Who Is The Barnwood Monk?

Me!

I’m Rick Baldwin—and I am the Barnwood Monk. That’s right, and both of the photos above are of me. New barnwood and old barnwood. Monk and pre-monk. Life is all about change, right? 🙂

I was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, in a traditional Southern Baptist home. From a young age, I believed I was called to ministry, convinced I would one day serve as a pastor. But during college, my life opened in another direction: toward the arts. Acting, directing, scenic art, and stand-up comedy all pulled me into the creative world.

Alongside this creative path, my spiritual journey deepened. Early on, I found inspiration in Christian mystics such as the Desert Fathers, Thomas Merton, and Meister Eckhart. Other pivotal figures included Anthony de Mello, Eknath Easwaran, Thich Nhat Hanh, Emmet Fox, and Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. Joel S. Goldsmith’s The Infinite Way became one of my most transformative influences.

In the early 2000s, the teachings of Eckhart Tolle gave me a breakthrough in meditation. It became clear that spirituality was not about attaining something new, but recognizing what has always been here.

Years later, during a profound meditation, my concept of God dissolved entirely. This surprising experience ushered in a long season of peace and clarity, even as I left behind formal spiritual practices. What began as a secular meditation practice eventually reignited my spiritual path, deepened by the teachings of Rupert Spira and a return to Tolle’s work.

These practices revealed that the separation between mind and self is an illusion. In the end, my search was pointing back to a truth I had never truly left: the recognition of oneness and wholeness, always present.