Buddha At The Gas Pump

Nicola Amadora Ph.D. traveled far on her search for the truth of life and real love. The fire was burning strong, as her upbringing had been fraught with intense abuse and horrors. When 18 years old, she worked with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, studied with Tibetan Monks, meditated in Hindu Ashrams, and lived with the indigenous people in the Amazon. She learnt from living saints, nature and people on the street. Later she became a Dharma teacher in the Vipassana Tradition, an Interfaith Minister, a Transpersonal Psychologist and Hakomi Therapist. As a single mother she raised a daughter and led an educational center, which united spirituality with our humanity, leadership, relationship and activism. Her life and work is a rich banquet, one which includes many facets of life. Nicola’s awakenings occurred alone in the wilderness and on busy city roads, always with the call to integrate and embody it in daily life. On her journey she experienced immense wonders and terrors, held in an ever-growing sense of love

Mari Perron tells us she’s delighted that A Course of Love has granted her a voice in the new dialogue that has opened about who we are as human and divine beings. She feels that the wisdom of the heart—a major focus of A Course of Love—has at times been missing from the conversation, and loves being able to speak for both the heart and the “human.” A question asked within A Course of Love is this: Doesn’t it make sense that the only error possible is that of not being who you are? Mari is called the “first receiver” of this Course that was given as an extension of what was begun in A Course in Miracles. A Course in Miracles was recorded by Helen Schucman in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Helen was called a scribe of the words of Jesus which, since that time, have gone out to millions of people all over the world. A Course in Miracles was stated to be a course in thought reversal and mind training. Within A Course of Love, which Mari received between 1998 and 2001, Jesus calls Mari its “first” receiver and s

ShantiMayi has been, what she calls 'mirroring' … for well over two decades. American born, living in France and India, she has traveled the world to remind those who are remembering, who wonder and are drawn by their heart to the ancient wisdom of Self Realization. She had the rare and unusual opportunity to sequester herself for many years in India at the feet of her Master. There she learned, unlearned and experienced directly, her Master's directives. In that awe inspiring atmosphere, her work had its inception and has gone full throttle ever since. She carries the Sacha Linage to the world and does not consider herself a Hindu. Yet, she grew in awareness, love and wisdom in the rich and fertile furrows of India's venerable spiritual heritage. Websites: wanderingstarrs.com shantimayi.com Book: In Our Hearts We Know Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 1/28/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha a

Dr. Jeffery A. Martin is a founder of the Transformative Technology space, and a social scientist who researches personal transformation and the states of greatest human well-being. He's spent the last decade conducting the largest international study on persistent non-symbolic experience (PNSE), which includes the types of consciousness commonly known as: enlightenment, nonduality, the peace the passeth understanding, transcendental consciousness, unitive experience, and hundreds of others. More recently, he has used this research to make systems available to help people obtain profound psychological benefits in  a rapid, secular, reliable, and safe way. His research began with over 1,000 individuals who claimed to experience PNSE. This resulted in a reliable, cross-cultural and pan-tradition classification system for these types experience. Jeffery's current work involves helping people use what's been learned to make the life-changing transformation into PNSE. His most recent study achieved strong validat

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. Marianne has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Charlie Rose & Bill Maher. Seven of her twelve published books have been New York Times Best Sellers. Four of these have been #1. The mega best seller A Return to Love is considered a must-read of The New Spirituality. A paragraph from that book, beginning “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” is considered an anthem for a contemporary generation of seekers. Marianne is the founder of Sister Giant, an annual conference dedicated to forging a deeper conversation about what is happening in America today – and what we can do to change it. Speakers have included Senator Bernie Sanders, Thom Hartmann, Jean Houston, Robert Thurman, and many more. The event is livestreamed. Marianne’s other books include: The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money,

I was hesitant to put this up because there's more than enough of me on this site, but a few kind friends encouraged me to, so here it is. I gave this talk at the Open Circle Center in Berkeley, California on October 24, 2016. Points discussed include: “Can knowledge of nonduality be scientifically understood, that is, systematically organized, tested, explained, and predicted? Science has not devised instruments capable of detecting the nondual nature of ultimate reality, but spiritual traditions discuss it extensively, and numerous followers of these traditions (and of no traditions) claim to have experienced it as their essential nature. This experience is commonly termed “awakening” or “enlightenment”. Is there a “scientific” consensus among these people? Are they referring to the same thing? Is there just one awakening, or are there many degrees of it? Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian mystical traditions tend to assert the latter. If there are many degrees or stages of awakening, do they culminate in

Lawrence Edwards, PhD, BCN Senior Fellow, LMHC has practiced and taught meditation for over 40 years. He is the Founder and Director of The Anam Cara Meditation Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching meditative practices from a variety of traditions. The mission of the Anam Cara Foundation is to make meditation instruction available to everyone. Lawrence has offered thousands of free meditation programs at universities, hospitals, churches, meditation centers, yoga centers, hospice groups, prisons and more. Dr. Edwards maintains a clinical practice in Armonk, NY, offering Optimal Mind® Training, transpersonal psychotherapy, spiritual mentoring, biofeedback, neurofeedback, hypnosis, peak performance training, and meditation training. He also works with people interested in spiritual growth, dream work and Kundalini processes. He has served as President of the Kundalini Research Network since 2006 and is recognized around the world for his wisdom and skill in working with Kundalini. Dr. E

Regina Dawn Akers has been sharing spiritual teachings, organizing retreats and leading pilgrimages to holy sites in Israel and India since 2005. She’s published two books: “Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New Testament: A Course in Understanding and Acceptance” (NTI) and “The Teachings of Inner Ramana”. Her third book “Thoughts of Awakening: 365 Thoughts for Daily Contemplation” is provided as a free e-book. Each of these books came to Regina from within through her willingness to be their scribe, student and teacher. She is a living model of their teachings and a clear channel of the deeper meaning that lies hidden beyond the written word. Regina shares insightful and consistent clarity using a variety of spiritual teachings as pointers. She is the founder of Awakening Together, a worldwide online spiritual assembly dedicated to helping people become self-reliant with inner spiritual wisdom. Awakening Together uses the teachings of many spiritual traditions to point toward one truth, one true Self, whi

Vera Helleman is an inspiring and well-established speaker, popular in The Netherlands and Belgium. After being a psychotherapist for a while, Vera awoke into oneness and was gifted with the full understanding of the functioning of the human mind, the essence of who we are, and the role which we play in creation. Seeing from an energetic, non-dual perspective, she lovingly confronts people with their misconceptions about who they truly are and how this reality functions. Married, a mother of four, and fully engaged in daily life, people find her life an inspiring example. Though her teaching-style is clear and penetrating, she is playful and humble in her interaction with others. Interactions are thus based on equality and mutuality. Vera is author of the book ‘Effortlessly being yourSelf’, which is a step-by-step guide from an egoic orientation, based on fear and greed, to spiritual maturity, based on self-expression and growth. In her book, she encourages readers to take full responsibility for the role

Shinzen Young is an American mindfulness teacher and neuroscience research consultant. His systematic approach to categorizing, adapting, and teaching meditation has resulted in collaborations with Harvard Medical School, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of Vermont in the burgeoning field of contemplative neuroscience. Shinzen’s interest in Asia began at the age of 14 when he decided to attend a Japanese ethnic school in his native city of Los Angeles. After majoring in Asian languages at UCLA, he entered a Ph.D. program in Buddhist Studies at the University of Wisconsin. As a part of his thesis research, he lived as a Shingon (Japanese Vajrayana) monk for three years at Mount Koya, Japan. It was then that he received the name Shinzen (真善). Also during that time, he became friends with Father William Johnston (author of Christian Zen). Fr. Johnston helped broaden Shinzen’s interests to include comparative world mysticism and the scientific study of meditative states. Upon returning to the U

Jim Tolles is a spiritual teacher who helps people to grow, heal, and embrace their spiritual paths. Jim had a spiritual awakening in August 2007 and has been through an inner roller coaster ride of healing and spiritual growth, dropping away issues as he has moved more deeply into peace and love. The greatest of the shifts came in the 4th, 5th, and 6th years after awakening and truly consumed his life during those times. The intensity of the energy has since subsided into a more relaxed inner flow. Jim continues to grow and be guided by the divine flow while also relaxing into the beautiful oneness and perfection of each moment. Jim teaches his students that we all have our truth and love within us by pointing students towards their innate divine oneness. He offers tools to help people cut away their lies and misconceptions so that they can be more firmly rooted in truth and love. He works with students on an individual basis via Skype, as well as offering free online talks via livestreaming on YouTube. B

Adyashanti and Francis Bennett in a public dialog about the parallels and differences between Jesus and the Buddha, as two complementary yet very different models of awakening. Where the Buddha emphasized inner peace and the transcendence of samsara, Christ emphasized embodying divine humanity in the midst of samsara, embracing the human condition in order to serve those who are lost in ignorance. Adya came to a deeper appreciation of Jesus by way of his study of Zen, while Francis ─ a former Trappist monk turned non-dual teacher ─ came to Buddhism by way of immersion in mystical Christianity. “The Christ comes to disturb, to stir up the pot, to descend to the chaotic earthly realm, and to get people to move out of their limited comfort zones and indifference toward others and life in general: to help us transform and transmute the personal and social dimension of what it means to be a human being in a human society. The Buddha comes to bring inner peace by awakening us up and out of our over-identification

Harri’s descriptions soar from the mundane to the sublime and explain the intimate details, understanding, and experience of the awakened state in an entirely fresh way. He shows us how this life of ours can be naturally transformed into the delightful liveliness of expanded consciousness even within the activity of daily life. Harri has worked as a fine artist/designer, a businessman, and a meditation teacher for his whole life. Throughout these very busy years, his experiences of refined states of consciousness and perception have expanded greatly. He shares his insights in his book, The Landscape of Enlightenment: With Doors and Windows to Our World, which includes his amazing life story from early childhood to the present with very personal, simple stories, works of art and inspired understanding that will uplift your awareness and stir the onset awakening. Websites: http://harriaalto.com http://aaltodesign.com Other interviews: 1st BatGap interview with Harri 2nd BatGap interview with Harri

Join Susanne Marie and Adyashanti in an exploration of an often misunderstood subject. Beyond the traditional landing places that mind creates (commonly discussed in non-dual circles), lies an indescribable landscape of living as pure, direct experiencing. Prior to this opening, the habitual subjective filter creates a veil of separation of which one is not even aware. This is true even within expanded, unified states of consciousness. Once this filter falls away, life is experienced directly, as itself, without an intermediary. Adyashanti is an American-born spiritual teacher and author devoted to serving the awakening of all beings. His teachings are an open invitation to stop, inquire, and recognize what is true and liberating at the core of all existence. Asked to teach in 1996 by his Zen teacher of 14 years, Adyashanti offers teachings that are free of any tradition or ideology. “The Truth I point to is not confined within any religious point of view, belief system, or doctrine, but is open to all and f

Thomas Beck, Ph.D. has helped people for 25 years to integrate transformational experience—a radical restructuring of the psyche on a higher level of functioning. As a result of his own neurophysiological restructuring, his meditation practice & interactions with an otherworldly being ("Cosmic Mother"), Thomas is now helping people heal from a wide range of physical illnesses. He believes we all have the ability to heal, and to spiritually awaken through the unconditional love of the Almighty Spirit. Janet Elizabeth Colli, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist in the Pacific Northwest specializing in integrating trauma with spiritual awakening. With expertise in both Clinical and Transpersonal Psychology, she bridges psychology with the extraordinary, and the mystical. She presents at the professional conferences of the American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE). Catalyzed by a spiritually transformative experience (STE) during cancer treatment, she now provides psycho-spirit

Michael A. Rodriguez is a spiritual teacher who works with people in meetings, retreats, and private sessions on a full-time basis in the United States and abroad. He holds four academic degrees, including a master's degree in comparative religion from Harvard and a Ph.D. in English literature from Florida State University; taught at the university level for well over a decade; and has lived long-term in two monasteries. Drawing always from his direct experience, Michael illuminates the undivided nature of Life or Consciousness with great clarity and compassion, pointing to reality in a way that is free from dogma, ritual, or adherence to any particular tradition. Michael draws skillfully from the world's wisdom traditions and also integrates Jungian psychology, literature, music, and art into his work to address the full range of human potential. His book--Boundless Awareness: A Loving Path to Spiritual Awakening and Freedom from Suffering--distills the essence of his teaching and is now available on Amazon

Ted Zeff, Ph.D was the author of The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide, The The Highly Sensitive Person's Companion, The Strong, Sensitive Boy, and The Power of Sensitivity. Elaine Aron, Ph.D., author of The Highly Sensitive Person, has written the forwards to his books about sensitive people. Dr. Zeff’s books have sold more than 75,000 copies and have been translated into 8 languages. He has more than 25 years’ experience counseling sensitive children and adults. Dr. Zeff has also written Raise an Emotionally Healthy Boy: Save Your Son From the Violent Boy Culture, Searching for God Part I and II and Amma: Inspiring Experiences with the Divine Mother. Dr. Zeff currently teaches workshops and consults internationally on coping strategies for highly sensitive children and adults. He has given presentations in Denmark, Holland, Norway, Israel, and throughout the United States. He has been interviewed about the trait of high sensitivity in the media, such as NBC TV, PBS radio, Psychology Today and the H

Ted Zeff (Dayalu) met Amma, the "hugging saint" from India, in 1988 and has lived in her ashram in California for 20 years and her ashram in Chicago for one year. Dayalu has written three books about Amma: "Searching for God Part I" in 1996, "Searching for God Part II" in 2002 and "Amma: Inspiring Experiences with the Divine Mother" in 2016. Dayalu has a Ph.D. in integral counseling and psychotherapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and has studied ayurveda and vedic astrology. Ted Zeff Dayalu has also given talks about the books he has written about Amma throughout the United Sates, Israel, Denmark and Holland. Amma's website: amma.org Book: Amma: Inspiring Experiences with the Divine Mother Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 10/29/2016 Interview with Ted Zeff about highly sensitive people. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Background 00:02:26 - Meeting Amma 00:04:22

David Spangler has been a teacher of spiritual potentials since 1964.  From 1970 to 1973 he was co-director of the Findhorn Foundation Community.  He is a Fellow of the Lindisfarne Association.  He is a co-founder of the Lorian Association, a spiritual educational foundation, and a director of the Lorian Center for Incarnational Spirituality.  His work involves enabling individuals to embody the innate spirituality of their incarnations. He is the author of over 30 books, including Journey Into Fire Apprenticed To Spirit: The Education of a Soul Subtle Worlds: An Explorer's Field Notes Facing the Future He writes a free monthly email essay called “David’s Desk”.  He also writes a quarterly esoteric journal of his work and explorations with the subtle worlds titled Views from the Borderland.  In recent years, this work has brought him into contact with the Sidhe, the “Elven” cousins of Humanity.  He describes his experiences in a book Conversations with the Sidhe and through a special card deck—Card

Whilst growing up James had a deep sense that something about life didn’t add up. Unsure about what exactly that something was he tried to ‘fit in’ and graduated in Maths from Oxford University. It didn’t work. He then began seeking a resolution to a lingering sense of unfulfillment by writing songs, singing and playing in bands, then as an actor, then as a school teacher, but that didn’t work either. On recognising that no matter what his outer circumstances were the feeling of longing and dissatisfaction still remained, the nature of seeking turned inward and James found himself following a variety of spiritual and therapeutic paths. Despite providing many insights along the way these too ultimately failed to satisfy. He felt drawn more and more to the question that no one seemed to be asking: “Who is doing all this?” Finally James came across the Non-Dual message with which there was an instant resonance. He met with many different teachers and seeking came to an end when the true nature of reality was