Buddha at the Gas Pump

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405. Patricia and Bill Clum Jun 27, 2017

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Together, Bill & Patricia support you to build a foundation, providing tools for strength in the emotional and spiritual domain, yielding flow and freedom to be who you have come here to be. A life of awakening is not one in which we never fall into a dark valley, it is one in which when we fall, we have learned how to move through it. We develop emotional muscle in order to rise. This is the inner work of the soul. Bill & Patricia guide you to that which is unhealed, exposing how these hurts and emotions rule our lives. You are able to face yourself, learn to untangle from these aspects that have a powerful impact and influence. In the discovery of new awareness and integration you begin to experience wholeness. Embrace all emotion, letting go of resistance and live in the present moment. With sensitivity, strength and skill, Bill and Patricia facilitate working through levels of trauma, pain, grief and anger in order to guide people to their own divine nature. As these wounds heal, you are able to discover the depths of self-acceptance and forgiveness. Website: evolutionoftheheart.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 6/25/2017 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:24 - The Ripple Effect of Retreat and Opening to New Ways of Being 00:10:29 - Healing and Transmuting the Unconscious Mind 00:13:46 - Self-Care and Spiritual Teaching 00:16:39 - Accessing Inner Strength and Self-Sufficiency 00:19:50 - The Practices for Grounding and Solidifying Emotions 00:23:30 - Moving Beyond Victimhood and Healing the Emotional Body 00:27:00 - Moving Beyond Fear and Grief 00:29:47 - Resolving Emotions through Physiological Awareness 00:33:01 - Dissolving the Mud in the Cup 00:36:37 - Acts of Kindness in Everyday Life 00:39:10 - The Ripple Effect of Awakening Hearts 00:43:15 - The Medicine of Pain 00:46:32 - Evolving into Emotional Maturity and Depth of Healing 00:50:12 - The Loneliness of Separation 00:53:41 - Exploring Emotions and Possibilities 00:56:32 - Belief, trust, and getting to know oneself 00:59:34 - Deepening the Connection with Divine Consciousness 01:03:08 - Connecting and Building Communities 01:06:27 - The Power of Connection in Relationships 01:09:49 - The Importance of Healing and Deep Connection in Relationships 01:13:04 - The Evolution of Our Work Together 01:15:31 - Finding Balance Between Expressing and Discerning 01:18:33 - Opening to Loving Curiosity 01:21:27 - Bridging the Gap: Reconnecting with Visitors 01:24:38 - Being Instruments of Divine Intelligence 01:27:57 - Teaching Activities and Future Adventures 01:30:34 - The Importance of Inclusion and Support 01:33:12 - Webinars, Meditations, and Virtual Calls 01:35:56 - Upcoming Interviews Save

391. Cindy Teevens Mar 15, 2017

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Six years after the suicide of her father, in one moment her own intense suffering was swapped for mind-blowing joy, altering her life permanently. Happiness and peace became her predominant states. Laughter exploded at the simplicity and power of the shift, and tears of gratitude flowed. Understandings began to come about how we have been living backwards, how we have mistaken the outside for the inside, and how we have tethered ourselves to the uncontrollable winds of change in the midst of freedom—and how we can return to truth, sanity, and peace. She dropped everything she was doing to show people how to feel good no matter what because when you shift your state, problems dissolve, villains become victims, and compassion kicks in. So much gratitude came with this revelation, she began helping people awaken love and joy in their lives. Months after discovering joy, one day in the woods she was knocked to her knees by an explosion of love that ended the imaginary separation of self and other, speech fell away, and all she could do was laugh and cry at the cosmic joke. Forty years of self baggage suddenly fell away. The thinker and speaker she thought she was, was gone. Yet the Self remained. Cindy is writing about that “direct seeing” of Self in a third book she is working on. She is the author of Alchemy - How to Feel Good No Matter What, and The Happiness Lie: What Generations Have Been Told That Makes You Unhappy. Website: alchemylovejoy.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 3/11/2017. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:17 - The Shift to Joy 00:08:06 - Letting go of Attachments and the Happiness Lie 00:12:07 - Shifting Attention and Finding Joy 00:15:56 - Shifting States and Experiencing Bliss 00:20:00 - The Source of Happiness 00:23:41 - Shifting from Conceptuality to Experience 00:27:52 - The Illusion of Separation 00:32:29 - The End of Duality 00:36:50 - Dismantling the False Separate Self 00:41:38 - The Shift to Seeing Everything in Terms of the Self 00:46:19 - Falling in Love with Love 00:50:40 - Intensifying the Desire for Love and Realization 00:54:37 - Finding the Joy Within 00:58:48 - Narrowing and Opening the Power of Attention 01:02:42 - Deepening Awareness through Meditation 01:07:14 - The Universal Experience of Mind Wandering whilst Driving 01:11:17 - The End of Questioning 01:15:42 - Rewriting and Integration 01:19:49 - The Transition Phase and Settling Down 01:24:07 - The Evolution of Awareness 01:28:03 - The Power of Attention and Interest 01:31:49 - The Power of Discernment and the Dream of Suffering 01:36:01 - The Power of Authority 01:39:56 - Letting go of the idea that someone is hurting you 01:43:12 - The Importance of Reframing Experiences 01:46:32 - Humanity's purpose and the joy of self-realization 01:49:50 - The Importance of Self-Realization 01:52:44 - The Freedom and Spaciousness of Being "Natural" 01:55:49 - Upcoming Programs and Contact Information 01:59:13 - Music Save

335. Abdy Electriciteh Mar 02, 2016

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Abdy was born in Iran in 1964 to the Electriciteh family. At an early age he realized that his realm of reality was beyond what he could share with others. As a child, his awareness of extraordinary abilities, such as putting light and sparkles on people, could only be rationalized as a dream. When, thirty years later, he realized those sparkles were being received by the people, healing them physically, emotionally and spiritually, he gave up his adapted reality to his child-hood reality. In 2002 he began working around the world anchoring light and spreading his wisdom. Abdy works with an ancient energy which dissipates our inabilities to relate to our self, higher self and the universe. His work is to bring about and support the transformation of humanity and the Earth to a higher consciousness. This is carried out by raising the vibration of people and places. He channels an energy that allows an individual to connect to their own divinity. He believes the truth cannot be learned and can only be connected to, from within. Even though most of his work is energy-based, he guides people to realize their gift and their wisdom. Through Abdy's presence, some people have become healers, spiritual teachers, life coaches and many free from physical and emotional illnesses, but many more have been gifted to see the beauty of life and its participants. Abdy’s gift is to radiate timeless, spaceless connection to the Source. The universe’s gift to Abdy is for him to live life knowingly connected. Website: abdy.info Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 2/11/2016. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Abdy Electriciteh 00:03:50 - The Nature of Energy and Antennas 00:07:48 - Different Antennas and Personal Gifts in Energy Awareness 00:11:33 - The Power of Energy 00:16:03 - The Cycle of the Universe 00:19:44 - The Essence of the Universe in Our Cells 00:23:39 - Personal Favor and Determinism 00:26:18 - The Harmony of the Universe and Human Choice 00:29:11 - The Illusion of Choice 00:32:25 - The Concept of Dimensions and Connection 00:35:45 - The Power of Prayer and Spiritual Connection 00:39:09 - The Impact of Energetic Body on Consciousness 00:42:15 - Connecting to Your Own Wisdom and Impacting Others 00:45:05 - The Nature of Trees and Animals 00:47:59 - The Cycle of Lives and Energetic Harmony 00:51:24 - Celebrating Death & Optimum Vibration 00:55:46 - The Power of Energy and Consciousness 00:59:53 - Aligning with the Energy of Life 01:03:36 - The Economy and the Earth 01:07:16 - Falling Over and Surrendering Control 01:10:48 - The Importance of Emotion in Communication 01:14:47 - The Influence of Collective Consciousness 01:17:51 - The Business of Spirituality and Dependency 01:21:06 - The Power of Ready and Healing Gifts 01:24:12 - Taking Back Individual Power and Breaking Free 01:26:49 - The Ego and Compassion 01:29:44 - The Role of Belief and Energy in Connection 01:32:18 - Fear of Emotions: The Problem with Expectations 01:35:13 - The Nature of Creatures and Polarity 01:37:56 - The Joy of Tapping into Perfection 01:42:06 - Background Music

295. Shellee Rae Jun 08, 2015

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Shellee Rae, a Reiki Master for 15+ years, trained to the master level in many other energy modalities, and is certified in numerous body-centered therapies. Her work in this field became full-time in 2000. Sexually abused as a child, followed by 27 years of drugs, alcohol, and bouts of depression brought her to death’s door in 1997. With the help of 12-step recovery, and many spiritual paths, in August of 2008, Shellee Rae awakened. Her first book "Suffering ~ A Path of Awakening: Dissolving the Pain of Incest, Abuse, Addiction and Depression”, after going worldwide, opened a portal to support and guide many people in their awakening process. Her second book, "Enlightenment: Tips To Reveal Your Divine Nature", has become a valuable tool to many who are seeking embodied awakening. While supporting others, Shellee Rae’s raucous path to awakening allows a non-judgmental, gentle pointing to the truth of who they are from the depths of her own realization. She balances deep compassion with the steady and potent awareness that you are not, in your Essential Self, the sufferer. Website: www.shelleerae.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 6/7/2015 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump & Guest Speaker Shellee Rae 00:03:43 - From Self-Medication to Addiction 00:08:10 - Boredom in School and Troublemakers 00:12:13 - Seeking Connection and Communication 00:16:31 - Angel Al and the Pre-arranged Agreement 00:20:13 - The Journey to Forgiveness 00:25:20 - Cause and Effect in Life 00:29:43 - Exploring Different Spiritual Paths 00:33:47 - Discovering Ashland, Oregon 00:37:40 - The Power of Awakening and Clearing the "Stuff" 00:42:09 - The Fire of Awakening 00:46:40 - The Blissful State and Relativity 00:50:37 - Listening to Life's Guidance 00:54:32 - Out of Body Experience and the Beginning of the End 00:58:15 - The Wake-Down Process and the Loss of Filters 01:02:31 - Finding Acceptance in the Messiness of Life 01:08:08 - The Continuous Path of Growth and Expansion 01:12:30 - The Kundalini Experience 01:16:32 - Meeting Life on a Deeper Level 01:21:14 - Exploring the Spiritual Path 01:26:35 - Trusting the Natural Unfolding of Life Through Meditation 01:31:21 - The Disappointment of Awakening 01:35:14 - Surrendering to a New Path 01:39:38 - The Journey to Finding What's Next 01:43:22 - Out-of-Body Experiences and Parallel Realities 01:46:32 - Slipping into another Parallel Reality 01:50:24 - Finding the Earrings 01:53:48 - Synchronistic Events and Creating Deeper Reality 01:57:37 - The Power of Dreams and Synchronicity 02:01:23 - "We are God" 02:05:10 - Expressing Appreciation and Farewell

291. Chris Beckett May 10, 2015

Show notes

Until two years ago, my only interest in spirituality was self-improvement. I wasn’t interested in what was true, only to make my experience better. For whatever reason, I just didn’t care. About five years ago I turned abruptly away from any kind of self-improvement. I had felt a shift in my being, and I knew the ‘unknown’ was chasing after me. I intuitively knew that If I explored my experience, I would be broken open and transformed in some way. So I found subtle ways of avoiding myself. I avoided immersing myself in nature which I had previously gained so much nurturing from. At the same time my being began to change where I was shifting into a place where I felt a deep trust in life, even though there was no conscious recognition. I just felt good about life and being alive. So I was very happy with my life, and I felt It was being refined and would only get better. I would have these days or hours where certainty would fall away, but somehow it just seemed natural. Then at the start of Feb 2013 year, a catalytic process began from a single moment. For the first few days, I was fine but after a few more days I had completely given up hope on everything. I knew that I would not get what I needed through my life as it is, and I intuitively knew I was in a process that could not be stopped. I knew I could not escape, so I gave up simply because there was nothing else to do. I remember saying to my close friends ‘I’m dying'. It was the only thing I knew. Then after a week, I had a sense that I had to calm my mind a little. That evening I was sitting on my bed reading a book by Adyashanti called ‘The End of Your World’. As I read a sentence that ended in ‘and you are not your thoughts’, a switch turned on in my being, something fell away, and I just knew I wasn’t my thoughts. I remember I kept saying aloud ‘I’m not my thoughts’ again and again. At some point, I then asked ‘then what am I’ (I’d never asked myself this until now), and in some way, I began to recognize being was ‘one thing’. The experience was In a minuscule way intellectual, it was mostly a physical experience. My body had more energy flowing through it than ever before and felt insight was experienced at regular intervals. At the same time as the opening, a movement arose that knew there was more to fall away. The last two and a half years have been about that falling away, about living a human life from truth. Facebook page. Some of Chris's music. Summary and Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 5/9/2015 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:16 - The Fear of Transformation 00:08:09 - Life Falling Apart 00:11:29 - Recognition of a Deep Process 00:15:07 - Realizing the Unity of Everything 00:19:02 - Experiencing Physical Changes and Kundalini Awakening 00:22:55 - A Sense of Unity and Wholeness 00:27:13 - The Unity of Consciousness 00:30:43 - From Head to Heart to Belly: The Awakening Journey 00:34:06 - The Sense of Enlivenment 00:37:14 - Dissolving the Past 00:40:12 - Deep Sense from the Start 00:43:05 - Falling in love with life more 00:45:45 - A Sense of Intimacy with Others' Difficulties 00:48:37 - The Indescribable Nature of Existence 00:51:57 - The Transition to Honesty 00:55:17 - Being Honest in Interactions 00:57:49 - The Impact of Awakening on Relationships 01:00:24 - Being an Ocean and Feeling the Whole Process 01:03:34 - Intimacy with Your Own Experience 01:05:58 - A Conversation on Reverence and Sensitivity 01:08:30 - The Importance of Openness in Teaching 01:11:32 - Helping Students Overcome Mistakes 01:14:43 - Progression of a Musician from Head to Heart to Belly 01:17:36 - Communicating Through Music 01:20:33 - Confidence and Letting Go in Music Performance 01:23:29 - The Flow State in Learning Hinduism 01:25:41 - Teaching Music over Skype 01:28:33 - Opening up to True Honesty 01:31:52 - The Beauty of Living a Deep Life 01:34:33 - Providing Guidance and Inspiration

289. Bonnie Greenwell Apr 27, 2015

Show notes

Bonnie is a non-dual teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti, and a transpersonal therapist who has specialized in working with spiritual emergence issues for 30 years. She has published several books and articles related to kundalini and spiritual awakening, most recently “The Kundalini Guide” and “The Awakening Guide”, available on amazon.com. These are based on assessments and consultations with over 2000 people over the years, and also reflect her own experiences of awakening. She holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and founded a counseling and education center in Ashland, Oregon called Shanti River Center where she offers satsang, study groups, workshops, meditation programs and spiritual guidance. She was a founder and organizer of the Kundalini Research Network, and has trained therapists and offered seminars in Europe, Australia and the U.S, and currently does assessments by phone and skype with people in awakening processes from all over the world. With a broad background in eastern and western mystical teachings, energy work and psychospiritual counseling, she describes her role as being a mentor or a mid-wife for people going through the spiritual awakening process. Websites: www.kundaliniguide.com www.awakeningguide.com Books: The Kundalini Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Inward Journey Guides) (Volume 1) The Awakening Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Companions for the Inward Journey) (Volume 2) Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening Being Awake Transcript of this interview 2nd BatGap interview with Bonnie. Interview recorded 4/25/2015 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Interview 00:03:54 - Overcoming Fear in the Spiritual Awakening Process 00:07:40 - The Energy Rushing Through Your Body 00:11:25 - Kundalini Awakening and Transformation 00:15:28 - The Unique Experience of Enlightenment in Human Beings 00:19:42 - Different Definitions of Enlightenment 00:23:59 - The Intelligent Nature of Kundalini 00:28:52 - The Essence of Our Presence 00:33:07 - Embracing Diversity and Oneness 00:37:10 - Triggers for Awakening 00:41:25 - Kundalini Awakening and Spiritual Awakening 00:45:22 - The Importance of Moderation and Listening to the Body 00:49:45 - Awakening through the Body 00:53:53 - Kundalini Awakening and Energy Flow 00:57:33 - Kundalini Awakening and the Variations within Experience 01:01:35 - Awakening and Enlightenment 01:05:43 - Longing for Bliss and Contentment in Awakening 01:09:49 - Involuntary Energy Phenomena 01:13:32 - Kundalini imbalances and grounding techniques 01:17:09 - Grounding and Ayurveda 01:21:02 - Navigating Emotional and Psychological Upheavals 01:24:53 - Extrasensory Experiences 01:28:49 - Strange Phenomena and Spiritual Awakening 01:32:53 - The Gift of the Right Teacher 01:36:53 - Fear and Letting Go 01:40:40 - The Blissful Energy Flow 01:44:29 - The Subtlety of the Awakening Experience 01:48:33 - Awakening and Transformation 01:52:22 - Integration and Embodiment in Awakening 01:56:20 - The Longing for Truth 01:59:51 - Ordinary people's experiences with spirituality Save

284. CC Leigh Mar 29, 2015

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CC’s passion for helping people awaken came to the foreground in 1989 when she had a startling vision of a star appearing near the ceiling of her bedroom and streaming forth a download. The message was clear: she was to play a role in helping humans awaken, and in paving a new understanding of spirituality for the world. But first, she had to awaken. After some years of rapid spiritual growth and openings to subtle dimensions, CC landed in the darkest of nights as her early attempts at offering her gifts to other seekers “failed” rather dramatically. She lost her livelihood, home, community, and self-esteem, and ended up living in a small RV borrowed from an ex-boyfriend for 3½ years in the mid-1990s. Ultimately, she learned the truth of these words by Leonard Cohen: “There’s a crack, a crack in everything—that’s how the light gets in.” And the light did enter. The depths of disillusionment, despair, and ruthless self-judgment gave way to deeper explorations and radical samadhis, and led, by 1995, to a profound, permanent knowing of herself as the infinite ground and totality of Being. The next phase of her life was about trying to integrate that awakening with her human patterns of thinking and reacting—no easy matter. After years of attempting to make her human life make sense in light of her awakening as Consciousness, at first on her own and then in the company of a group of people practicing “Trillium Awakening" (formerly called "Waking Down"), it all gelled into a sense of undivided (though often paradoxical) Onlyness. At that point, CC began teaching again. She loves to bring light to other seekers, especially those who find themselves lost, confused, alone or discouraged by the difficulties of being a conscious person in a deeply unconscious world. In 2005 CC co-founded the Trillium Awakening Teachers Circle to provide an alternative to guru-centric, strongly hierarchical spiritual communities, and to help stem the tide of ethical lapses on the part of spiritual authority figures. The teachers of the WDTA meet regularly in mutuality and hold one another to standards and ethics around their teaching work, as well as experimenting with a more democratically-oriented society of awakened and awakening divinely human beings. CC’s unique approach to teaching focuses on radical awakening to our true and total nature as both Consciousness and matter (divinely human), but does not stop there. Her Inseeing Process TM helps people experience radical self-acceptance, deep compassion, and “inner mutuality” which in turn leads to a much greater ability to feel compassion and tolerance for other people: “outer mutuality.” That and much more is spelled out in CC’s highly-acclaimed handbook, Becoming Divinely Human: A Threefold Path to Embodied Awakening. Websites: divinelyhuman.com trilliumawakening.org Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 3/28/2015 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Waking Down and Mutuality 00:03:59 - Awakening to Higher Realities 00:08:09 - Communicating with Animals and Discovering Channeling 00:12:24 - The Dark Night and Self-Doubt 00:16:20 - Finding Grounding and Humility 00:20:55 - The Definition of Humility 00:25:31 - Discovering the Background Knowing 00:29:48 - The Search and Guilt 00:33:31 - Dog Break 00:37:44 - Integration of the Whole Self and Radical Embrace 00:41:59 - Embracing All Ranges of Experience 00:46:15 - Equanimity and Support in Times of Tragedy 00:50:47 - Finding My Voice in the Waking Down Community 00:55:21 - Ethical challenges in spiritual teaching 00:59:51 - Beginning of Exploration with Caution 01:03:50 - Four Stages of Embodied Awakening 01:08:27 - The Stages of Awakening and Integration 01:12:39 - Supplementing with other therapies and support processes 01:16:35 - Seeking help and recognizing the difference between depression and a dark night 01:20:43 - The Illusion of Perpetual Suffering 01:24:29 - The catalytic power of connection and longing 01:28:25 - The Core Wound: Portal to Embodied Awakening 01:32:44 - The Existential Condition of Being Human 01:36:59 - Green Lighting and Opening to What Is 01:40:56 - In-Seeing and Inner Body Awareness 01:45:27 - Cultivating Deep Presence in People 01:49:35 - Gazing into Being with Suzanne 01:55:10 - The Meeting Place of Non-Duality and Integration 01:58:58 - The Transformative Power of Presence for Conflict Resolution and Society 02:03:27 - Year-Long Program based on the 12 Chapters of the Book 02:06:46 - Support and Updates

274. Ram Das Batchelder Jan 22, 2015

Show notes

Ram Das Batchelder passed away in 2023. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1961, had a spiritual awakening in his early twenties, and spent most of 25 years in India as a devotee of Amma, the “hugging saint.” He wrote four children’s books, which have been translated into several European languages, and also a novel in rhyming verse, three full-length plays, and 40 original songs. In 2012, he and his wife, Tarini Ma, wrote and co-taught a university course in Venezuela on Hinduism. He gave numerous talks and workshops about various aspects of spirituality in many locations around the world. “Rising in Love: My Wild and Crazy Ride to Here and Now, with Amma, the Hugging Saint" tells the story of Ram Das Batchelder’s powerful marijuana-fuelled spiritual awakening in America (which included meeting an angel), his two-year struggle with delusion and addiction, his subsequent renunciation of drugs, and his eventual discovery of Amma (the living Guru known in the West as “the Hugging Saint”). The narrative then covers the 27 amazing years he spent in quest of Enlightenment as Amma’s devotee, most of that time in India. It is a story of profound healing from drug addiction and despair into a joyfully fulfilled life, and is, therefore, a ray of hope for all who suffer from addiction or mental illness of one kind or another. The book is a suspenseful psychological thriller, “a real page-turner” (as more than one reviewer has said), yet there is so much humor in the narrative that it reads like a comedic novel. It describes his struggles with dysentery and sexual desire during his first several years at Amma’s ashram and also includes descriptions of numerous miracles he witnessed, a vision of Krishna, and the steady progression of his meditation, which has culminated in states of samadhi. It also discusses how the author left Amma’s ashram for a six-year period, visited numerous other Gurus, and then returned, with a fiancée, and was married by Amma in 2001. One chapter is dedicated to the difficulties he and his wife faced in their marriage, and the beautiful healing Amma gave them as a couple. There is also a section about the Asian Tsunami, which occurred when they were in Amma’s ashram; hundreds were killed in the surrounding area. “Rising in Love” will appeal to anyone interested in spirituality, Enlightenment, Hinduism, Saints or Gurus, as well as psychology, psychotherapy, angels or Jesus. Website: rising-inlove.org Other books: You Are The King- A Parable For Amma's Children Sathyaram Discovers the Mother of All Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 1/17/2015 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Ram Dass and Amma 00:04:17 - The Divine Hug 00:07:32 - The Divine Hug and Humanitarian Work 00:10:54 - A Divine Presence in Disguise 00:14:09 - Amma: The Embodiment of Divine Mother 00:17:30 - The Divine Mother Incarnate 00:20:44 - Comparing Amma with Lord Krishna 00:23:50 - Cultivating Personalities 00:26:58 - Bliss and Peace in the Ashram 00:30:19 - The Evolution of Meditation Journey 00:33:49 - Opening up into pure being 00:37:06 - The Dissolution of the Ego 00:40:14 - The Profound Experience of Sitting with a Saint 00:43:29 - A Global Celebrity and a Source of Charity 00:46:49 - Reaching out to Alleviate Suffering 00:49:48 - Serving the Suffering with Compassion 00:52:55 - Amma's Selfless Service 00:56:05 - Amma's Omniscience 00:59:36 - Epiphanies and Divine Encounters 01:06:24 - The Beginning of the Spiritual Path 01:09:44 - The Revelation of Alma's Identity as God 01:12:57 - Struggles with Relationships and Celibacy 01:16:05 - Reflections on Past Wrong Actions 01:19:15 - Celibacy and Determination 01:22:21 - Transition back to a normal married life 01:25:34 - Overcoming Difficulties in Marriage 01:28:52 - Amma's Divine Intervention 01:32:08 - Return to Amma and Charity Donation 01:35:17 - Organizing Tours and Contact Information 01:38:41 - Farewell and Thank You

192. Catherine Ingram Sep 09, 2013

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Catherine Ingram is an international dharma teacher with communities in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Since 1992 she has led Dharma Dialogues, which are public events that focus on directing awareness toward greater wellbeing in an ethical and happy life. Catherine also leads numerous silent retreats each year in conjunction with Dharma Dialogues. She is president of Living Dharma, an educational non-profit organization founded in 1995. A former journalist specializing in issues of consciousness and activism, Catherine Ingram is the author of two books of nonfiction, which are published in numerous languages: In the Footsteps of Gandhi: Conversations with Spiritual Social Activists (Parallax Press, 1990) and Passionate Presence: Seven Qualities of Awakened Awareness (Penguin Putnam, 2003); and one novel, A Crack in Everything (Diamond Books, 2006). Over a fifteen-year period beginning in 1982, Catherine published approximately 100 articles on issues of consciousness and activism and served on the editorial staffs of New Age Journal, East West Journal, and Yoga Journal. For four years she wrote the Life Advice column for Alternatives Magazine based in Oregon. For the past thirty five years, Catherine has helped organize and direct institutions dedicated to meditation and self-inquiry and, more recently, human and animal rights. She is a co-founder of Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts (1976). She also co-founded the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in The Hague, Netherlands (1991) and is a member of the Committee of 100 for Tibet. For six years (1988-1994), Catherine also served as a board director for The Burma Project, dedicated to raising international awareness about the struggle for democracy in Burma. She is currently serving on the board of Global Animal Foundation, which works on behalf of the world’s animals. catherineingram.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and Transcript of this interview Interview Recorded 9/7/2013 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Catherine Ingram's Journey 00:04:07 - Finding Meaning in Life 00:08:16 - Mind Exploration and Drug Use 00:11:13 - The Embodiment and the Physical System 00:14:33 - Knowing When to Move On 00:17:23 - Qualities that Emerge in the Simplicity of Being 00:20:05 - Holy Yearning and the Relaxation of Seeking 00:23:06 - The Inner Awakening in His Presence 00:25:55 - The Role of the Spiritual Community in the Coming Years 00:29:27 - Inner Qualities: Contentment and Empathy 00:32:30 - The Suffering of Animals and Spiritual Hypocrisy 00:35:23 - Finding Solutions to Global Problems 00:38:18 - The Complexity of Moral Certainty 00:40:39 - The Commitment to Goodness and Letting Go 00:43:35 - Letting Go and the Power of a Broken Heart 00:46:16 - The Fluidity of Emotions 00:48:48 - The Journey Back to the Marketplace 00:51:09 - The Falling Away of Beliefs 00:53:17 - Dwelling in Eternity and Transitoriness 00:56:07 - Recognizing the Shift to Being That Silence and Eternity 00:58:34 - The Importance of Participating and Caring 01:00:28 - The Depth of Inner Reality 01:02:46 - Being Like an Ocean 01:05:08 - The Emergence of Qualities in People 01:08:22 - Being Like an Awake Animal 01:12:07 - The Deluge of Information in Modern Life 01:15:41 - The Power of Simplifying and Finding Elegant Solutions 01:19:10 - The Tipping Point and Survival 01:21:43 - The Importance of Taking Action and Staying Steady 01:24:50 - Embracing Change and Potential Disruptions 01:29:23 - End of Interview and Invitation to Subscribe

191. Kosi Sep 02, 2013

Show notes

Kosi is a spiritual teacher and author who offers a simple invitation to stop and discover the freedom that you are. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech and had a successful career in computer software sales, but was surprised that her financial success offered no lasting happiness or fulfillment and her spiritual search began in 1996. In June of 2001, after spending time with several of the world's most renowned spiritual teachers and traditions, she reached a point of profound disillusionment and prayed for an enlightened master. Fourteen days later in she was introduced to Gangaji and the life-changing teaching of Ramana Maharshi. Kosi immediately recognized Gangaji as the master she prayed for and with Gangaji's sublime guidance and support, she realized the freedom of being—indescribable happiness and fulfillment. Since her very first meeting with Gangaji, Kosi felt that she was her true and final teacher, but this unexpectedly changed with the mysterious appearance of her Holiness Sri Amma Karunamayi who is recognized throughout India and the world as a living saint—an Avatar—one who is born enlightened as the embodiment of the Divine Mother. Kosi views the purity of Ramana Maharshi's silence and self-inquiry combined with Amma's indescribable omniscience, as well as the continuous and long-term support that she received from Gangaji, as the teaching and transmission that offers true Liberation. She is the author of Absence of Doubt: When the Search for Enlightenment Stops (Includes and Interview with Gangaji), The Secret Teaching of Jesus Christ, and Arunachala Siva – Heart of Ramana. Website: kosi.org Transcript of this interview 2nd BatGap interview with Kosi Interview recorded 8/31/2013 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Name Kosi and its Spiritual Significance 00:04:48 - Mysterious Name and Mystical Experiences 00:09:03 - Crucified with Christ 00:12:31 - The Profound Love Experience 00:16:34 - Mysterious Voice and Profound Love 00:20:55 - Profound Mystical Experiences and Meeting Gurus 00:26:03 - Introduction to Advaita with Guru Maya 00:30:41 - The Razor's Edge: Walking the Path of Self-Realization 00:34:57 - Meeting Guru Mai and the Search for Enlightenment 00:38:35 - A Profound Relationship with Gangaji 00:42:22 - The Holy Moment of Release 00:46:16 - Jerusalem Calling 00:50:10 - Searching for the Cross in the Church 00:53:36 - The Vision of the Risen Christ and Profound Experiences 00:57:59 - The Great Mystery 01:02:34 - Doubt the Doubter 01:06:28 - Following the Longing 01:10:02 - True Awareness 01:14:11 - Clarity of Presence and Happiness 01:18:00 - The Divine Mother and Silent Teaching 01:21:50 - Learning to Ride a Bicycle 01:25:25 - Awakening and Compassion 01:30:13 - The Neo-Advaita Trap 01:34:42 - The Profound Revelations of Shiva 01:38:56 - Atma-vichara: An Inquiry into the Self 01:44:09 - The Shift in Planetary Alignment and its Impact on Consciousness 01:50:01 - Trauma and the Global Connection 01:54:21 - The purpose of discovering the Atman 01:57:40 - Papaji's Miraculous Journey to Save His Family 02:01:29 - The Importance of Choosing a Path 02:05:00 - Exciting Discoveries and Farewell

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