Category Archives: Podcast

Nested Dharma, Nested Karma

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Nest by Furtwangl

Down on the level of Buddhi, the intellect and intuition, the interactions of the fine devata create relationships. These structure the subtle or sacred geometry that defines the forms of our world. These subtle structures are composed of sutras or threads of light. We can describe them as structured flows of light, feeling, and sound. Those fine threads are sustained by tubes, like insulation on a wire. Flowing attention curves back on itself in a spiral down the thread, creating a tube. These tubes are embodied as subtle life-forms known as nagas. These are ancient and benevolent beings, quite different … Continue Reading… →

The Sex Chakra

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bears kiss

Sex is fundamental to our nature as humans. We have an imperative to reproduce. Most cultures set expectations around sex to ensure healthy outcomes. For example, a committed relationship. This ensures the resulting off-spring are cared for and people are treated respectfully. Too often, expectations become rules that lead to suppression. The powerful energies of creativity are distorted by unnatural guidelines. For example, in the grand cycles of time, spirituality came to emphasize renunciation and celibacy. Yet only a small percent of the population is suited to long-term celibacy. Adopting it inappropriately leads to it leaking out in unhealthy ways. … Continue Reading… →

Vulnerability

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Vulnerability by Rabiem22

The third chakra or power center in our upper belly shows up in several ways. In the first style, it operates in a mode of forced protection. We seek to control, to influence others, to compete or dominate, to get what I want, to be the fittest, and so forth. We grasp at what we want and resist and suppress what we don’t want. In the second style, we fall into a more passive protection. We feel powerless, submissive, and have difficulty making choices. We seek others to help us but they are often the first type who victimize us … Continue Reading… →

How Does Infinity Become Lost in a Person?

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Sir Kenelm Digby

One of the more curious paradoxes of living life as a human is that we experience ourselves as limited, separate beings. It’s natural for separation to be part of our development. We have to recognize we’re separate from our mother to become a person, for example. And to recognize how we’re different from others to know what we have to offer. But once we know the platform for our life, it’s important to explore who it is that is having these experiences and return to our more universal nature. We’ll do this from a point value or specific perspective. We … Continue Reading… →

In the Big Picture

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Milky Way from Big Bend by Vincent Lock

If we see our lives as small and insignificant, we may be excused for spending it on escape. If we see our efforts at spiritual progress as temporary and with limited benefit, we can be excused for drifting away. But this is thinking small. I’ve mentioned before how Atman and Sattva, consciousness and clarity, are cumulative through lifetimes. Let’s look at this more closely. With the right practices and circumstances, we very much have the potential to awaken in this lifetime. Not everyone will shift, perhaps because of karmic backlog. But none of it is a waste. When the body … Continue Reading… →

Healing Mind, Healing Emotion

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velvet cross

In a discussion on Healing Trauma, the subject of talk therapy came up. While I’m not a psychologist, I can see the value of related therapies in digesting difficult experiences. Being able to talk it out with someone accepting can be valuable. That may be all it takes. However, if the issue has any depth, talking it out will only resolve it for the mind. If we don’t heal the deeper energetic source, that experience will come around again and shadow our life. Similarly, if there is a need to keep talking about it, the source or driver hasn’t been … Continue Reading… →

Chitheads Interview

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Chitheads

On December 11, I chatted with Jacob Kyle on the Chitheads* podcast from Embodied Philosophy. He suggested we’d chat for about 45 minutes but we went an hour and a half. Even there, we skimmed a lot of the territory he wanted to cover.   They list these topics: – Davidya’s continual journey of awakening – 7 stages of consciousness – Awakening inside and outside of a tradition – Chasing experience – “Feeling value” and its role in the process of awakening – Personal and impersonal – changing focus – Ethics and awakening – three folds of the ego – Rising … Continue Reading… →

BatGap Second Interview Live

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Rick Archer and I sat down for a second Buddha at the Gas Pump interview shortly after I arrived in California for the SAND18 Conference. In the first part, I shared updates since the first interview in 2015. But that required an extended preamble to review the prior stages in consciousness so the updates had some context. Then we explored ParaBrahman and how that is activating influences that are supporting and accelerating global awakening. (Update: Changes since the interview are mentioned in comments below. The aspects are waking up in their universal nature now.) If you haven’t already, you can … Continue Reading… →

The Faces of Reality talk @ SAND18

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SAND18

During the Science and Nonduality conference of October 2018, I spoke on the way we experience reality from the object-side of the dynamics of consciousness. This was a follow-up to the stages of enlightenment talk I gave last year. This year I had a much smaller time slot, just enough to do an overview. (That’s Rick Archer talking under the titles, mentioning our second BATGAP interview.) The talk focused on the koshas or sheathes but instead of starting with the physical body, I took a top down approach that began with consciousness and its origins. After summarizing the 7 koshas, … Continue Reading… →

SAND17 Panel Discussion – Sudden or Gradual

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Rick Archer of Buddha at the Gas Pump invited me to join his panel during the Science and Nonduality (SAND) conference in October of 2017 (event C31). The topic was Sudden or Gradual: Two Paths to Realization. “There is a perennial debate in spiritual traditions regarding whether realization is direct (sudden) or progressive (gradual). But is this a false distinction? Realization is often sudden, no matter how many years of practice may have led up to it, and even after realization, most people find that refinement, clarification, and the working out of personal shortcomings continue indefinitely. Who wouldn’t prefer direct … Continue Reading… →

The Reality of Nonduality talk at SAND2017

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SAND speakers poster

On Friday, October 20, 2017, I again spoke at the Science and Nonduality conference in San Jose, CA. The talk explains that Nonduality is not a concept or an experience but is lived directly. It is a way of being. This is explained through the nature of consciousness and the 7 stages of enlightenment model from the Ramayana. Once again, professional recording was unavailable, so Rick Archer graciously brought his camera gear, introduced me, and recorded the talk. A headset mic was also not available but sound levels are decent. The talk is about 20 minutes plus about 30 minutes … Continue Reading… →

Sofia Panel Discussion

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During the Science and Nonduality pre-conference, Rick Archer organized a large panel discussion at Sofia University. From the left: Laurie Moore, Susanne Marie, Mariana Caplan, Dana Sawyer, Francis Bennett, Craig Holliday (speaking), Kristin Kirk, Rick Archer (moderator), Clare Blanchflower, myself, Chuck Hillig, David Ellzey, Kiran, and Jeffery Martin (host). Canela Michelle Meyers arrived during the afternoon session. She was seated on the left. Most of the group are prior BATGAP interviewees and many where speaking at SAND. The panel was too large and long to do at SAND itself so Jeffery offered us Sofia in nearby Palo Alto. For links … Continue Reading… →