A.H. Almaas, founder of the Diamond Approach to Self-Realization, speaks about Nondual Love, the five dimensions of our fundamental nature, the differences between individual love and nondual love, the importance of being human, and knowing yourself as a 'boundless ocean of nectar'.
Love encompasses qualities of goodness, beauty, and generosity, shared by all its forms.
Non-dual love is an expansive experience that recognizes the unity and interconnectedness of everything.
Deep dives
The Trilogy on Love and the Origins of Non-Dual Love
Hamid Ali discusses his trilogy of books on love and its origins. He explains that initially, he focused on putting out new and useful knowledge in the spiritual field that is not usually spoken of. However, over time, he realized the importance of addressing love more directly and exploring its various forms and experiences. He wanted to show that his teaching incorporates love and how it views, experiences, and uses love. He also wanted to discuss the logical nature of love, exploring the inner experience and phenomenology of love, which is often overlooked in spiritual literature.
The Essence of Love and its Common Thread
Hamid Ali delves into the essence of love, highlighting some of its key qualities. He emphasizes that love is inherently good, seeking the happiness and well-being of others. Love is also intimately connected to beauty, opening our eyes to appreciate and value things. Furthermore, love is characterized by generosity, selflessness, and giving. It goes beyond material gifts and encompasses the giving of oneself, time, heart, and knowledge. While different expressions and forms of love exist, these qualities of goodness, beauty, and generosity are shared by all forms of love.
Non-Dual Love: The Boundless Nature of Love
Hamid Ali introduces the concept of non-dual love, describing it as an expansive and boundless experience. Non-dual love goes beyond individual expressions of personal love and encompasses a realization of the unity and interconnectedness of everything. It is a recognition that the entire universe is an expression of love, a heart of God, and that separateness is an illusion. Hamid explains that experiencing non-dual love involves overcoming the sense of being a separate individual and recognizing the limitless nature of love that permeates all of existence.
Working with the Challenges of Non-Dual Love
Hamid Ali addresses the challenges and obstacles that arise in cultivating non-dual love. He highlights the issues of separateness, the rejection of goodness, and greed. Separateness involves letting go of the idea of being a separate individual and overcoming the defenses that come with it. The rejection of goodness refers to the anger or disappointment towards the divine that may arise due to suffering or unfulfilled expectations. Greed, stemming from a feeling of lack, requires recognizing the abundance of love and letting go of the need for more. By working through these challenges, one can move towards embracing the non-dual dimension of love.
Host Michael Taft speaks with teacher, author, and founder of the Diamond Approach to Self-Realization A. H. Almaas on the topic of Nondual Love, the qualities of awareness itself, the five dimensions of our fundamental nature, the differences between individual love and nondual love, the importance of being human, and how to know yourself as a “boundless ocean of nectar.”
A. Hameed Ali, whose pen name is A. H. Almaas, is founder of the Diamond Approach to Self-Realization, a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of both ancient spiritual teachings and modern depth psychology theories. Almaas has authored eighteen books about spiritual realization, including the Diamond Heart series, The Pearl Beyond Price, The Void, and The Alchemy of Freedom.