Periodically on this blog, I mention an interview on Buddha at the Gas Pump. The host Rick Archer has been interviewing “ordinary spiritually awakening people” since 2009, although it took a few months for the current format to develop. At first, they were indeed just ordinary people Rick knew in his circles. But soon, finding new interviewees for the weekly show that were both willing to speak publicly and able to share their experience in a clear way became more challenging.
He requested recommendations and many suggested spiritual teachers they knew. Increasingly well-known teachers shared. And because the theme is more on the personal experience than a teaching, that aspect of ordinary continues as a theme. And that is what Rick set out to do – make it clear that awakening was really, finally happening to many ordinary people.
The interviews became a cornucopia of people and traditions. This is illustrated by the Categorical index of prior interviewees. After his list of suggested interviewees surpassed 1,000, he closed the list. Rick also regularly goes to the Science and NonDuality conference and does interviews in person there. And that’s why he’s able to offer to introduce my talk.
I’ve followed Rick’s work since early on, participated in related discussions and helped a bit with his web site. This fall Rick has a long discussed trip to the Pacific Northwest to do several interviews in person and I’ll be taking that further step out of the closet and doing an interview. Not having discussed my own process so publicly before, it will be more comfortable in person.
It will be an eventful fall.
Davidya
Last Updated on September 6, 2015 by
Sounds exciting, David!
Davidya, you have been such a mighty helper behind the scenes for so long, I am just delighted that you are receiving more acknowledgment as an Enlightenment Coach.
Having also had the privilege of being interviewed by Rick Archer for Batgap, I can tell you it’s a bit strange. Like you, I have had a very long history in this lifetime (and beyond) at being a spiritual teacher.
It’s quite unusual to speak as a person and share one’s “story.”
You are also someone who deeply understands what I call “Householder Enlightenment” — and I will be fascinated to learn if you mention that in any way. It runs so deeply counter-culture for renunciate-oriented conversations about Enlightenment.
Hey, I’ll be fascinated to hear EVERYTHING that you say, Davidya.
Thanks, Eddie. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds. There is often a massive surge in contacts after an interview and other such effects.
Hi Rose
Yes, there’s a big difference between speaking to what one has learned, as on this blog, and speaking to how that framework arose personally. And doing that for a large audience.
At first, I rejected the value of doing such a thing but have seen over time that sharing the diversity of this process helps break a lot of conceptual boxes for people. And it brings it down from the ivory towers, much as your work does as well.
How the interview will unfold is anyones guess. Rick does a lot of research and has seen my comments on many subjects over the years. He also likes to play a little devils advocate. 😉
One of the reasons I’ve been driven to understand the underlying process was because my own process didn’t unfold the way my tradition was teaching it.
And one of the messages I’m trying to counter is that renunciate approach. I stumbled on it myself. So part of the conference talk will be about how the higher stages grow out of normal stages of development we’ve all experienced.
Hard to say how much of that will come out in the interview itself. But we’ll probably touch on it some.
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