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