Dr. Don Giles Bio | Aumetaphysics

Dr. Don Giles' individual spiritual path began at the age of 14 when he began an intense seven year apprenticeship with a Native American Indian Shaman named Bill. Over time, Don studied a large variety of meditation techniques with various teachers and masters from many diverse traditions. He began teaching others when he was in his twenties. In the summer of 1986, at the age of 26, Don received Dharma transmission and Inka Shõmei in a ceremony held at Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado which was co-celebrated by Dainin Katagiri Roshi, Soto Zen master, and Burmese Theravada Buddhist master, Venerable U Silananda.

Don earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Kentucky and he has served as Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at a few different institutions. As a Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Don has taught religious tenets and practices to over one thousand students. He teaches a progressive, meditation process, spiritual insights, and Shamanism, working one-on-one with many of his students, inspiring them to "Know Thyself" and to become what he believes we are all created to be: Present, Loving People.

Don also studied under Master Lo Han, Tzu, the Taoist adept from which he learned the essence of Taoist Movement Meditation. He has taught world religions and Asian philosophy for thirty years. He served for four years as Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Catharine College. Dr. Giles also attended Catholic seminary at St. Pius X and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s: The Athenaeum of Ohio. In addition to his academic background, Dr. Giles studied for seven years with a Native American shaman; he studied Centering Prayer with developer and spiritual guide, Fr. Thomas Keating, a Cistercian, Trappist monk and priest; spiritual iconography with Orthodox priest and specialist, Fr. Robert Arida; Tonglen, a form of Tibetan Buddhist meditation, with Dorje Löppön Lodrö Dorje; tai chi and meditation with Taoist master Lo Han Tzu; Vipassana (mindfulness) meditation with Burmese Theravada Buddhist master Venerable U Silananda; Zazen meditation with Soto Zen master Dainin Katagiri Roshi; spiritual Contemplation with Carmelite nun and monk, Mother Tessa Bielecki; Mysticism with Catholic Benedictine Brother David Steindl-Rast; Kensho (seeing one’s true nature), Koan (thought-mind-word dilemmas), and Samu (physical work done with mindfulness) training with Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk Ven. Eido Shimano Roshi; Buddhist meditation with Chinese Buddhist nun Venerable Yuen Yi; Vajrayana Buddhist teachings with Naropa Institute/University founder Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche; and the teachings and writings of Thomas Merton with Mr. James Finley. Dr. Giles has written multiple works on various aspects of world religions.

Don was born into a Catholic family and was raised with a strong sense of commitment to leading a spiritual life. That commitment would eventually lead him to the seminary and theology school, as he considered both priesthood and monasticism as possible vocations. Through his Catholic upbringing, and with his mother Marjorie's support, he understood the value and role of sacrament and the necessity of developing one's own direct, mystical experience of the sacred. At the early age of six, Don's grandmother, Francis Battalia Etherington "Granny", found him sitting on a rock outside their small three-acre farm and country home in Versailles, Kentucky and took his picture. When she asked him what he was doing, little Donnie responded, "meditating." No one in the family knew the meaning of the word. Over time, Don studied a large variety of meditation techniques with various teachers and masters from many diverse traditions. He began teaching others when he was in his twenties.

Don began writing poems and short stories as an early teenager. During his late teens and early twenties, Don also wrote or co-wrote lyrics and melodies to over fifty songs. He also played various instruments in the recordings, including rhythm, lead, and bass guitars, keyboards, and drums. While displaying both spiritual and existential themes throughout his writings, Don's focus was always on the extraordinary dimensions of mind and experience, as they work together to form a cohesive entity that we commonly refer to as "self". Of course, Don also loved to simply have fun with his writing, allowing the reader to watch humans being human - whether falling in love or engaged in amazing adventures. Don has been the recipient of several writing awards, including the Sandra Lee Cuni award for Creative Writing at Thomas More College in 1986 for his short story "Way To Go".

Don has published eleven books as of now. His book, The Shao Lin Chronicles (the first in a series of three) has reached the Top 20 on Amazon Books on three separate occasions in the Buddhism category.