Francis Lucille
The goal and the meaning of life – and by life here I mean this experience between the birth of the body and the death of the body – is twofold. Firstly, to discover who we are, and secondly, to celebrate this discovery for as long as this body is alive. It is not about living the rest of our life in a grave.
– Francis Lucille
Full Interview with Francis Lucille by John David
I had known about Francis for many years when I noticed he was giving a retreat in a monastery in Paris. I called the monastery and Francis came on the line. Without any hesitation he agreed to an interview on the rest day of his retreat a few days later. We arrived in heavy snow and enjoyed a lively day with him and his lovely wife Laura, ending at a typical French bistro.
– John David
Questions and Answers
You have given us a profound discourse on awakening. When you meet a passion for awakening, what would your short advice be?
Seekers often have curious ideas about the enlightened state. Please describe your typical day and how you perceive the world.
Sri Ramana’s devotees had tremendous devotion to him, and he to Arunachala. Please say something about bhakti, devotion, in the pursuit of awakening.
It appears essential to meet a guru and stay with that guru. Who is the guru? What is the guru’s role? How to recognise a true guru?
What about Destiny? Do you expect things to simply happen or are you expressing your free will and choosing?
What about vasanas, the tendencies of the mind? Must these be removed before Self-realisation can become permanent? Is it enough to achieve a sattvic (calm and peaceful) state of mind and to know one’s vasanas so that they no longer bind? How to remove the vasanas?
It has been suggested that the mind must be destroyed for liberation to occur, Do you have a mind? Sri Ramana used the term manonasha to describe the state of liberation, meaning destroyed mind. How to destroy the mind?
When Sri Ramana was asked, ‘When will the realisation of the Self be gained?’ he replied, ‘When the world which is what-is-seen has been removed, there will be realisation of the Self which is the seer.” What is the true understanding of the world? How to remove the world?
Sri Ramana said that Self-enquiry is the most direct route to realising the Self. What do you say about Self-enquiry? How to conduct Self-enquiry?
Are there any qualifications for enlightenment? Is sadhana (spiritual practice) necessary? If yes, what form do you advise?
Many Western seekers come to India looking for enlightenment as if it is an experience, What is enlightenment?
Sri Ramana proposed the fundamental question, ‘Who am I?’- Who are you?
Francis Lucille's teachings
Francis Lucille is a respected teacher in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta, which emphasizes non-duality, the philosophical and spiritual understanding that there is no fundamental distinction between the self and the universe. His teachings draw heavily from those of his mentor, Jean Klein, focusing on the exploration of consciousness and the rejection of the illusion of a separate self.
Lucille’s approach involves deep inquiry into the nature of awareness and existence, encouraging a direct personal experience of the truth of non-duality. This is often practiced through meditation and introspection, aiming to quiet the mind and reveal the true self beyond the physical and mental identities.
He also integrates teachings from other traditions such as Ch’an Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, and Sufism, highlighting the universal nature of these insights into the fundamental unity of existence.
Moreover, Lucille speaks about the nature of love, describing it as an inherent aspect of true self-awareness, accessible to anyone who realizes their real nature beyond superficial identities.
appears in
Blueprints for Awakening – European Masters
European Spiritual Masters
John David has been interviewing fourteen European Spiritual Masters. The result is a compendium of astonishing wisdom about the biggest secret of all times: the Nature of our True Self and how to realise it.
This book answers all questions of the spiritual search and is for everyone who has an inner passion to find out who they are.
Other Ramana Maharshi Books
NEW: Aham Sphurana – A Glimpse of Self Realisation
Fascinating dialogues and stories of Sri Ramana Maharshi recorded by Sri Gajapathi Aiyyer in the summer 1936, at Ramana Ashram.
This book contains a selection from the complete manuscript Aham Sphurana. This selection, a brilliant treasure, speaks for itself. Beside the detailed teachings on Self-Enquiry, Surrender and Jnana, it exposes a new glimpse of Bhagavan’s personal day-to-day life at fifty-six, in his middle age.
The Book is available in English and German, as Ebook and Paperback.
Biography
Francis Lucille, born in 1944, is a French-born spiritual teacher known for his profound teachings in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta. After completing his scientific studies in Mathematics and Physics at the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris in 1964, and furthering his education at ENSAE, now ISAE-SUPAERO, Lucille’s intellectual journey took a spiritual turn. In 1973, he discovered the works of Jiddu Krishnamurti and traditional texts of Indian philosophy, primarily those of Vedanta and Zen Buddhism.
In 1975, Lucille’s spiritual path deepened significantly when he met Jean Klein, a guru who had been exposed to a myriad of spiritual traditions in India. Klein became Lucille’s spiritual master and friend until Klein’s death in 1998. Jean Klein’s teachings, rich with influences from Kashmir Shaivism, Hatha Yoga, and the poetic and artistic expressions of Rumi and Meister Eckhart, profoundly shaped Lucille’s approach to spirituality.
Lucille’s own teachings reflect a blend of his scientific background and his deep engagement with nondualism, incorporating humor, art, music, and poetry. His pedagogical approach emphasizes intellectual rigor and an experiential exploration of the body and its sensations through meditation and yoga, inspired by both Tantric and Hatha Yoga traditions.
Since 1981, Lucille has been conducting satsangs and spiritual retreats first in France and then internationally. He currently resides in Temecula, California, where he continues to teach through retreats, webcasts, and dialogues, and has been a featured speaker at several SAND conferences. His influence continues to grow, touching the lives of many around the globe, including noted students like Rupert Spira.
There are two kinds of glimpses. There are incomplete glimpses that are preparatory glimpses. Such a glimpse is a moment of understanding or an experiential moment. But there is a fundamental glimpse in which the residual individual entity merges with the Source, and the Source sees itself in its majesty, its infinity, its eternity, its splendor.
– Francis Lucille
