The older I get, and the more time I spend in spiritual practice, the happier I am when I find what I call the great in-between. It’s not always easy to find, but whenever I do I am richly rewarded.

It seems that the great majority of spiritual material out there is intended to introduce people to the tradition from which it emanates. There is no shortage of teachings on mindfulness, or centering prayer, or the Four Noble Truths. I often say the Fifth Noble truth is that introductory teachings can take you only so far.

There seems to be no shortage of deeply intellectual teachings, either. Academics and assorted pointy headed intellectuals produce copious amounts of sleep inducing material that, for most people, is of limited use due to its esoteric nature. It may be interesting once in a while, but it’s not the stuff on which the spiritual journey is founded.

In between those two extremes lies something of a wasteland. It’s something of a scavenger hunt, I suspect because it’s a smaller market. If you can find it, however, the rewards can be great. Where do you find nourishing teachings?