spiritual Teachings and Maxims that Promote Sacred Service for the Poor
(Selections from the Christian Tradition and the Bhagavad Gita)
by Jake The Wayfarer
The teachings/maxims within this booklet promote sacred service for the poor as well as self-emptying. In Christian parlance, this is the synthesis of good works and kenosis; in the lingo of the Bhagavad Gita, it is the blessed blend of karma yoga and bhakti yoga. These spiritual messages challenge us to be more selfless by masterfully calling out the ego’s rule over our lives.
*Published by ISPCK (Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge) in Delhi, India.