About Pete Sumner

Pete grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and was training as a high-school teacher when he had an accident which caused the loss of his eyesight. After rehabilitation, he retrained and worked as a welfare officer and teacher of blind and deaf-blind adults.

Pete married Pearl in 1966 and together they founded and served in an aid and relief organisation, now known as CBM - Australia, which supports projects in the fields of education, vocational training for people with disabilities and of prevention and cure of blindness.

In 1997, Pete and Pearl concluded their work with CBM - Australia and presently reside in the historic port city of Fremantle, Western Australia. They named their home and teaching/counselling center, Gurukula.

In 1998, Pete established the Peter's Pearls Web site and commenced a daily inspirational email service which presently sends to interested subscribers around the world gems of insight from the wisdom of noted enlightenment teachers.

In his fifties, Pete began to study the writings of the Christian mystics and developed an intense longing to know the ultimate reality that the great spiritual masters had found.

The seeking was long and at times agonising, but eventually, the end of the search came suddenly one morning as he mounted some steps on his way to work in West Perth. Since that 'shift of consciousness' or 'change of perception' he has enjoyed the immense freedom and understanding that only the full realisation of our true nature can bring.

"I said Oh no! Help me!
And that Oh no! became a rope let down in my well.
I've climbed out to stand here in the sun.
One moment I was at the bottom of a dark fearful narrowness,
and the next, I am not contained by the universe.
If every tip of every hair on me could speak, I still couldn't say my gratitude.
In the middle of these streets and gardens, I stand and say and say again,
and it's all I say, I wish everyone could know what I know."
~ Rumi.

About that time, Pearl also had a similar awakening, so together they now rest and delight in knowing That which can only be indicated but never defined by words. This shift of consciousness seems to be happening to more and more people in our time and below, you can read an account by Bruce Nagle of his awakening.

In 1991, Pete had recovered some useful eyesight as the result of a successful corneal transplant and was eventually able to read ordinary print with strong magnifying glasses etc. This enabled him to deepen his understanding by studying the works of seers such as Meister Eckhart, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Jean Klein, Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, Abhayananda, Douglas Harding and others. After several years, however, this regained eyesight diminished significantly.

Although limited in physical eyesight, what Pete has come to know and share is in full accord with the teachings of all those of spiritual vision. His is but another expression of the perennial wisdom that stems from the mystical vision of Unity.

Pete simply reports what he now sees, and offers advice to any interested in discovering their true Self and how to live fully from this limitless dimension.

Pete's spiritual direction and mentoring has served to bring assurance, understanding and recognition of our true nature to a small, but growing number of seekers after Truth from around the world.

Together with Pearl, Pete hosts a range of activities at Gurukula to give those interested opportunities to hear acknowledged contemporary spiritual teachers who assist inquirers to discover the divine Teasure within -- the Treasure in essence we all are.

The counselling, spiritual direction and prisoner support work operates under the name of Clearsight. Clearsight's Internet services include this Web site, Peter's Pearls and The Seer blog.