Buddha at the Gas Pump

Dan Harris is the author of 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story.The book was published in March 2014 and appeared number 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. His most recent book is Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book. He hosts the 10% Happier podcast. He was named co-anchor of ABC News' "Nightline" in October 2013. He is also co-anchor of the weekend edition of "Good Morning America," a position he has held since October 2010. As well, Harris files reports for "World News with David Muir," "Good Morning America," ABC News Digital and ABC News Radio. For four years, he anchored "World News Sunday." Harris joined ABC News in March 2000 and has covered many of the biggest stories in recent years. He reported on the mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, Aurora, Colorado and Tucson, Arizona, and natural disasters from Haiti to Myanmar to New Orleans. He has also covered combat in Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, and has made six visits to Iraq. He has traveled around the globe for ABC News, embedding with an isolated Amazonian Indian tribe, questioning drug lords in the lawless slums of Rio, and confronting the head of Philip Morris International over the sale of cigarettes to Indonesian minors. Harris has made it a priority to shine a light on the world's most vulnerable populations, producing stories about child slaves in Haiti, youths accused of witchcraft in the Congo and predatory pedophiles who travel from the U.S. to Cambodia. He has also covered endangered animals from such diverse datelines as Namibia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea and Nepal. Domestically, Harris has led ABC News' coverage of faith, with a particular focus on the evangelical movement. He scored one of the first interviews with former pastor Ted Haggard after his sex and drugs scandal. He has also interviewed Mormon apostles, Roman Catholic cardinals, self-help gurus, and atheists. Harris has been honored several times for his journalistic contributions. He received an Edward R. Murrow Award for his reporting on a young Iraqi man who received the help he needed in order to move to America, and in 2009 won an Emmy Award for his "Nightline" report, "How to Buy a Child in Ten Hours." In 2013, he received the ASPCA's Presidential Service Award for Media Excellence. Summary and Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 8/3/2014 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Interview with Dan Harris 00:02:16 - The Train That Can't Be Stopped 00:04:40 - Mixed Reactions to the Video 00:06:21 - The Dark Path and Self-Medication 00:08:23 - The Connection between Adrenaline and Panic Attacks 00:10:18 - Diving into the World of Religion 00:12:45 - Introduction to Eckhart Tolle and His Book 00:15:15 - The Voice in Your Head 00:17:04 - The Claims of Tole and Weber 00:18:30 - The Confusing Nature of the Interviewee 00:20:18 - Persecution of Outliers in Society 00:22:02 - Challenging Our Subconscious Judgments 00:23:41 - The Limitations of Articulating Truth 00:25:19 - Frustration with the Self-Help Universe 00:27:00 - The Problem with Positive Thinking 00:28:45 - The Problem with "Positive Thinking" 00:30:39 - The Power of Cognitive-based Spiritual Practices 00:32:36 - The Science Behind Meditation and Overcoming Skepticism 00:35:06 - Deepak Chopra's Charisma and Likability 00:36:56 - Dive into Buddhist Meditation 00:39:05 - Discovering the Benefits of Meditation 00:41:42 - The Effects of Meditation on Happiness 00:43:59 - Getting Lost in Meditation 00:46:27 - Finding Ambition and Contentment 00:49:11 - Balancing Ambition and Acceptance 00:51:40 - Living in the Present and Letting Go of the Outcome 00:54:02 - Spirituality in the Lives of Regular People 00:56:37 - The Connection Between Individual Minds and Global Issues 00:58:44 - The Sacred Dimension of Existence 01:01:22 - Challenging Worldviews through Meditation 01:03:56 - About Batgap.com

Linda was born in Sydney in 1958. She had virtually no interest in meditation or spiritual matters until at the age of 37 she was introduced to Peter Jones, an enlightened man who became her first teacher. This meeting was an intense experience for her. There was a depth to the communication she had not experienced before, and it triggered a search for freedom, which was soon the major focus of her life. At this time she had two teenage children and was running a small business, but she managed to make time for intensive meditation. In 1997 she had a profound awakening during a ten-day retreat in northern New South Wales with Peter Jones. She later described the experience as ‘deeper than bliss’. She meditated with Peter Jones whenever she could, and also regularly spent time with the enlightened teacher Barry Long. During this time she met the Japanese Zen Master, Hogen Yamahata, who also impressed her with his deeply enlightened presence and humility. Early in 2003 Peter told Linda that she would reach the depth of enlightenment with or without a teacher. She still had a strong desire for extended periods of meditation practice, and at that time Peter was not able to offer this, so she started attending retreats led by Hogen Yamahata. For the next two years she practised with Hogen-san and attended his Zen retreats as often as possible. She was also in close contact with Peter. In 2004 she travelled to Japan and spent six weeks at a Zen monastery with Hogen-san’s Master, Harada Tangen Roshi, known as Roshi Sama. Her time with him was intense. She sensed she was close to the culmination of her journey. She returned to Australia in a deeply detached, peaceful state. Roshi Sama gave her the name Dai’an Jishin, which translates as ‘deep peace, compassionate heart/mind’. Her search ended during a ten-day retreat with Hogen-san at Springbrook, in the mountains behind the Gold Coast in Queensland. Website: simplemeditation.net Summary and Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 8/2/2014 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Linda Clare 00:04:26 - The Fear of Becoming Enlightened 00:08:09 - Confronting Fear and Enlightenment 00:12:40 - Facing fear and discomfort during meditation 00:16:30 - The Journey to Enlightenment 00:19:22 - The Shock of Awakening and Adjusting to the Absolute State 00:23:33 - Anesthesia and Enlightenment 00:26:29 - The Desire for Enlightenment 00:30:26 - Expanded Awareness and Perception 00:34:15 - The Whirlwind of Amma's Activity 00:37:41 - The Necessity of Meditation and Relationship with a Teacher 00:41:40 - The Shock of Realization and the Need for Preparation 00:46:06 - Physiological Transformation During Enlightenment 00:49:59 - Tapas: Burning off the Dross 00:53:44 - Appreciating the Absolute and Relative 00:58:01 - Living in the Present Moment 01:01:13 - The Overratedness of Thinking 01:04:48 - The Intelligence of the Body and Nature 01:08:27 - Love and Freedom from Fear 01:11:58 - The Experience of Connection and Oneness 01:15:16 - Student Enlightenment and the Beauty of Transformation 01:19:07 - Staying Aware and Avoiding Pitfalls 01:23:33 - Discovering the Teacher and the Path 01:27:30 - Peter Jones and Studying in Japan 01:31:02 - Gradual Realization of the Shocking Experience 01:35:03 - Overcoming Fear and Realizing the Unknown 01:39:09 - The Connection between Determination and Enlightenment 01:42:28 - The Impact on Relationships 01:46:13 - Opportunities for Retreats and Sessions 01:48:43 - Conclusion and Wrap-up 01:51:36 - Interview with Dan Harris

Without doubt, it is everyone’s potential and natural birthright to eternally experience the full knowledge and pure joy of Unbounded Awareness, where absolutely nothing is excluded, day to day, year after year. Universal-to-personal existence becomes revealed as layer after layer of Absolute intelligence, all eternally humming as my —and everyone’s—movement of pure consciousness. Eyes open or closed, submerged in an ocean of wholeness, where any stream of the love of my heart, the knowledge of my mind or flow of my senses is an obvious stir or expansion in the whole eternal sea of oneness. Here pure knowingness is so pervasive that there is nothing else that is known; but because it is pure knowledge, there is an experiencer, and this knower, by virtue of the internal structure of knowingness, naturally radiates infinite qualities to unboundedness, and thereby I—we—exist as eternal existence itself with our particular individuality and universality in complete connectedness. The entire field of our lives, from pure silence to the divine subtle levels, to our daily activity, is designed to be enjoyed, appreciated and known, all simultaneously, as the wonderful, unified totality of differences that it truly is. Book: The Landscape of Enlightenment: With Doors and Windows to Our World Websites: http://harriaalto.com http://aaltodesign.com Transcript of this interview Other interviews First BatGap interview with Harri. Third BatGap interview with Harri. Harri Aalto, in Panel Discussion on Refined Perception Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded 7/19/2014 Recent note from Harri: Discussion Group Invitation I've been hosting consciousness discussion groups for several years and invite you to join. Learn more on my Facebook or website. These groups uniquely blend people experiencing realized states with seekers at various stages, accelerating everyone's growth. I've observed that simply discussing these experiences creates immediate positive shifts in participants' awareness. What makes our groups effective is the multi-perspective discussions that foster rich exchanges between participants. Participant Feedback: "The discussions have gradually opened me into both a felt sense and ever-deepening understanding of the eternal oneness." —RL "I feel more awake, alive and curious... increased power and stability in my Presence." —JB "I now appreciate that self-realization is not only natural and simple, but I have had this experience for quite some time and just didn't know it." —WH "I have recognized that I am in this surrounding love all the time in various degrees of clarity." —LVT "My primary insight was that I, and many seekers, have already realized the experience of the Self without being aware of it." —ATL For more content, visit my YouTube channel. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Response to First Interview 00:05:01 - The Ocean of Consciousness and its Fluctuations 00:10:00 - Recognizing Consciousness 00:15:21 - The Speech of Enlightenment 00:19:34 - Unity of Pure Consciousness and Daily Life 00:26:07 - The Mechanics of Creation and the Nature of Consciousness 00:31:58 - The Continuum of Consciousness 00:37:26 - Infinite Intelligence in Creation 00:42:54 - The Continuum of Consciousness 00:47:36 - The Illusion of Subtle Layers 00:52:46 - The search for the self 00:57:43 - The Value of Experience Within the Self 01:03:10 - The Structure of Consciousness and Pure Consciousness 01:07:16 - The Silence of Pure Consciousness 01:12:24 - The Evolution of Consciousness and the Presence of God 01:18:04 - Connecting with the Growth of Love 01:23:31 - The Reverberation of Pure Consciousness 01:27:36 - The Function of Memory and Consciousness 01:32:30 - The Resonance of Truth 01:38:04 - The Universe and Consciousness 01:43:27 - The Question of Free Will and Determinism 01:48:44 - The Elephant Analogy and Overcoming Personal Challenges 01:54:29 - The Function of Subtle Levels of Creation 01:58:50 - The realization of being everything and writing a book 02:01:52 - The Potential for Self-Realization 02:05:33 - The Joy of Exploring the Possibilities Within Pure Consciousness 02:09:50 - The Unfolding of Experience 02:13:15 - Embracing Different Perspectives 02:17:17 - The Experience of Pure Consciousness and the I-ness 02:21:27 - Concluding Remarks 02:24:59 - Wrapping Up the Podcast

Bernardo Kastrup has a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering and has worked as a scientist in some of the world's foremost research laboratories, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the "Casimir Effect" of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). He has authored many scientific papers and four philosophy books: Rationalist Spirituality, Dreamed up Reality, Meaning in Absurdity, and Why Materialism Is Baloney. This latter book is a grand synthesis of his metaphysical views. Bernardo has also been an entrepreneur and founder of two high-tech businesses. Today, he holds a managerial position in the high-tech industry. In parallel, he maintains a philosophy blog, an audio/video podcast, and continues to develop his ideas about the nature of reality. Bernardo has lived and worked in four different countries across continents. Books: Why Materialism Is Baloney: How True Skeptics Know There Is No Death and Fathom Answers to life, the Universe, and Everything Meaning in Absurdity: What bizarre phenomena can tell us about the nature of reality Dreamed Up Reality: Diving into the Mind to Uncover the Astonishing Hidden Tale of Nature Rationalist Spirituality: An exploration of the meaning of life and existence informed by logic and science More Than Allegory: On Religious Myth, Truth And Belief Website: bernardokastrup.com Youtube Channel Blog post written by Bernardo after our interview (and relevant to it). Important article: The Physicalist Worldview as Neurotic Ego-Defense Mechanism Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 7/12/2014 Second Batgap interview with Bernardo. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction & Background 00:05:18 - The Path of Intellectual Discernment 00:10:39 - Defining Materialism and Consciousness 00:15:35 - Brain Function and Subjective Experience 00:20:22 - The Mistake of Materialists and the Localization of Mind 00:25:21 - Consciousness as the Ultimate Reality 00:30:37 - The Consciousness of a Glass of Water 00:35:26 - The Difference Between Water Flowing and Forming a Whirlpool 00:39:30 - The Glass of Water and Consciousness 00:43:46 - Materiality and Consciousness 00:47:56 - The Danger of Objectifying Consciousness 00:52:03 - The process of splitting off 00:56:06 - The Nature of Consciousness and Self-Recognition 01:00:07 - The Excitation of Mind and Self-Reflection 01:04:14 - The Dreamer and the Dream 01:08:13 - The Localization of Consciousness 01:12:10 - The Whirlpool and the Ripples 01:15:58 - The individuation of consciousness 01:20:18 - The Meaning of Reality and Consciousness 01:24:17 - A Hierarchy of Localization, a Hierarchy of Self-Reflection 01:28:23 - Mind as a Vibrating Membrane 01:32:40 - Existential Experience of Pure Unmanifest Existence 01:36:44 - The Illusion of Reality and the Nature of Mind 01:40:56 - The Truth in Illusions 01:45:04 - The Natural Unfolding Process 01:49:08 - The Battle between Intellect and Intuition 01:53:14 - The Crack in the Armor of the Ego 01:57:19 - Seeking Enlightenment through Different Paths 02:01:29 - Embracing the Unknown Journey 02:05:25 - Spiritual Awakening and Ordinary Perspective 02:09:27 - Harri Alto Returns by Popular Demand

Marlies Cocheret de la Morinière brings a potent invitation into the deep Silence that we are. She has been offering satsang and retreat since 2000 when her root teacher, Adyashanti, asked her to teach. Marlies is trained as a psychologist in The Netherlands and works as a certified Hakomi practitioner and a certified Tantric educator. She invites all seekers to live as the Divine in the body. She brings together Sensuality and the Silence of our Being.  With love, directness and humor Marlies creates a safe place for seekers to discover and deepen into the Stillness and Love that is our True Nature. She works internationally and lives in Santa Cruz, California. Marlies' website: marliescocheret.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 7/5/2014 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Struggling with Pronunciation 00:04:51 - Discovering Osho and Going to India 00:08:44 - The Human Side of Gurus 00:12:52 - A Transformative Experience with Osho 00:16:20 - The Deep Silence of Adya 00:20:20 - The Power of Transmission and Silence 00:24:47 - Discovering Stillness and Silence 00:28:44 - The Importance of Practice 00:33:08 - The Solvent of Realizing True Nature 00:37:00 - Realizing Something Beyond the Human 00:40:07 - The Awakening Process and the Power of Stillness 00:44:35 - A Journey of Healing and Self-Discovery 00:48:43 - The Deepening Process of Awakening 00:53:05 - The Beauty of Beginner's Mind 00:57:00 - The Challenge of Calming the Nervous System 01:00:32 - Exploring Tantra with Sri M 01:04:33 - Sexuality and Tantra 01:09:06 - Shankara's Divine Intervention 01:12:56 - Sacred Sexuality and Healing 01:16:54 - Healing and Awakening 01:21:27 - Total Inclusiveness and Following Orders 01:24:38 - The Method of Realms Therapy and Mindfulness Experiments 01:27:36 - Studying with Sharon Lentrit and a Week-Long Retreat 01:30:55 - A new ingredient in the soup 01:34:44 - Embracing the Essence of All That Is 01:38:47 - Being Authentic as a Teacher 01:42:58 - Understanding Enlightenment 01:46:32 - Liberation and Enlightenment 01:49:52 - Overflowing Generosity and Gratitude 01:53:12 - Interview with Marlies Cocheret de la Mourinière 01:55:49 - Traveling Europe, UK, and Ireland

Peter holds degrees in theoretical physics, experimental psychology, and computer science from the University of Cambridge, England, where he was a student of Stephen Hawking. Following university he went to India, to study meditation and Eastern philosophy. In the 1970s, he pioneered the introduction of personal growth programs to corporations, running courses for senior management on creativity, stress management and sustainable development. He coined the term "global brain" with his 1980s bestseller of the same name in which he predicted the Internet and the impact it would have on humanity. His other books, which include Waking Up in Time: Finding Inner Peace in Times of Accelerating Change, and From Science to God: A Physicist's Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness, and his visual presentations and videos have won international acclaim and awards. Peter's work integrates Eastern and Western understandings of the mind, exploring their relevance to the world today and to humanity's future. Peter's website: peterrussell.com Peter's YouTube channel 2nd BatGap interview with Peter Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview conducted 6/28/2014 Transcript of this interview. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Background 00:03:32 - The Fascination with Hydrogen and Consciousness 00:06:53 - The Dilution of Concepts and the Loss of Essence 00:10:24 - Challenging the Paradigm 00:13:41 - The Anomaly in the Existing Model 00:16:57 - The Anomaly of Consciousness 00:20:26 - The Mistake of Separating Consciousness 00:24:03 - The Construction of Reality 00:27:49 - The Universe as an Aware Field of Being 00:31:04 - The Field of Consciousness 00:34:34 - The Excitations of Consciousness 00:38:12 - Consciousness and the Experience of Reality 00:41:31 - Yoga: The Return to Connection 00:45:22 - Science and Spirituality 00:48:58 - Inner Exploration of Consciousness 00:52:07 - Exploring the Inner World with Scientific Approach 00:55:56 - The Importance of Inner Development and Balance 00:59:13 - The Impact of Human Consciousness 01:02:47 - The Collective Awakening and Access to Spiritual Wisdom 01:06:10 - The Catastrophic Risks of Climate Change 01:09:39 - Finding Peace Within 01:12:59 - Connecting with the Essence of the Cosmos 01:16:48 - The Marvel of Creation 01:20:23 - The Complexity of the Universe and the Purpose of Being 01:24:07 - Intelligence and Awareness in the Natural World 01:27:31 - Formation of Stable Structures 01:31:14 - The Processing of Information in Cells and Awareness 01:34:55 - The Mathematics Inherent in the Fabric of Creation 01:38:20 - The Fluidity of Understanding and the Openness to Change 01:41:37 - Concluding Remarks & Interaction Opportunities 01:45:12 - A Discussion with Peter

Richard Lang first saw who he really was in a workshop in 1970 with the English philosopher Douglas Harding, author of ‘On Having No Head’. Since then he has devoted his life to Seeing, and to sharing the simple, accessible Headless Way. He has published two books, several videos, and a CD, and travels widely giving workshops. Books by Richard Lang: Seeing Who You Really Are Open to the Source: Selected Teachings of Douglas E. Harding Website: headless.org A free e-course in seeing Who we really are YouTube Channel Other books by Douglas Harding: Religions of the World (Liberal Studies) Look for Yourself: The Science and Art of Self-Realization The Hierarchy of Heaven and Earth Head Off Stress The Little Book of Life and Death The Science of the 1st Person The Trial Of The Man Who Said He Was God The Spectre in the Lake Visible Gods Face to No-Face: Rediscovering Our Original Nature To Be And Not To Be, That Is The Answer Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 21, 2014 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Richard Lang and The Headless Way 00:03:18 - The Headless Way: Unpacking the Experience 00:06:46 - Layers of Being and Identity 00:10:15 - The Headless Body and the Visible Center 00:14:12 - Discovery of the Hierarchy 00:18:00 - Profound Impact of the Experiments 00:22:10 - Mechanical Self-Inquiry with Ramana Maharshi 00:26:33 - The Way of Seeing 00:30:18 - The Four Stages of Life: The Baby and the Child 00:33:35 - The Journey of Self-Identification 00:37:46 - Seeking to Rediscover the Whole 00:41:29 - The Process of Growing and Learning 00:45:28 - The Creative Process and the Great Void 00:49:06 - Embracing the Self in the Mirror 00:53:01 - The Experience of Nothingness and One Eye 00:57:18 - Awareness of Thoughts and Feelings 01:01:36 - Sense of Being Un-contained 01:06:26 - The Development of Separate Minds 01:10:36 - The Dual Awareness of Self 01:14:50 - The Essence and Expression of Beautiful Beings 01:18:37 - Awakening of the Senses 01:22:41 - The Perspective of Oneness and Love 01:26:23 - Inner Peace in Tumultuous Situations 01:30:26 - Recognizing Inner Nature and Taking Refuge in It 01:34:50 - The Capacity for Sensations and Nothingness 01:39:27 - The confidence of the One 01:43:17 - The Unity of Mind and Body 01:47:12 - Eating Mangoes and the Workshop Experience 01:50:42 - The Spree-cast and the Value of Sharing 01:54:33 - Concluding Remarks and Thank You 01:58:12 - Books by Richard and Douglas Harding Save

After experiencing two, close, broad-daylight UFO sightings, Darryl’s path led him to become a channel for an extraterrestrial entity called Bashar. Darryl has channeled Bashar internationally for the past 30 years, providing powerful methods by which people can change their lives in positive ways. Bashar’s information has been published in over 20 books in the U.S. and Japan and hundreds of CDs and DVDs have been distributed worldwide by April Rochelle, CEO of Bashar Communications. In addition to his channeling career, Darryl also has over 30 years of experience in miniature effects, storyboards, sets, and designs on three Star Trek films, Iron Man, The Aviator, Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End, I Robot, Live Free or Die Hard and Flags of our Fathers among several others. Darryl is now writing, directing, and producing his own films, including "Dearly Departed" - a fictional documentary shot as if the crew took a camera into the afterlife and interviewed the spirits of people who've passed on to get their insights on life after death. Darryl is developing a number of other feature film projects along with his wife and co-producer, Erica Jordan, at their Los Angeles production company and is currently going into production with April at Bashar Communications on a documentary called “First Contact” that chronicles his encounters with Bashar and how the UFO sightings set him on the path to becoming a channel. Books: Bashar: Blueprint for Change: A Message from Our Future Quest for Truth: 100 Insights That Could Change Your Life Dearly Departed Contact Cards: An Extraterrestrial Divination System Tuning In The new meta-physics Website: bashar.org Transcripts of this interview English Spanish Interview recorded June 14, 2014. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Skepticism vs. Cynicism 00:04:11 - Introduction to Channeling and UFO Sightings 00:07:36 - The Beginnings of Channeling 00:10:58 - The Evolution of Channeling 00:14:33 - Demonstrating the Brain Differences in Channeling State 00:17:54 - Channeling with the Right Education 00:22:01 - Negative Energy and Belief Systems 00:25:58 - The Positive and Negative Forces Within Us 00:30:22 - Internal Work and Higher Frequencies 00:34:22 - Bashar's Surprising Information 00:38:11 - The Inevitability of Probable Futures 00:42:14 - Free Will vs Destiny and the Experience of Existence 00:46:01 - Activation of the Merkaba 00:50:10 - The Multidimensional Universe 00:54:06 - Interconnection between Realities 00:57:55 - The Power of Acting on Excitement 01:01:51 - Following Your Excitement 01:05:28 - The Capacity of the Higher Mind 01:09:03 - Perspectives and Alignment with the Self 01:13:03 - Life as a Work in Progress 01:16:51 - Being Complete in the Present Moment 01:20:50 - The Power and Economy of Creation 01:25:07 - Perspectives on Time and Space 01:29:10 - Space-time Travel and Redefining Locational Variables 01:33:33 - Teleportation and Traveling in Sports Cars 01:37:03 - The Experience of Slippage in Space and Time 01:40:50 - The Opportunity in Negativity 01:44:34 - Different interpretations of a heavenly life 01:48:32 - The Validity of the Belief System 01:52:00 - Future Projects and Private Sessions 01:55:23 - Support and Appreciation

Daniel Ingram is the author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book, is one of the founders of the Dharma Overground, has been a speaker and interviewee on Buddhist Geeks, and practices Emergency Medicine as a physician. He is highly influenced by the practices of Mahasi Sayadaw, but his interest in the dharma is much more pragmatic than dogmatic and draws on a wide range of sources. Longer, more tongue-in-cheek bio: Daniel is an extroverted Gen X intellectual. He is known for his pronounced enthusiasm, lip-flapping, grandiosity, eccentricity, and calling people on their stuff and shadow sides regardless of whether or not this is helpful or even accurate. He is an arahant and has a solid mastery of the basic concentration states from the first jhana to Nirodha Samapatti, including the Pure Land Jhanas. He also has a solid knowledge of Buddhist theory and the texts, and because of these three areas of expertise considers himself a qualified teacher. He was also authorized and encouraged to teach by a lineaged abbot of the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition. Website: The Dharma Overground Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 6/7/2014 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Daniel Ingram and his book 00:05:53 - Different Models of Awakening and Enlightenment 00:11:49 - The Importance of Being Present in all Aspects of Life 00:17:08 - The Serts Paradox and the Emptiness/Fullness Debate 00:22:33 - Vedic Tradition and Different Cognitive Abilities 00:28:02 - The Potential for Misdiagnosis and the Importance of Maps and Teachers 00:33:41 - The Danger of Diagnosing Friends and Family 00:39:30 - The Nature of Reality and Intuition 00:46:45 - The Importance of a Spiritual Renaissance 00:54:21 - The Power of Subtle Changes in Society and Technology 01:02:49 - Integrating Meditation into Religious Traditions 01:11:15 - Finding Balance and Wellness 01:15:35 - The Deepening Interest in Spirituality 01:19:48 - The Problem of Psychopaths and Power 01:24:54 - Selling Spirituality: The Challenges of Advertising Meditation 01:29:16 - Balancing Honesty and Salesmanship in the Spiritual Community 01:33:40 - The Persecution of Mystics 01:38:02 - Profound Experiences in Catholic Churches 01:42:25 - Perceiving Different Realms and Beings 01:45:54 - Enhancing Function and Mental States 01:48:33 - Luminous, intelligent entities 01:51:42 - Pragmatic and Experiential Perspectives on Supernatural Experiences 01:54:24 - Exploring stages of development and awakenings 01:57:57 - The Stages of Awakening 02:01:04 - Transformation and the Elimination of Rites and Rituals 02:05:20 - Dissolving the Sense of Self 02:10:00 - Questioning Enlightenment 02:13:55 - Embracing the Richness and Freshness of Life 02:18:02 - The Incredible Intelligence in the Universe 02:22:15 - The Wonder of Creation and Manifestation 02:25:26 - How to Support the Channel

Karen Johnson is a co-founder of the Diamond Approach as it is taught in the Ridhwan School, a contemporary original spiritual understanding and path, expressing timeless wisdom on self-realization using the insights of our time. She is a colleague and friend of Hameed Ali (A.H. Almaas). Her life is dedicated to the discovery of inner freedom and sharing the treasures with humankind. In this interview, we discussed how the Diamond Approach is evolving, what differentiates it from other traditions, and the most recent developments of the past 15 years, about which Karen and Hameed have only recently begun to teach, speak and write. Neither the depths of spirit nor the surface of the mundane world can adequately express what reality is and what is possible for each of us. How can our human lives be both the arena for spiritual practice and enlightenment, and the occasion for our true being to express its infinite possibilities? When we realize that we are each the miracle of matter and spirit and at the same time we are neither, our everyday ordinary experiences can become doorways to further possibilities of reality, of awakening to our spiritual potential in its endless possibilities. True Being lives through the particulars of our lives, utilizing them to reveal its potentialities. The Diamond Approach explores how to use our personal situations as occasions for practice and learning, and as opportunities for expression of our finer spiritual qualities. It enables people to work with their everyday experiences of work, relationships, play, creativity, love, sex and so on to learn to be the transcendent living a human life. Its students learn to employ each particular situation within this world to go beyond it in a way that includes it. Inclusive transcendence enables our human consciousness to view reality beyond the concepts of duality and nonduality. Each particular situation affords us the opportunity to use its energies and forces to liberate and optimize our experience. Following such path, it becomes natural to be of help to others and to life in general. Book: The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life Website: ridhwan.org Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded 5/31/2014 Karen Johnson and Hameed Ali (A.H. Almaas) on Nondual Relationships at the SAND conference. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Karen Johnson and the Diamond Approach 00:03:14 - The Beginnings of Spiritual Awakening 00:05:53 - Childhood Experiences with Seeing Auras 00:09:03 - The Significance of Refined Perception 00:12:43 - Energy Information and Exchange 00:15:59 - The Essence of Spiritual Development in Ridwan School 00:19:19 - Meeting Hamid and the Beginning of a Journey towards Awakening 00:22:46 - Awakening of Presence 00:27:00 - The Evolution of the Working Relationship 00:31:46 - The Evolution of Work and Relationships 00:36:03 - Being's Guiding Intelligence 00:39:26 - The Energy of Mollusks in Teaching 00:42:46 - The Curriculum and Practices in the Ridwan School 00:48:48 - Different Perspectives and Dimensions of Spiritual Experience 00:54:24 - The Gray Night of the Soul 00:57:05 - Opening up the realm of the freedom vehicle 01:01:18 - The Development and Integration of Spiritual Experiences 01:04:54 - Acting Like a Normal Human Being 01:09:11 - The Deeper Realities and Fluidity of View 01:13:40 - Fluidity and Growth in Understanding Reality 01:17:14 - The Dynamism of Different Traditions 01:20:02 - The Possibilities of the Unimagined 01:23:33 - Discovering Freedom and Possibilities 01:26:31 - The Recognition of Life and Death 01:29:32 - The Individual and the Ocean of Consciousness 01:33:12 - Exploring Other Realms and Traditions 01:36:08 - The Experience of Featurelessness 01:39:19 - Varying Degrees of Impressionability 01:42:24 - Embracing Differences and Discernment 01:45:35 - Closing Remarks and Farewell 01:47:47 - Farewell and Closing Music