Beyond Brokenness    

In   Beyond  Brokenness   Rashani   Réa   shares  the
“birth story” of  her poem, “The Unbroken” with an
unwavering   inner  eye,  ever   turning  towards  the
silence  she  so  relishes,   trusts  and  values.  In  the
writing  of  this poem’s birth has come the tracing of
the   poet’s   pathless   journey  through  the  winter
shadows  of  grief. “The Unbroken” pierced through
the dark night  in one woman’s  life and  carried  her
lovingly  through  the  unknown,  into  the wholeness
that   had   been   within   her   all  along.  Rashani’s
unembellished honesty and self-awareness offer us a
glimpse  of  the   possibility to navigate  through  our
own inevitable endarkenments and  disillusionments.
Beyond Brokenness shows us that such a possibility
exists.  Rashani  has  gifted us once  again   with  the
comforting truth that our essential nature, no matter
how broken we may feel, is whole and  unbreakable.

This   book   is   a   chronicle   and   testimony  for  our
capacity   to   enter   into   the   pain   of   being human,
without   resistance,  and  emerge, again and again, into
a   state  of   nondual    awareness.  The   extremes   of
heartbreak     and      profound     spiritual    awakening
couldn’t  be  rendered  more  starkly,  yet  they  are  so
close.  Though  the  path  of  being  broken  wide open
begins  in our  pain  and  anguish,  like  all  true paths, it
leads  to  the  state  of  embodied  transcendence. That
the   heart   can   turn   so   quickly?  This   is  the   real
miracle. Rashani’s  poem  is  a wonder. In the space of
just a few  words, she takes  our  soul in her hands and
shows  how  we  can  move  from the depths of despair
to a place of immutable wholeness.

                     –Peter Fenner, author of Radiant Mind


In  clarity,  precision,  honesty, and  strength, which are
rooted  in  the  infinite,  Rashani  illustrates  the  twilight
zone  of  the  experience  of  knowing  our  true  nature.
In    a    milieu    where    even    spiritual    writers   are
influenced   by   the Hollywood  happy ending—in their
domain,  it’s  called   enlightenment—Rashani  presents
a   clear,  gemmed,   and   fiercely   independent   voice.
Rashani   writes  about  the  whole spectrum  of  states
that    make   up    the   human   experience.  She   also
embraces   our   experience   of   fragile  moments  and
courageously reaches into  the  deepest  pain  ingrained
in them;  she  transforms  dualism,  both the beauty and
the ugly, into oneness of being.

This  is  a  book  from  the  deep  that finds light not by
seeking  light,  but  by  letting  go  into  darkness. It is a
book   of  miracles—not   the  usual  kind  of   miracles
like  walking  on   water—but   the   miracle  of  finding
beauty  and  love  and  transcendence in the  very heart
of  life  with  all  its  brokenness  and  loss. It’s  a poem,
really,  or  a  song  or  a  sutra. I  love the way  Rashani
weaves  together  the  beautiful and the ugly  so that we
can   see   how   inseparable   they   are   and  how  she
conveys   so  much    so   sparingly.  This   book   is   a
beautiful, powerful, gorgeous song of life and death.

    –JoanTollifson,  author of Bare-Bones Meditation

Medicine comes  in  as many  forms  as  our  prodigious
planet  offers,  but  why  do  we  feel  surprised when its
form  is  suffering?  This is  the  old,  moonlit  path  itself. 
Awakening    cannot    be    separate    from    suffering;
resurrection cannot  be other  than  the  full  embrace of
loss.  Beyond  Brokenness  is  the  potent  medicine  of
grief turned to  praise. It sanctions  us  all  to  dare to be
fully  human  and  to   take  up   the  song!  That’s  what
we’re here for.

                                             –Susan Murphy, roshi.
                                      Author of Upside Down Zen

As  the heart  awakens  and  the  palette of  experience
expands,  we  can   find   ourselves  pioneers  of  subtle
inner   landscapes.  At   times  the  unfolding  vistas are
beautiful   and    awe    inspiring,   at   others  unsettling,
painful,     and     even     scary.    Rashani     Réa    has
courageously  journeyed  forth  into  the  terrain  of  the
soul  and  returned  with  a  bejeweled heart of wisdom.
This  eloquent  and  deeply  personal account of her life
and   the  genesis  of   “The  Unbroken”   is  a  gift  and
resource   to   all   aspirants   of    Truth.   For   anyone
passing   through  a   threshold  of  uncertainty  or  pain,
Beyond  Brokenness  helps   provide   the  insight  and  
support   needed to  allow   life to unfold and reveal our
soul’s next vista.

                                                              –Taj Inayat

Rashani’s  inspired  poem has  such  an impact because
it  points  to  depths  that  we  need  to find and connect
with.   The    letters    interweave   beautifully   with  her
poem  and  story,  helping  us  become  aware  that  we
are   not   alone   either   in   our  suffering    or   in   our
healing,  and  that  our  shared  journey toward oneness 
furthers   a   greater   transformation   that  we  all  need
here on earth.

My Bird Has Come Home    
(The Birthing of an Artist)     

My  Bird  Has  Come  Home  is  Rashani Réa’s  first 
delightful  book,  created  when  she was eight, nine
and ten years old. We already see her intuitive sense
of  shibui  that elusive quality, which gives  as much 
emphasis  to  emptiness  and  space  as  to form and 
content. This budding sense of shibui became deeply 
embedded  in  her art  collages circulating the world
as greeting cards, her retreat sanctuaries and in her
life.  The  young  Rashani  invites  us into the simple,
direct  awareness  from  which the greatest gifts are 
found.   Truly   beautiful   in  their  simplicity,  these
offerings   from   Rashani’s    formative   years   are
magical  gateways  through  a  child’s  eyes into the 
sacredness of life and its infinite beauty. This tender 
book can bring delight to all ages encouraging us to 
reconnect  with  our  beloved  earth  and look again
with innocent hearts at  the  miracles  hidden  under 
leaves and in a bird taking flight.

My  Bird  Has  Come  Home   inspires   me   to  take 
paintbrushes  and  paint  into  nature  with  my  children
and   see   with    renewed   eyes   the   many   miracles
waiting   to   be   found.  Rashani’s   early   poems  and
sumi-e  brush  paintings  give  me  a  glimpse  of what is
possible  when  children  are  given  freedom  to  live  in
their true nature of wonder and reverence.

I  remember   growing   up  with  my  childhood  friend,
Rashani,  exploring   and   discovering  nature  together.
She   also  was   encouraged  to  seriously  explore  her
creative   gifts    for   poetry   and   art.   As   a   school
administrator  for   seventeen   years    in    public   and 
independent  schools,  I   wish  every  child  were given
the  time  and  encouragement  to observe and interpret
his  or  her  world  the  same  way.  Rashani’s  book of 
illustrated   poems  can  inspire  children,  teachers  and
schools   to   establish   the   environment    for   artistic
discovery and expression.

           –Wendy Feltham, elementary school principal

Earth,  sky,  sun,  water,  waving  fields  of  oat  grass,
rich  smells  of   sun-warmed   plants,  gurgling   rocky
creeks,  snakes, hawks,  dogs,  cats, horses, raccoons,
squirrels,  song   birds,  quail,  geese…  and   the  wild
freedom  to  explore.  In  reading  Rashani’s poems,  I
have  a    visceral  remembering  of  the  magical  place
where  she  and  I grew  up. I am pleased  that she can
share  through  her innocent words  this simple, sacred 
connectedness  with  nature.  May   her poems and art
inspire  others to  discover  their  own  wilderness  and 
creativity.

  –Elizabeth Tanner Roberts, counselor/artist/friend

May  every  library  of  every English speaking school
obtain  a  copy   of  this   sweet  and  inspiring  book!
Children  need  to  be  reminded  to  see the beauty in
nature  and  to  deepen their relationship with ordinary 
miracles.

                    –Mabel Wilson, public school librarian

The Unfurling of an Artist      
(Early Collages and Calligraphy of Rashani Réa)      

This   enchanting  book  is  a  unique  exploration  by 
seventeen-year-old     artist,     Rashani     Réa.     Her
impassioned   curiosity   about   the  creative  process
led  her  to gather quotations from several artists and 
writers  for  a  high  school  project  in  1970.  In this 
engaging  and  delightful  collection  of hand-lettered 
quotations  and  colorful  collages  we  get  a glimpse
into  the  heart  and  mind  of a budding, young artist. 
Through  her  inquiry  into  creativity, she discovered
her  ever-deepening love of art and its power to heal. 
During   a   time  of   personal   loss,  Rashani   found
meaning   by   creating   beauty.  The  Unfurling  of  an
Artist  is  a   gift  for anyone interested in the creative 
process  or  drawn to the healing potential of art. The 
synergy  of  imagery  with  the  written word in these
pages blossomed  decades  later into an exquisite and 
inspirational    collage    and   calligraphy   collection
known and loved throughout the world.

This   wonderful   book   rings   with   great  truth;  by
exposing  children  to  art  at  a  young  age,  nurturing
their  creative   curiosity  and   interests  makes  for  a
more  well-rounded  and compassionate human being.
How  lucky   Rashani   was  to  have  the  gift  of  this
creative    upbringing.    It     has    served    her   well
throughout,    bringing   success   into   the  wonderful
artistic life she has created for all to enjoy.

                                     –Ira Ono, Artist

Be  it   the   result  of  nature  or  nurture,  here  is  an
example  of  the  creativity that dwells within and was
given  a voice at  a  young age. The  beautiful collages
and  quotations are a reflection of Rashani’s  soul and
her future.  As  she  was driven to create this book at
age seventeen,  she has grounded these ideals to now
share  at   every  level,   practical   love  and  tools  to
advance  conscious awareness  and deepen  personal 
responsibility.  She  has   cultivated   her  art/message
into  a  living   voyage  that   takes  us  deep  into  our
creative  DNA.  Rashani’s  book  is  an  inspiration to
own,  nurture   and   expand   our  own  creativity  no
matter how young or old we are now.

                               –Claudia Suen, Suen Graphics

Is The Bowl Empty       
or Is It Filled with Moonlight?     
(Turning Words and Bodhi Leaves)      

For  two  decades, Rashani’s many cards have found 
their  way  from  hand  to heart, gifting thousands of 
people   with   multi-cultural   wisdom   gleaned  and 
embodied   in    her   beautiful   collaging.  Rashani’s 
immersion  in   nondual   traditions,   her  love of the
Bodhi  leaf, and encounters with contemporary poets
and teachers inspired these collages during a time of
fertile  disillusionment. With vulnerability, she shares 
with  us  in  her introduction  a  series  of  ‘moments’ 
captured   in   dreams,  journal  entries,  and  poems, 
allowing   us   to    see  the  context  from which  this
particular  series  was   birthed. This  passionate  art,
like    the   turning   words   in   Zen   Buddhism,  can
naturally    guide   us    home    to   our   true  nature.
Rashani’s  creations  draw us beyond our conceptual 
minds into the emptiness from which they arose. The 
interweaving  of   language  and image   turn  like  a
spiral  helix  through   which  we  glimpse wholeness,
the  ungraspable essence of life. We sense its fullness 
only  in  the  movement  of  the  invisible  that moves 
through  these  pages,   unseen,   yet   so  profoundly 
interconnected  with all  that  is seen. These collages
offer   us   an  opportunity  to  be  taken  beyond  the
realm  of concepts and quietly  invite us to encounter 
directly  ‘that   which   remains  when   all  else  falls
away.’  May   you   find  a  sense of   equanimity and 
unconditioned presence as you turn these pages.

This   raw  and   potent   material   from   Rashani’s  life,
gathered  by  the  wisdom  eye  of a  seed gatherer who
knows   which  seeds  to  select  and string together into
a  stunning   work  of  art,  land  in  my  heart,  past  my
rational  mind   and   embed  themselves   in   the   deep
quiet within.

                                                              –Najat Khan

In  Rashani’s   inspired   compilation   of    word  and
image, the Bodhi  leaf  is  the  thread  that   ties  these
pearls  of  wisdom  together  in   a japa  mala for self-
inquiry.   Her   creative   marriage   of    symbol   and
statements    of    Truth    also    evokes     from    the
unconscious  any   darkness  that   wants   to  receive
the light.  As Carl Jung said  “One  does  not become 
enlightened  by    imagining   figures   of  light   but  by
making   the  darkness conscious.”  Words  ultimately
always   fail  to  describe   the   indescribable  and  so
eventually    the    leaf    stands    on   its   own   as   a
conditioned stimulus evoking Nondual reality.

        –Sheila Krystal, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

In   these   beautiful,  wisdom-drenched   pages,   the 
intertwining    of     image    with    word    evokes   a
contemplative  mood  joining serenity  to  wakefulness.
Read  these  leaves  of  Bodhi, let them fall  and flutter
where   they   may,  inviting    you    and   me   into  a
marvelous,  unconditioned  presence  where  the strife 
between trouble  and  ease  dissolves  in  a  swish  of
inspired thoughts and enraptured non-thought.

                                              –Ken Bradford, PhD.,
        Licensed Existential-Contemplative Psychologist

Rashani  has  created  in  her  exquisite collages a way
for  each  of  us  to   share  in  the  spreading  of  these
seeds  of   awakening   with   friends  and relations  all
over   the   globe.   This unique   book    conveys   the 
heart-opening  wisdom  that the Bodhi leaf carries and 
interweaves   inspiring  quotations  from  11th  century 
Milarepa  to contemporary poets and teachers. These 
pages  invite  the  viewer  into  a  direct  experience of
the brilliant radiance of truth.

                 –Sahra Aschenbach, Pathwork Teacher

Welcome to the Feast      
(In Celebration of Wholeness)    

Since  1988,  Rashani has combined her artwork with 
inspired  quotations  from   many   different  teachers, 
mystics,  poets  and  friends.  This inspired  collection
of Rashani’s collages is gifted to us in celebration of
the   twentieth   anniversary    of    her   cards’   quiet
alchemy  in  the   world.  They   are  like  portals  into
stillness  and  swords  that  cut  away illusion, guiding
us  back  to  the   unknowable   source.   Her   silence
ripples  through  each  collage, bringing  us  closer to
our   essential   self.   Her   poem,  “Welcome   to   the
Feast”  draws   us   into   shedding    all   notions   of
anything   being   other   than   that   what   it   is.  We
are invited   to   live   in   our   own   skin   fully   and
encouraged  to  drink  the  cup  of  our   life   without
trying   to   ‘fix,’   ‘therapize,’   ‘rationalize’   or   use
spiritual  cosmetics to  hide  the disavowed aspects of
our wholeness.

“Come to the feast, oh come and start        
to know the truth you kept apart,        
come and find the unbreakable Heart        
of wholeness…       

  It’s a caravan of no despair.          
It doesn’t matter what you wear.           
You’ll see that love is everywhere around you!”         

-Rashani        

Rashani’s   art,   writing,  and  propagation  of  others’
wisdom  churns and excites our own creative process, 
supporting  the  world   we   are   currently   weaving
where  our  creativity  unifies  our  hearts  in authentic 
feeling.

   –Aureya Magdalen, MetaSkills teacher and writer

This    gorgeous    book    offers    us   a    marvelous
opportunity   to  see  the   evolving  of  a  gifted  artist,
over  a  span  of  twenty  years. And  to witness how
Rashani  Réa  transforms  not  only her own suffering,
but also that of others, into gold.

     –Michael McKenzie, Dharma teacher and artist