Buddha at the Gas Pump

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709. Philip Weber Jun 26, 2024

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Philip Weber - When Awakening Finds You Philip Weber had a successful 35-year career as an executive in the hospitality industry. A member of Paramahansa Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship since 1999, Phil is known for his highly ecumenical outlook, holding a deep appreciation for many of the world’s spiritual traditions and teachings, and often affirming his Guru’s adage: “Truth is one, paths are many.” Currently retired and residing in Carlsbad, California, Phil prefers a quiet, contemplative life. He is not a spiritual teacher and has no online or social media presence. For Phil’s book announcements, please go to his editor’s website. Books: Grace Happens: An Awakening of Consciousness Reflections of Consciousness: Essays on the Journey of Awakening and the Nature of Reality To Contact Phil please go the "Connect" page of his editor's website. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 16, 2024. YouTube Video Chapters:  00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump  00:04:18 - The Joy of Helping Others  00:07:40 - The Birthright of Spiritual Awakening  00:11:10 - The Illusion of Point A and Point B  00:14:43 - The Journey of Awakening  00:19:15 - A Drunk on Energy: The Awakening  00:22:56 - Finding My Guru at Barnes and Noble  00:26:05 - The Infinite Possibilities of Awakening  00:29:22 - A Shift in Career Satisfaction and the Discovery of Wayne Dyer and Alan Watts  00:32:48 - Exploring Different Teachings  00:36:46 - Walking for Grounding and Safety  00:40:47 - Finding Help in Adyashanti's Talks  00:45:10 - Exploring Different Spiritual Paths  00:49:23 - Intensive Kriya Practice for Karma Mitigation  00:52:43 - The Fan Blades Stopping  00:56:30 - The Fulfillment of Awakening  01:00:42 - Awakening to Being Okay with What Is  01:04:35 - Not Letting Sports Ruin Your Day  01:08:30 - The Perfection of Suffering  01:12:31 - The Beauty of Life and Mystical Experiences  01:15:38 - Grateful Indifference and Mystical Experiences  01:20:02 - Profound Mystical Experience and Removal of an Astral Parasite  01:24:19 - Astral Entities and Energy Feeding  01:28:24 - The Glowing Orb of Energy  01:32:40 - Exploring Different Paths to Awakening  01:36:01 - The Short Path vs. Progress in Spiritual Growth  01:38:59 - Surrender and the Debate on Free Will  01:42:50 - Understanding God and Conscious Awareness  01:47:28 - A Conversation about Writing and Books  01:50:43 - The Changing Relationship with the Guru

575. Swami Sarvapriyananda – Ethical Foundations of Nondual Spirituality Nov 09, 2020

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Swami Sarvapriyananda has been Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 2017. He was a Nagral Fellow at Harvard Divinity School during the 2019-20 academic year. Prior to this, he served as assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for 13 months. Swami joined the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1994 and received Sannyas in 2004. Before coming to serve in the US, he served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math in West Bengal, India (the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa). He has served the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in various capacities including being the Vice Principal of the Deoghar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, Principal of the Shikshana Mandira Teacher Education College at Belur Math, and the first Registrar of the Vivekananda University at Belur Math. This conversation hosted by the Association for Spiritual Integrity explores the profound interconnections between ethics and Advaita Vedanta. An ethical life is foundational to the spiritual quest, a non-negotiable sine qua non to any real spiritual development. One can be good without being particularly “spiritual”, but there is no spirituality without goodness. But it is also true that ethics are a consequence of nonduality. For as long as thinkers have pondered ethics, they have searched for a foundation, a grounding, for ethics. Why should one be good and do good? The various answers thinkers have come up with through the ages – utilitarianism, deontology, and so forth – have all been found seriously wanting. Nonduality claims to provide a deep foundation for ethics. In this talk and Q&A, Swami Sarvapriyananda explores the philosophical and practical, as well as the individual and social dimensions of ethics in nondual spirituality. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this webinar. Recorded September 28, 2020 First BatGap interview with Swami Sarvapriyananda Second BatGap interview with Swami Sarvapriyananda YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Association for Spiritual Integrity and Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:30 - The Importance of an Ethical Life in Spiritual Development 00:06:24 - Models of Enlightenment in Buddhism 00:09:16 - Ethics as the Foundation of Spirituality 00:12:11 - Spiritual Practices: Uparati, Titiksha, Samadhana, Shraddha 00:15:01 - Qualifications for Spiritual Life in Advaita Vedanta 00:17:54 - Oneness and Ignorance 00:20:46 - The Foundation of Ethics in Advaita Vedanta 00:24:02 - The Ethical Dilemma of Torture 00:26:42 - The Choice in Ethical Dilemmas 00:29:36 - The Problem of Ethics 00:32:26 - Ethics and Human Nature 00:35:24 - The Implication of Equality in Advaita Vedanta 00:38:28 - Ethics Rooted in Spiritual Nature 00:41:12 - The Ethics of Advaita Vedanta 00:44:10 - The Importance of Having a Set of Rules 00:46:55 - The Power of Self-Realization 00:50:00 - Caring for Others as Spiritual Practice 00:52:55 - Anecdote about Swami Shivananda and a Critical Visitor 00:56:02 - The Fullness of Advaita Vedanta and the Three Perspectives 00:59:03 - The Balance of Knowledge and Practice in Spiritual Life 01:01:55 - Training the Elephant 01:04:39 - Unethical behavior among spiritual teachers 01:07:26 - The Collective Guilt Complex 01:10:00 - Letting Go of Guilt and Repentance in Advaita Vedanta 01:12:59 - The Application of Advaita Vedanta to Human Reality 01:15:39 - Facing Suffering and Uncertainty 01:18:25 - The Challenge of Unethical Behavior in the Spiritual Community 01:21:24 - Independence in Advaita Vedanta 01:24:23 - Staying Grounded in the Presence of a Sangha 01:26:58 - Closing Remarks

429. Amoda Maa - 2nd Interview Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

Amoda Maa is a contemporary spiritual teacher, author, and speaker. After years of spiritual seeking, meditation, and immersion in psychospiritual practices, an experience of the dark night of the soul led her to a profound inner awakening. Then, after a long period of integration, she began speaking from silence in small gatherings. Today she offers meetings and retreats, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events, attracting spiritual seekers and people looking for peace and fulfillment in an increasingly chaotic world. Her teachings are free of religion and tradition, and she brings to them a deep understanding of the human journey, born out of her own experience. She is the author of Radical Awakening (originally released as How to Find God in Everything) and Change Your Life, Change Your World: Ten Spiritual Lessons for a New Way of Being and Living. Both books were written shortly after her awakening and before she began to speak in public. Her new book Embodied Enlightenment — written 15 years after her awakening — is based on the many conversations at the cutting edge of spiritual inquiry in her meetings with people from all around the world, and addresses many of the questions relevant to today’s seeker. It has been acclaimed as “a beautiful and precious gift to an emerging new humanity.” Amoda lives with her husband and beloved, Kavi, in New Mexico. Website: amodamaa.com Previous BatGap interviews with Amoda: First Interview Amoda Maa in panel discussion: Birthing Radiant Being into Our Humanity Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 5, 2017 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:36 - Recognizing Spiritual Maturity 00:06:54 - The Maturation of Awakening 00:12:11 - The Natural State of the Nervous System 00:16:40 - The Ongoingness of Awakening 00:20:56 - The Impact of Awakening on Humanity 00:25:32 - The Passing on of Spiritual Awakening 00:29:16 - The Importance of Integrating Inner Divisions 00:33:49 - Returning to the Human Heartbreak 00:38:11 - The Wound of Aloneness 00:41:46 - Fear of Separation and Oneness 00:46:08 - Breaking Free from Victimhood in Relationships 00:49:53 - The Permeability of Boundaries in Oneness and Love 00:54:38 - Intimacy in Every Moment of Life 00:58:24 - The Energy of the Sexual Act 01:02:28 - The Art of Listening 01:06:08 - The Manifestation of Oneness in the Relative 01:10:21 - Becoming a Servant of Cosmic Intelligence 01:13:57 - The Maturation Process and the realization of no-self 01:18:43 - Integration of the Self and the No-Self 01:22:39 - Navigating the Tricky Inner Terrain 01:26:43 - Opening Spirituality to a Wider Audience 01:30:51 - Concepts and Intrinsic Reality 01:34:01 - The End of Division and the Catalyst for Change 01:38:03 - The Divine Feminine and the Infusion of Love 01:42:19 - Non-violence towards our inner experience 01:47:01 - Tenderness towards Loss 01:51:36 - The Clinging to Loss 01:56:07 - The Illusion of Punishment 01:59:17 - The Power of Direct Experience and Belief 02:02:48 - Conclusion and Thank You

281. Dorothy Rowe Mar 12, 2015

Show notes

Dorothy Rowe was clairvoyant as a child, but a rough teenage period caused her abilities to wane. After learning Transcendental Meditation in her mid-teens, the inner vision began to return. She moved to Fairfield, Iowa in 1980 and devoted herself to creating world peace by meditating with a large group of people practicing the TM and TM-Sidhi Program. She became a teacher of Transcendental Meditation in 1986. She taught Transcendental Meditation and raised a family, while also teaching dance and music. Then in early 2008, she underwent a transformation. The change in awareness happened quite suddenly, but it took months for Dorothy to realize that this opening of awareness was to be used for healing. Quietly, she healed herself and others, without sharing her experiences. In 2012, Dorothy was invited to do some healing work for compensation. By word of mouth only, her practice has grown. She now has clients on four continents. She currently offers private consultations by phone and Skype and Distance Energy Work sessions through her website. The website also offers free resources on energy healing. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 3/8/2015. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - A Peaceful Experience at the Mall 00:04:54 - Strange and Amazing Experiences and Transformation 00:09:13 - Seeing Beings from Childhood 00:13:37 - Beings within Our Universe 00:18:28 - The Existence of Infinite Simultaneous Parallel Universes 00:23:04 - The Power of Energy Healing 00:27:26 - Healing Republicans: A Skeptical Perspective 00:31:42 - Exploring the Possibilities at an Oceanic Level 00:36:33 - Seeing the Subtle Levels 00:40:43 - Intense Movie Experiences and Healing Others 00:45:47 - Overcoming Darkness through Sacrifice and Transformation 00:50:40 - The Metaphor of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu 00:55:20 - Releasing Past Life Vows and Resolving Karma 01:00:30 - Attaining Enlightenment without Healing 01:05:30 - The Understanding of Self 01:11:05 - The Mechanics of Opening Channels of Awareness 01:15:36 - Gratitude and Forgiveness in the Collective 01:20:20 - God's Intention in Evolution and the Presence of God within Us 01:26:22 - Aligning with the Inner Compass 01:31:06 - Utilizing Consciousness for Healing 01:36:30 - Communicating with Gut Bacteria 01:41:46 - Manifestation and the Limitations of Reality 01:46:26 - Embracing Change and Inner Transformation 01:51:14 - Manipulating Consciousness and Translating Senses 01:55:18 - The Constant Flow of Energy 01:59:04 - The Importance of a Guide 02:03:44 - The Healing Power of Sleep 02:07:45 - Ongoing Support with Healing Packages 02:11:46 - Reaching as Many People as Possible 02:15:35 - Understanding the Mechanics of Healing 02:18:57 - Closing Remarks and Gratitudexf Save

212. Lama Surya Das Jan 08, 2014

Show notes

Lama Surya Das, whom the Dalai Lama affectionately calls the “American lama”, has spent over forty years studying with the great spiritual masters of Asia. He is an authorized lama in the Tibetan Buddhist order and the founder of the Dzogchen Center. Surya Das is the author of the international bestseller Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World and twelve other books, including his latest release, Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now. His blog “Ask the Lama” can be found at askthelama.com. To see Surya's lecture and retreat schedule please visit surya.org. Other Books: Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be: Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Personal Spiritual Life Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment Awakening the Buddhist Heart: Integrating Love, Meaning, and Connection into Every Part of Your Life The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane Natural Radiance: Awakening to Your Great Perfection Natural Meditation: A Tibetan Buddhist Practice for Clearing the Mind and Opening to Effortless Awarness The Big Questions: How to Find Your Own Answers to Life's Essential Mysteries Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 1/5/2013 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Lama Surya Das on Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:02:41 - From Drugs to Meditation, A Journey of Transformation 00:05:33 - Importance of Enlightenment 00:07:52 - The Meaning of Enlightenment 00:11:04 - Being There While Getting There: The Path to Enlightenment 00:14:25 - The Four Steps on the Path to Enlightenment 00:17:50 - The Powers of Enlightenment 00:20:57 - The Importance of Clear Understanding in Spiritual Engagement 00:24:08 - The Names of God and the Spectrum of Wisdom 00:27:26 - Swooping Down and Climbing Up 00:30:46 - The Inner Light and Ultimate Reality 00:34:07 - Swoopers and Climbers 00:37:04 - The Balancing Act of Life in Duality 00:39:58 - Cultivating a Sane, Mindful, Unselfish Life 00:43:25 - Cultivating Mindful and Ethical Relationships 00:46:11 - Mindfulness and Meditation in Schools and Prisons 00:49:28 - Integrating Eastern Thought Traditions into Daily Life 00:53:31 - Building Blocks of a Spiritual Life 00:57:04 - Enlightenment through Sweeping 01:00:00 - Buddha's Perspective on God 01:02:22 - Buddha's Enlightenment and the Concept of God 01:04:17 - Hinduism and the Concept of God 01:06:06 - The Presence of God in Buddhism 01:08:25 - God's Transparent Eyeball and Cosmic Consciousness 01:10:04 - The Inner Power in Buddhism 01:11:31 - The State of Consciousness 01:13:04 - The Journey of Enlightenment 01:14:25 - Finding Freedom in Imprisonment 01:16:12 - Harmony in the Slum 01:17:34 - Details about BatGap.com 01:19:35 - Lamp of Enlightenment

211. Ayahuasca and Psychedelics as Catalysts for Evolution Dec 31, 2013

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With Chris Bache, Ph.D., Jeffrey and Cielle Backstrom, Talat Jonathan Phillips, and Rak Razam Chris Bache, Ph.D., is professor emeritus in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University where he taught for over 30 years in the psychology of religion, transpersonal studies, Buddhism, and world religions. He is also an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and for two years was the Director of Transformative Learning at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, CA. An award-winning teacher and international speaker, his work explores the philosophical implications of deep non-ordinary states of consciousness, especially psychedelic states. He has written a pioneering book in psychedelic philosophy and collective consciousness, Dark Night, Early Dawn: Steps to a Deep Ecology of Mind. In addition, he has written Lifecycles: Reincarnation and the Web of Life, a comprehensive study of reincarnation and karma in light of new information emerging in contemporary consciousness research. In his book The Living Classroom: Teaching and Collective Consciousness, Chris presents his revolutionary ideas concerning the transpersonal dimensions of teaching. In addition to working with sacred medicines, Chris has been a Buddhist practitioner for many years. Website Christopher Bache at SkyBlue Symposia - Pt 1 of 2 Christopher Bache at SkyBlue Symposia - Pt 2 of 2 BatGap interview with Chris Bache and Michael Pollan Jeffrey and Cielle Backstrom call their work "Stepping Into Freedom", explaining that "with each step we release or transcend old, limiting patterns of being-seeing-acting... and open to the beings our souls are calling us here to become." They offer shamanic healing work and deep practices to facilitate embodied awakening and opening to the soul's calling. In the past several years, Jeffrey and Cielle have studied with indigenous medicine workers and teachers in the Andes and the Amazon basin, who represent ancient traditions grounded in the Sacred Feminine and Mother Earth. Since 2009 they've been welcoming their students to accompany them to experience these connections for themselves. Websites: ciellebackstrom.com steppingintofreedom.com Talat Jonathan Phillips is a co-founder of the cutting edge web-magazine Reality Sandwich and The Evolver Network and is a well-regarded life coach and Bioenergetic healer who has been practicing for over a decade. His memoir, The Electric Jesus: The Healing Journey of a Contemporary Gnostic, has become one of the must-read books of the new consciousness movement for its honest portrayal of life on the emerging edge of the transformational culture. He is the creator of The Ayahuasca Monologues: Tales of the Spirit Vine, a religion blogger for the Huffington Post, a Reiki Master and Bioenergetic Healer who does Skype sessions for clients around the world and in his San Francisco office. Individual BatGap interview with Talat Rak Razam is the author of two books: Aya: a Shamanic Odyssey, a travel-memoir of his time with shamans in the Peruvian Amazon. His film AYA: Awakenings is a documentary journey into the world and visions of Amazonian shamanism adapted from this book. The Ayahuasca Sessions: Conversations with Amazonian Curanderos and Western Shamans, published by Icaro. In 2006 he visited Peru on a feature magazine assignment to see what the almost mythical archetype of the shaman was really like in the 21st century. Excerpts from AYA, A Shamanic Odyssey have been published in Australian Penthouse (Sept 2006); High Times (Aug 2007); and Filmmaker magazine online (Oct 2007). He was also interviewed and appears in the CBC’s 2007 audio documentary In Search of the Divine Vegetal talking about his Ayahuasca experiences, which has been broadcast twice due to special demand to millions of people throughout North America. A founding editor of Undergrowth, Australia’s leading counterculture arts and literature magazine, Razam is an “experiential journalist” that participates in the experiences he writes about, giving his global audience an intimate familiarity with his subjects. For more information visit www.rakrazam.com. "Like" Aya Awakenings on Facebook. Summary and Transcript of this discussion Discussion recorded 12/28/2013 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Ayahuasca and Psychedelics: Exploring Consciousness and Facilitating Awakening 00:04:37 - Traditional Practices with Sacred Plants in Healing and Transformation 00:09:26 - The Thirst for Connection to Spirit 00:13:26 - Deep Sincerity and Purposefulness in Approaching Psychedelic Experiences 00:17:50 - Healing in the Jungle 00:21:59 - The Effects and Influences of Meditation and Drugs 00:26:07 - Ayahuasca: a Pathway to Healing and Integration 00:30:13 - The Purging and Cleanliness in Ayahuasca Ceremony 00:34:40 - Safety and Regulation in Psychedelic Healing 00:39:47 - Energetic Realities and Integration 00:44:03 - The Collective Psyche and Planetary Change 00:48:37 - The Role of MDMA in Spiritual Awakening 00:52:41 - Exploring the Territory without Capturing the Fort 00:56:53 - Pathways for Hyperdimensionality 01:00:41 - Connecting with the Energy of the River 01:05:26 - Exploring the Chakra Systems and Elemental Journey 01:09:23 - The Tipping Point in Spiritual Evolution 01:14:31 - Reconnecting with Nature and Spirituality 01:18:42 - The Meaning of Pachacuti 01:22:38 - Riding the Wave and the Potential Extinction of Humanity 01:27:13 - The Planetary Initiation 01:30:41 - The Planet's Journey on the Verge of Collapse 01:34:55 - The Expansion of Consciousness and the Evolutionary Crisis 01:39:35 - Contextualizing Our Practice 01:44:04 - Letting Go of Attachments 01:48:44 - The Value of Group Work in Altered Realms 01:53:28 - Manifesting through Psychedelics and Entheogens 01:59:08 - The Grounded, Embodied, Feminine Path to Awakening 02:04:09 - The Mystical Experience of Ayahuasca and 5-MEO DMT 02:08:23 - Conclusion and Gratitude 02:12:12 - Conclusion and Next Week Preview

208. Fred Davis Dec 04, 2013

Show notes

Fred Davis studied and practiced Eastern wisdom for twenty-five years prior to 2006 when his seeking ended, and his true awakening commenced. He is the creator and editor of Awakening Clarity Now and the founder of The Living Method of Awakening. He is also the author of The Book of Undoing: Direct Pointing to Nondual Awareness Beyond Recovery: Nonduality and the Twelve Steps Awakening Clarity: A Spiritual Sampler The Living Method of Awakening is an extraordinarily successful process of direct pointing that encourages immediate recognition of our shared True Nature. Hundreds of people on five continents have found the door to freedom using The Living Method. His work has appeared on Advaita Vision, Nonduality Living, Meeting Truth, ONE: The Magazine, and it shows up frequently in Nondual Highlights. He is happily married, deeply loves animals, and lives as a chiefly ignored, urban hermit in Columbia, South Carolina. It has recently come to public attention that Fred was convicted in 2006 for sex offenses he committed as a teenager, in the 1960s. He addresses the issue on his blog. Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 12/1/2013 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Fred Davis 00:05:43 - Awakening in the Insane Asylum 00:09:24 - My Journey with Zen Meditation and Self-Inquiry 00:13:33 - Knocking Your Head Against the Walls Spirituality 00:18:45 - Losing it All, Finding Sobriety, and Seeking True Nature 00:23:51 - Finding Freedom through Surrender 00:28:38 - The Mysterious Collapsing Flower Pots 00:32:15 - Struggles and Finding Relief 00:35:26 - The Awakening Experience 00:39:12 - The Real Deal Breaker 00:42:38 - A Unique Jail Experience 00:46:00 - The Journey of Suffering and Awakening 00:50:45 - A Shift in Perspective and Awakening 00:55:45 - The Mind Wants Either/Or 00:58:46 - The Unfolding Process of Enlightenment 01:03:26 - The Mind's Either/Or Dilemma 01:08:00 - Starting Awakening Clarity 01:10:57 - Surprise Awakening and Egoic Pleasure 01:14:42 - The Awakening Process and Sharing Insights 01:18:48 - Awakening and the Importance of Context 01:23:05 - Clarity about the I Am 01:27:43 - Discovering Oneness 01:32:05 - The possibility of anyone becoming a spiritual teacher 01:35:27 - The Drive Towards Self-Recognition 01:39:28 - The Subtleties of Non-Duality to Guide Awakening 01:42:58 - Stabilizing and Refining the Mind 01:46:29 - Beliefs, Opinions, and Positions 01:51:10 - The Difficulty of Getting Out of Bed 01:55:37 - Continuous Thinning of Conditioning 02:02:53 - Challenges of On-Camera Sessions 02:08:52 - Signing up for the iTunes podcast

122. Ellie Roozdar, 2nd Interview May 13, 2012

Show notes

Ellie is a happily married woman for 29 years. She has been blessed, with two beautiful children—a lovely daughter and a sweet son. She has graduated from SUNY at Stony Brook and has been teaching mathematics in high school and community colleges. After changing her career, she worked in Information Technology as a Quality Assurance Manage for many years. Since childhood, she was seeing herself as a vision, which was not associated with the body at all. The question was arising, “Who am I?” This was never answered and it was there in her heart for a long time… Since the year 2001, she has been inspired: To get to know who she is. To find what she is searching for. For the past few years, she has had wonderful experiences by “going within,” meditating, and discovering the Truth. The Truth reveals itself to itself by itself. She would like to share these experiences with you. She hopes that by reading her story, you also get inspired to “go within” and "discover" who you really are, and also find the authentic joy that resides within. She wishes you all patience and the best of luck on this path. Please know that this is the best thing and the most important thing that you can do for yourself. Ellie's website Transcript of this interview First interview with Ellie Interview recorded 5/12/2012 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Living in the Present Moment 00:04:54 - The Ignorance of Separation 00:10:06 - Dropping the Hypnosis, Recognizing the Truth 00:15:31 - The Analogy of the Finger and the Body 00:19:17 - The Shift in Perception 00:23:56 - The Drop into the Ocean 00:28:09 - Recognizing the Difference Between Truth and Fiction 00:32:09 - An Adorable Interruption 00:35:30 - The Joy of Dropping the Character 00:40:16 - Recognition of Truth in Silence 00:44:45 - The Experience of Stillness and Awakening to the Totality 00:49:05 - The Mystery of Who You Are 00:53:14 - The Maturity of the Mind 00:57:43 - Remembering Who You Are in Trying Circumstances 01:01:10 - Recognizing the Truth as the Diamond 01:04:35 - Recognizing the Limitations of the Mind 01:08:18 - The Illusion of Separation and Individual Missions 01:12:32 - The Power of Being Present 01:16:22 - Knowing the Source and Dropping Hypnosis 01:21:16 - Living the Truth 01:25:30 - Deep Interaction with Others 01:30:23 - Speaking to the Level of Consciousness 01:34:54 - Overcoming Fear and Finding Self 01:38:44 - The Courage to Face the Ultimate Truth 01:42:27 - The Witnessing State and Oneness 01:45:52 - The Indescribable Existence of the Source 01:49:48 - Starting over and finding the core question 01:54:11 - Recognition and Maturity of the Character 01:58:11 - The Truth of Oneness and Demolishing the Character 02:02:52 - Retreats and Interactions in Dubai and the UK 02:07:06 - Finding Ultimate Truth and Falling in Love with the Eternal

89. Karen Richards Sep 27, 2011

Show notes

In February 2008 at the age of thirty-three, Karen experienced a sudden and radical awakening. Prior to this realisation, no teachings or practices were followed – in fact at that time the terms non-duality and awakening were completely unfamiliar. This spontaneous realization presented itself during a period of intense emotional suffering and when demands in life exceeded Karen’s physical capability. Karen attempted to persevere in the face of these challenges, the consequence being a severely debilitating illness that affected physical functioning on every level. Although the illness had a devastating effect on life as it was then known, it seemed to create a space for a deeper reality to be recognized. As her state of health was so poor, Karen was unable to return to work – meaning that she spent a significant amount of time confined to her home. The effect of this period of solitude was profound surrender, allowing the realization to become deeply integrated into daily living. Two and a half years after the initial recognition, someone Karen didn’t know approached her for guidance, which really was the beginning of sharing in a more active way. Karen now shares openly with all those who wish to enquire into the true nature of reality. In the years prior to the realization, Karen has experienced challenges and disappointments that seem common to many. She is also a certified life coach and that, coupled with her nursing career has given her considerable experience of working with people from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. This has endowed her with the ability to empathize and understand life as it is to commonly experienced, making her easy to communicate with. Realization – from a human perspective – means that the unity beyond apparent diversity is remembered. Life can then be embraced fully and authentically – without contamination from the lens of the conditioned mind, bringing relief from all psychological suffering. An inevitable consequence of this recognition is the arising of compassion, love, and respect for life in all of its appearances – having an ever-deepening impact on the human experience. This has the direct consequence of transforming the world we see literally before our eyes, having a powerful healing effect on the planet as a whole. ‘May you rediscover who you truly are, for in that knowing lies liberation, peace, and wisdom. You are THAT for which you have been seeking’ Much love, Karen Richards Interview recorded 9/25/2011 Summary and Transcript of this interview. 2nd interview with Karen YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Karen Richards' Awakening Journey 00:03:14 - A Complete Mental and Physical Shutdown 00:06:29 - Early Inquiries into Life's Meaning 00:09:11 - Awakening and Spiritual Homework 00:11:36 - Awakening and Physical Incapacitation 00:13:57 - Awakening to Reality and the Shift in Consciousness 00:16:52 - Embracing Life and Responding 00:19:50 - Awakening and the Evolution of Experience 00:22:21 - The Journey of Embracing What's Always Here 00:25:02 - Living the Recognition Fresh 00:28:03 - The Knowing from the Heart vs. the Conditioned Aspect 00:30:48 - Making Spiritual Teachings Accessible 00:33:19 - Meeting People Where They Are 00:36:16 - The Flow of Water and Meeting People Where They Are 00:39:13 - Seeking Happiness in Things 00:42:00 - Awakening to Timeless Consciousness 00:45:02 - The Experience of Everything 00:47:31 - The Fluctuating Polarity of Awakening 00:50:37 - Living Realization from a Memory 00:53:14 - Experiential Recognition and Thought Identification 00:56:09 - Different Ways of Awakening 00:58:53 - Ramana Maharishi's Period of Integration 01:01:37 - Uncovering Conditioned Tendencies 01:04:29 - Uncovering Hidden Tendencies and Conditioning 01:07:40 - Recognizing Conditioned Patterns and Dissipating Tendencies 01:10:48 - The Illusion of Clarity and Cultural Conditioning

58. Mandi Solk Mar 04, 2011

Show notes

Due to technical problems, this video only contains still shots of Mandi, while Rick's video is normal. Mandi Solk lives in the picturesque town of Hebden Bridge in England, UK. She founded Nonduality-North six years ago in order to attract Nonduality Teachers to the North of England. Mandi is herself a Nonduality Teacher and has now handed Nonduality-North on so that she can concentrate on her own meetings and YouTube videos. She has written two books: 'The Joy of No Self', endorsed by Scott Kiloby and Jeff Foster Is-Ness Is Your Only Biz-Ness: Highly Potent Power-Poems with the Power to Transform, Inspire, Heal, and Awaken to Liberation Website Interview recorded 2/27/2011 2nd BatGap interview with Mandi Summary and Transcript of this interview. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Mandi Solk 00:02:49 - A Seeker's Journey 00:06:17 - Letting go in the face of death 00:09:20 - The Awakening and Change of Perspective 00:12:00 - Encased in a Wall of Terror 00:15:01 - Profound Silence and Non-Events 00:17:45 - The Loving Way of Finding Your True Self 00:20:56 - Finding Stillness in Meditation 00:23:47 - Meditation Rigidities 00:26:13 - The Practice of Meditation 00:28:51 - The Absence of the Doer 00:31:54 - Embracing the Present Moment 00:35:16 - Observing Fear and Anxiety 00:38:41 - The Naturalness of Detachment 00:41:24 - Embracing all Emotions in Nonduality 00:44:12 - Living Life Fully 00:46:43 - Unraveling the tendency to take thoughts too seriously 00:49:16 - Scott's Shadow Work and Personal Growth 00:51:49 - The Nature of Aliveness 00:54:20 - Dwelling in the State of Presence 00:57:17 - The Generosity of the Way to God 01:00:02 - Gradual Realizations and Seeing Beyond Separation 01:02:43 - The Two Ways of Awakening 01:05:25 - Spontaneous awakenings and the path to self-discovery 01:07:44 - The Experience of Absolute Love and God's Presence 01:10:35 - Be Still and Know That I Am God 01:13:17 - The Possibility of Awakening 01:15:41 - Nonduality accessible to all 01:18:03 - Private Realization and Ordinary Life 01:20:40 - The Value of Diversity of Perspectives 01:22:57 - Healing by Revealing Soul Website

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