In stillness, truth speaks. Through our new “Beyond the Surface – an Insight Questionnaire”, we invite the voices of our Mandali community to echo what’s most real. This time, we turn to Peter Harper—The Drunken Monk—whose words remind us that gentleness can be revolutionary, and silence, a doorway.
Here, he reflects on life, self, and the quiet power of coming home.
What is one important lesson life has taught you so far?
That silence reveals everything.
Not the silence of avoidance, but the living, breathing stillness inside. The awareness that listens to life without filters. I’ve learned that when I’m quiet enough to feel what’s truly here, alive in this moment, beneath the mind, beneath the persona then life shows up in exquisite clarity. It’s not always easy, but it’s always true.
What question do you ask yourself often?
What is the most loving response I can offer… without abandoning myself?
It’s a question that holds the paradox I live with every day, to be soft without making myself small, to be open without being a door mat, to be kind without compromising my own integrity. It’s the combination of compassion and self-respect.
What would your future self thank you for today?
For choosing truth over comfort. For finally stepping out of the shadows of self-doubt and not trying to explain my intuition to those who don’t want to hear it. For creating sacred space, inside and out, that I can share with others, where people can come home to themselves and co-create something simple, real, and peaceful. That is the best feeling!
What does the space at Mandali inspire in you?
Mandali has been a powerful mirror on my path. It’s a place where both light and shadow have revealed themselves as important teachers, where I’ve grown, stumbled, opened, and returned again and again. Each time I’m there, I reconnect with something essential; a deeper sense of self, a sharper clarity, and a softer eye.
If your life were a book, what would this chapter be called?
“The Return of the Gentle Rebel.”
It’s the chapter where the protagonist steps out from behind the curtain and speaks plainly, with humour, warmth, and a smile from the heart.
Behind the playfulness, there’s a quiet purpose, an invitation to hang out, share presence, and chew the spiritual fat with lightness… and peace.