Francis Lucille is a spiritual teacher in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta. A longtime friend and disciple of Jean Klein, whom he met in 1975, Francis transmits the ancient wisdom of nonduality, the common ground of Advaita Vedanta, Cha’an Zen Buddhism, Taoism and Sufism.

His teachings reflect those of his teacher, Jean Klein. Jean himself met his guru in India in the early 1950’s and studied with him for several years. He later studied the traditions of Kashmir Shaivism with Dibianandapuri and of Hatha Yoga with the renowned Krishnamacharya. Jean Klein was an Acharya, meaning a guru who, having realized the shared truth of all spiritual paths, could teach across many traditions with equal ease. He loved the humor of the Zen patriarchs, the elegant poetry of Rumi and of the Sufi tradition, and the sweetness of Meister Eckhart’s Christian expression of the Absolute. His teachings embody his love of art and music, addressing the needs of a demanding intellect while largely focusing on the perceptual and sensory aspects of our experience.

Francis’ teachings reflect this same appreciation for humor, art, music, and poetry while integrating his own passion for the sciences, stemming from his training in Mathematics and Physics. His pedagogical approach is characterized by its distinctive intellectual rigor and an emphasis on investigation of the body and its sensations. He guides meditation and yoga inspired by the Tantric and Hatha Yoga traditions in addition to traditional Advaitic dialogues (satsang).

The term, Advaita is a Sanskrit word that literally means “not two”. This refers to the highest teaching of Advaita Vedanta: that there is only one reality. Advaita, often translated as non-duality, is not a philosophy or a religion. It is the experience of our true nature, which reveals itself as absolute happiness, love and beauty.

Advaita, in its purest form, is transmitted from generation to generation by a lineage of sages. Ramana Maharshi, Krishna Menon and Jean Klein were such sages who taught in the 20th century. Their approach was distinct in that they would point directly to the experience of a spiritual aspirant’s true nature. This teaching, Advaita Vedanta, is called the direct path.

Across traditions and methodologies, sages from various origins converge on a shared recognition of non-duality. This understanding is shared in the teaching of the founders of all the great religions and traditions of the world:

Hinduism: “That which is not (the objects as separate from the Self) never comes into being, and that which is (The Self) never ceases to be”. (BaghavadGita)

Hinduism, Kashmeeri Shaivism: “Oh Marvel! This illusion, although expressed in multiplicity, is no other than consciousness-without-a-second. Ha, all is but pure essence aware of itself.” (Abhinavagupta)

Sufism: “There is nothing but God”

Zen Buddhism: “Question: When a sound ceases, does awareness cease?Answer: Awareness never ceases” (HuiHai)

Hinduism, Kashmeeri Shaivism: “The universe awakens when You awaken and vanishes when You withdraw. Therefore the totality of existence and non-existence is one with You.” (Abhinavagupta)

Christianity: “Jesus said: “I” is the light (of awareness) that shines upon all things. “I” is the All from which everything emanates and to which everything returns.” (Thomas, 186)

Enlightenment is the sudden recognition that non-duality is, has always been, and will always be the reality of our experience. Self-realization is the subsequent stabilization in the peace, happiness and freedom of our natural state.

A living teacher is, in most cases, necessary to facilitate both enlightenment and self realization. While anyone or anything may serve as an upa guru, pointing an aspirant to the path, it is ultimately the karana guru who serves as the final teacher, guiding the disciple through the last stages of realization. A relationship of love, freedom and friendliness that leads to the stabilization in happiness and peace of our true nature.

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