Tree works as a Spiritual Mentor, Kundalini Support, Certified Global TRE® Instructor, Transformational Bodyworker and a Healer from the Shamanic tradition.
Tree believes healing trauma can precipitate spiritual awakening and it is from this precept she works. She works with the body releasing contraction and with the nervous system establishing balance - with the understanding that a disregulated nervous system can hold the beingness hostage.
She believes enlightenment is achieved not by bypassing the body, but by going into the body. By addressing and releasing trauma bound in the flesh and stored in the nervous system. This is true freedom and the result is presence - embodied.
Tree has been a devotee of Meher Baba since she was 21.
She and her husband are establishing a Retreat Centre on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, Australia called Meher Farm Healing and Awakening Centre.
Tree is the author of Hot Flush Dark Cave describing her healing and awakening journey through the portal of menopause.
She is a devoted mother, grandmother and healer - her favourite past time is swimming in the river and the ocean and chanting to God.
Website: awakeningthroughthebody.com.au
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded August 3, 2024
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:03:53 - The Correlation Between Consciousness and Neurophysiology
00:07:53 - The Loop of an Agitated Nervous System
00:11:35 - The Nervous System and the Flow State
00:15:38 - The Impact of Early Trauma in Human Beings
00:19:39 - The Importance of Healing the Nervous System
00:23:22 - Trauma and its manifestations
00:27:11 - “Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance”
00:31:06 - Body Work and Spiritual Awakening
00:35:21 - Kundalini Awakening and Working with the Body
00:39:05 - Working through Impressions
00:43:00 - The Beginning of the Involution
00:47:13 - Understanding vs Realization
00:51:05 - Avatars and Spiritual Teachers
00:54:55 - Astral Exorcism and Healing Dance
00:58:44 - The Kundalini Awakening Process
01:02:31 - Kundalini Awakening and Spontaneous Movements
01:06:19 - Purging Negativity
01:09:54 - The Annihilation of the Apparent World
01:13:37 - The Final Destination and Different Planes of Existence
01:17:35 - The Journey of Awakening
01:21:44 - The Existence of Ego in Different States
01:25:51 - Kundalini Awakening and the Sacred Fluids
01:29:42 - The Value of a Life
01:33:33 - Different Types of Meditation
01:37:30 - Releasing Emotions
01:41:18 - The Presence of Benign and Caring Intelligences
01:45:17 - Healing Ceremonies and Nature Retreats
01:49:19 - Following Intuition and Divine Orchestration at 61
01:53:24 - Following the Synchronicities
01:56:55 - In Touch for the Next 15 Years
712. Melinda Edwards
Season 15 · Episode 712
Thursday, August 8, 2024 • Duration 01:44:55
Melinda Edwards, MD is a mother, writer and physician in Charleston, South Carolina, providing psychiatric care for underserved adults. She attended the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her residency in psychiatry at Stanford Medical Center. She has studied complementary and alternative medicine with Andrew Weil, MD, researched the effects of MDMA on PTSD with Michael Mithoefer, MD, and is a columnist for Autism Parenting Magazine. Dr. Edwards is the author of PSYCHE & SPIRIT: How a Psychiatrist Found Divinity Through Her Lifelong Search for Truth and Her Daughter’s Autism.
As a child of medical missionaries, Melinda grew up in a Mayan Indian village in Guatemala, Central America. Early in life she experienced an inner pull to a deeper truth. Her journey has taken her through various spiritual practices including meditation retreats, guidance from spiritual teachers, travel to India, and living in spiritual communities. Her quest led to the ongoing discovery of the sacred in all.
Inspired by her journey with her daughter Saachi, Dr. Edwards founded the 501c3 nonprofit organization Living Darshan to foster a deeper understanding of autism in the world.
Website: melindaedwardsmd.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded July 20, 2024
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:03:26 - An Evolutionary Journey
00:07:57 - The Fear of Going to Hell
00:11:58 - Tiptoeing Through Sleeping Elephants
00:16:32 - Levels of Spiritual Evolution
00:20:56 - The Spiral into Anorexia
00:25:46 - The Importance of Compassion and Being Heard
00:30:10 - Love as a Virus and the Hazards of Idealizing Spiritual Teachers
00:34:39 - Red Flags in Spiritual Teachers and Communities
00:39:21 - The Dangers of a Spiritualized Ego
00:43:34 - The Danger of Unqualified Advice in the Spiritual Community
00:47:37 - Exploiting Students' Finances
00:51:29 - The Role of Students in Spiritual Teaching
00:55:29 - Correlation between Teaching in Medicine and Spirituality
00:59:39 - Spiritual Teachers and Holistic Development
01:03:34 - The Realization of Nothingness
01:07:09 - The Nature of Realization and Integration
01:10:15 - The Dissolution of the Project of "Me"
01:13:53 - Micro adjustments and thriving
01:18:13 - Medications and Spiritual Awakening
01:21:51 - Support and Caution in Meditation Retreats
01:25:50 - The Impact of Spiritual Practices on Brain Chemistry
01:29:41 - Taking Medication for ADD and Kundalini Awakening
01:33:16 - Online Sessions and the Law
01:38:05 - The Porousness of Energy and Information
01:42:40 - The Increase of Neurodiverse Beings in the Population
01:47:44 - Different Realms and Dimensions
01:51:22 - Supporting Autistic Children in Their Purpose
01:55:29 - Navigating Kundalini Energy
01:59:32 - The Power of a Mother's Love
02:02:41 - Stay tuned for upcoming content
703. Constance Casey
Season 15 · Episode 703
Friday, April 5, 2024 • Duration 01:40:56
Constance Casey, MDiv, is an author and teacher providing spiritual guidance for those interested in living a gentle and peaceful life.
Constance offers guidance for those entering deeper practice into the nature of reality and adjusting to a shift in consciousness. Her awakening occurred in 2008. She has been practicing in the contemplative arts for over 40 years-- first through her years in recovery, and then, as she deepened in Buddhist practice in 2007—which she shares in her memoir.
She’s a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader Program. Some of her teachers include Trudy Goodman and Jack Kornfield.
Constance obtained a Master of Divinity focusing on religious studies and went on to do hospital chaplaincy work. As an interfaith hospital chaplain, she offered compassionate care for patients and families while embracing the spectrum of human experiences. She is also authorized by Naropa University to teach meditation.
Constance’s practice is primarily informed by the suttas in Theravāda Buddhism where she has developed her own online classes, the most recent one is called Clearing Skies: Dispelling the Clouds that Hinder Us, and she leads support groups for dedicated meditation practitioners.
Through her experience she respects and values your unique spiritual practice and journey while supporting you to find balance and significance in the face of adversity. Constance will encourage you to attune toward being more mindful and aware for release and serenity.
Her first book called Time for Awakening: A Memoir shares her story of awakening and deeper meditation practice and is what brings her to our meeting today.
She can be found at her website.
On Substack
On Instagram
On Facebook
And on Youtube
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and Transcript of this interview
Interview recorded March 30, 2024
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Welcome to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:05:13 - The Levels of Receptiveness to the Dharma
00:09:13 - "Just Who Do You Think You Are?"
00:13:05 - A Snowy Awakening
00:16:54 - Healing and Bonding with My Sons
00:20:17 - Parenting as a Spiritual Practice
00:24:11 - A Fly on the Wall
00:28:09 - Tools of Recovery
00:31:31 - Ethical Structure in Spiritual Circles
00:35:14 - The Vicious Cycle of Repressed Discomfort
00:40:09 - Seeking Further
00:43:44 - Simplifying and Finding Fulfillment Within
00:47:39 - Expressing Experiences Through Art
00:51:17 - Finding Balance in Self-Care
00:54:59 - Honoring the Need for Rest and Balance
00:58:35 - The Power of Meditation and Personal Growth
01:01:38 - Constance's Carpentry Journey
01:04:44 - The Importance of Speaking Out and Trauma (Conversation)
01:07:29 - Seeing the Teacher as a Human Being and the Absence of Hierarchy
01:10:27 - The Indescribable Experience of Awakening
01:14:19 - Following the Way
01:18:32 - Psychological, Theological, Sociological Perspectives
01:22:14 - The Power of Kindness in Movies
01:26:42 - The Intimacy of Stream Entry
01:30:45 - The Support of a Teacher
01:33:33 - The Association for Spiritual Integrity
01:37:43 - Factors of Enlightenment and the Hindrances
01:41:38 - Hindrances in Meditation Practice
01:45:49 - Cultivating Tranquility and Equanimity in Meditation
01:49:05 - The Benefits of Meditation and Inner States of Being
01:51:48 - Closing Remarks
613. Christian Sundberg
Season 12 · Episode 613
Tuesday, August 31, 2021 • Duration
When Christian Sundberg was a young child, he remembered his existence before coming to Earth. While that memory left him completely for his early adult life, it spontaneously returned at the age of 30 as Christian took up a meditation practice and went through a personal awakening journey. He also began to have Out of Body Experiences (OBEs). Christian has worked for over 15 years as a professional project manager for complex nuclear pump and valve manufacturing projects. Christian has also presented at over 80 public speaking events, as he now seeks to remind others in at least a small part of who we all really are beneath the human “play".
Book:
A Walk in the Physical: Understanding the Human Experience Within the Larger Spiritual Context
A Walk in the Physical (Free online version)
Website: awalkinthephysical.com
Email Christian at: awalkinthephysical@gmail.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded August 28, 2021
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:04:56 - Transcending Physical Reality
00:09:03 - The Challenge of Expressing Subtle Experiences
00:13:12 - A Deep Healing Experience
00:17:27 - Meeting a Highly Evolved Being and Past Lives
00:21:41 - Integrating Fear for Expansion
00:25:58 - The Fear of Being Unable to Escape Pain
00:30:28 - The Evolutionary Purpose of Challenges
00:34:57 - The Plunge into Physical Existence
00:39:21 - The Flowchart of Life Possibilities
00:43:30 - A Holy Moment of Connectedness
00:47:23 - Remembering Our True Existence
00:51:38 - The Experience of Different Realities
00:55:40 - Perspectives on Reincarnation in Different Traditions
00:59:42 - Experiential Learning and the Purpose of Veiling
01:04:03 - The Purpose of Every Experience
01:08:44 - The Play is Not Scripted
01:12:59 - Organizing and Collaborating on the Other Side
01:16:52 - The Evolving Soul and the Imperfect Government
01:21:23 - Evolution and the Manifestation of Love and Joy
01:25:54 - The Curiosity of Creation
01:30:16 - Unbounded Awareness and Unique Experiences
01:34:21 - Investigating Consciousness with Meditation
01:38:45 - Living in a Dense Dimension: An Opportunity for Evolution
01:43:22 - Unconditional Love and Personal Responsibility
01:48:06 - The Thickness of the Veil
01:52:39 - Letting go of the story and rising up to the surface
01:56:57 - Connecting with Inner Reality
02:01:10 - Effect on Closest Relationships
02:05:26 - The Importance of Making Distance
02:09:23 - One-on-One Consultations and Webinars
612. Eva Natanya
Season 12 · Episode 612
Tuesday, August 24, 2021 • Duration 02:02:38
Eva Natanya is Co-Founder and Resident Teacher at the Center for Contemplative Research at Miyo Samten Ling.
A scholar of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, Christian theology, and comparative religion, Dr. Natanya has served in many capacities as a spiritual teacher, academic lecturer, translator, and editor of Tibetan texts, writer, and retreat leader. Following a nine-year career as a professional ballet dancer with both the New York City Ballet and the Royal Ballet of England, she earned an MA in Christian Systematic Theology at the Graduate Theological Union and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. Her dissertation examined the complex interactions of Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, and Abhidharma teachings as they underlie the Vajrayāna philosophy of Je Tsongkhapa. She has worked closely with Dr. B. Alan Wallace on his translations for several books, including Open Mind: View and Meditation in the Lineage of Lerab Lingpa and Fathoming the Mind: Inquiry and Insight in Dudjom Lingpa's Vajra Essence, and has co-taught meditation retreats with Dr. Wallace around the world. In a Christian context, she co-authored Living Resurrected Lives: What It Means and Why It Matters with Veronica Mary Rolf. She has spent more than three years in solitary meditation retreat, and remains in residence at Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, guiding fellow retreatants in the details of contemplative training. Her website is: evanatanya.com.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded August 21, 2021
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:05:22 - Mystical Longing and Spiritual Quest
00:09:59 - The Discipline and Demands of Rehearsal and Performance
00:14:11 - Transition to Deep Education and Meditation
00:18:22 - Preparation for Solitary Retreat
00:23:26 - Challenges of Long-term Retreat Practice
00:27:50 - The connection between mind and pr??ic system
00:32:00 - Sensations of Pr??a and the Inner Body
00:36:14 - The Dangers of Kundalini and Inner-body Practices
00:40:35 - The Proper Meditation Posture and Settling the Mind
00:45:25 - The Process of Settling the Mind
00:49:54 - Integrating Meditation with Daily Life
00:54:20 - The Depths of Loving-Kindness
00:58:30 - Meditation and the Transformation of Worldview
01:02:51 - The Notion of a Person as a Temporary Conglomerate
01:08:02 - The karmic cause of suffering and purification possibilities
01:12:21 - Reincarnation and Hypotheses of Past Lives
01:16:16 - Dream Lives and Illusion of Self
01:20:56 - Pratityasamutpada and the Two Realities
01:25:34 - The Illusory Nature of Things
01:29:51 - The Trinity in Christian Theology and Buddhism
01:35:06 - The Divine Light and Celestial Perception
01:39:40 - The Manifestation of Divinity in Every Little Thing
01:44:55 - The True Nature and Buddha Nature
01:50:25 - The transcendence of death in different cultures
01:55:27 - The Vastness of Awareness in Buddhism
01:59:28 - Finding a Path and Authentic Teachers
02:04:15 - Authenticity and Discernment in Choosing a Teacher
02:08:53 - Unconventional Behavior in the Name of Crazy Wisdom
02:13:19 - The Concept of Enlightenment
02:17:51 - Taking a Step towards Enlightenment
611. Peter Russell, 2nd Interview
Season 12 · Episode 611
Tuesday, August 17, 2021 • Duration
Peter Russell is a leading thinker on consciousness and contemporary spirituality. 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 new book, Letting Go of Nothing: Relax Your Mind and Discover the Wonder of Your True Nature, is published this August. He is the author of ten other books, including Waking Up in Time: Finding Inner Peace in Times of Accelerating Change and From Science to God: A Physicists Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness.
He studied theoretical physics, experimental psychology, and computer science at the University of Cambridge, and pioneered the introduction of personal growth programs to corporations, running courses for senior management on creativity, stress management, and sustainable development.
His mission is to distill the essential wisdom on human consciousness found in the world’s various spiritual traditions and to disseminate their teachings on self-liberation in contemporary and compelling ways.
Peter's website: peterrussell.com
Peter's YouTube channel
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
First BatGap interview with Peter.
Interview recorded August 14, 2021
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:04:22 - Exploring Intelligent Design and Nature's Orchestration
00:07:34 - The Release of Letting Go
00:11:19 - Letting Go of Attachments through Body Awareness
00:16:56 - The Fundamental Motivation
00:21:56 - The Search for Inner Peace
00:26:06 - The Natural Mind
00:31:36 - Falling and Finding Contentment
00:41:50 - Distractions and Inner Quietness
00:47:37 - The Limitations of Books on the Spiritual Path
00:51:40 - Starting with Simple Meditation Techniques
00:55:08 - The Effects of Technological Acceleration
00:58:24 - The Innovative Power of Humans
01:01:18 - The Potential Limits of Technological Acceleration
01:04:20 - The Unsustainability of our Civilization
01:07:09 - Understanding the Trajectory
01:10:03 - The Importance of Becoming Better Human Beings
01:13:14 - The Importance of Confidence and Speculation
01:16:11 - The Power of Now
01:19:01 - The Two Aspects of Emotions
01:22:12 - Letting Go and Moving On
01:25:19 - The Doer and the Divine
01:29:07 - Synchronicity and Nature's Favor
01:32:37 - Attuning to Divine Intelligence
01:36:11 - The Natural Tendency of the Mind
01:39:32 - Letting Go: The Essence of Forgiveness
01:42:31 - Letting go of Judgments and Grievances
01:45:46 - The Vicious Circle of Attack and Defense
01:48:55 - The Power of Apologizing and Being Kind
01:52:01 - Mindfulness of Being Webinars
01:54:41 - Reflecting on the Talk with Peter
610. Julie Beischel
Season 12 · Episode 610
Wednesday, August 11, 2021 • Duration
Julie Beischel, Ph.D., is the co-founder and Director of Research at the Windbridge Research Center. She received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology with a minor in Microbiology and Immunology. Her current research mainly focuses on mediums: individuals who experience communication with the deceased. Dr. Beischel has published research examining mediums’ accuracy and their experiences, psychology, and physiology, and the potential therapeutic application of mediumship readings during bereavement. Her research interests also include spontaneous, facilitated, assisted, and requested after-death communication experiences. She lives in Arizona with her husband and research partner, Mark Boccuzzi, and their two dogs.
Books:
Investigating Mediums: A Windbridge Institute Collection
Among Mediums: A Scientist's Quest for Answers
Meaningful Messages: Making the Most of Your Mediumship Reading
From the Mouths of Mediums Vol. 1: Experiencing Communication (From the Mouths of Mediums: Conversations with Windbridge Certified Research Mediums)
Website: windbridge.org
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded August 7, 2021
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:02:42 - The Afterlife and Mediumship
00:05:08 - Exploring Mediumship and the Afterlife
00:07:24 - Fear of Death and Its Impact on Psychology and Worldviews
00:09:53 - Investigating Medium Readings
00:12:31 - Medium Screening and Certification Procedure
00:15:37 - Disproving the Hypothesis of Medium Fraudulent Behavior
00:18:33 - Mediumship and Psychic Abilities
00:21:16 - Paradigms and Scientific Closed-Mindedness
00:26:37 - The Limitations of Medium Abilities
00:32:35 - Psychic Abilities and Predicting the Future
00:35:40 - The Continuation of Consciousness After Death
00:38:54 - The Possibility of an Afterlife
00:41:59 - Communication with Deceased Spirits
00:45:04 - The Five People Involved in the Protocol
00:47:58 - Autoimmune Diseases and Mediumship
00:51:01 - The Connection Between Mediumship and Autoimmune Diseases
00:54:06 - Different Levels of Trance Consciousness in Mediumship
00:57:10 - Physical Mediumship and Table Tipping
01:00:25 - Emotional Impact of Animal Loss
01:03:49 - Normalizing After-Death Communication Experiences
01:09:16 - Incorporating Afterlife Beliefs into Mental Health Practices
01:13:36 - The Fascination with Non-Local Consciousness
01:16:23 - The interconnectedness of the universe
01:19:10 - Quality of Life over Quantity of Days
01:21:48 - Terminal Lucidity and Mediumship
01:24:30 - Alleviating Suffering through Mediumship
01:28:14 - Studying Mediumship in its Natural Environment
01:31:13 - Peer-reviewed papers and replication difficulties
01:33:57 - Mediumship Readings and Being Open-Minded
01:36:10 - Farewell and Thanks
609. Jim Tucker
Season 12 · Episode 609
Thursday, August 5, 2021 • Duration 01:34:32
Dr. Jim Tucker is the Bonner-Lowry Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. He is Director of the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies, where he is continuing the work of Ian Stevenson with children who report memories of previous lives. He is the author of Before: Children's Memories of Previous Lives, a new 2-in-1 edition of his books Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives and Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives, which together have been translated into twenty languages.
Websites:
jimbtucker.com
Division of Perceptual Studies
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded July 31, 2021.
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:02:48 - Motivation for Research
00:05:44 - Challenging the Physical Understanding of Reality
00:10:10 - The Evolution of Spiritual Beings
00:14:57 - The Middle Ages and Beliefs
00:22:17 - The Fascinating Case of James Houston
00:25:50 - Paradigm Shift and Understanding the Deeper Nature of Reality
00:29:37 - The Value of Consciousness and Past Life Memories
00:34:09 - Hypnotic Regression and Past Lives Experiences
00:38:17 - Reincarnation stories and choosing parents
00:43:14 - Children's Memories of Past and Future Lives
00:47:06 - Indicators of Past Life Skills
00:50:24 - Birthmarks and Reincarnation
00:53:56 - The Five Sheaths in Sanskrit Tradition
00:57:10 - Hypnotic Regression and Dr. Brian Weiss's Work
01:00:11 - The Potential for Harm and Benefit in Past Life Research
01:03:21 - Disincarnate Entities and Incarnation
01:06:35 - Recent Lives and Intact Memories
01:09:22 - Unfinished Business and Emotional Ties
01:11:59 - Skepticism and Debating Past Life Cases
01:15:08 - Unusual Behaviors in Children with Past Life Memories
01:18:13 - Impact of Past Lives on Gender Development
01:21:25 - Reincarnation and Transmigration across Species
01:24:13 - The Possibility of Consciousness on Other Planets
01:27:51 - The Hollywood Case and Past Life Memories
01:31:21 - Verifying Ryan's Statements and the Impacts of Past Life Memories
01:34:54 - Possibilities of Past Lives and Sequential Reincarnation
01:38:16 - The Malleability of Time
01:41:39 - The Pursuit of Inner Happiness
01:45:56 - A Potential Shift Ahead
01:48:11 - Next episode preview and introduction
608. Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, 2nd Interview
Season 12 · Episode 608
Saturday, July 31, 2021 • Duration 01:35:13
This interview centered around Sadhvi's new book, Hollywood to the Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. is a renowned spiritual leader, author, and motivational speaker based in Rishikesh, India. Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Stanford University, Sadhviji has been ordained into the sacred order of Sanyas by her guru HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and has been living at Parmarth Niketan Ashram for the past twenty-five years. She is the Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaith organization dedicated to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; president of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation that runs free schools, vocational training programs, and empowerment programs; and director of the world-famous International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh—which has been covered in Time, CNN, the New York Times and other prestigious publications and has been addressed by both the Prime Minister and Vice President of India. She serves on the United Nations Advisory Council on Religion and on the steering committees of the International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) and the Moral Imperative to End Extreme Poverty, a campaign by the United Nations and World Bank. She was also the Managing Editor for the monumental project of the 11-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism. She oversees a variety of humanitarian projects, teaches meditation, lectures, writes, counsels individuals and families, and serves as a unique female voice of spiritual leadership throughout India and the world.
Websites:
Sadhviji.org (personal site)
Sadhviji's TED talk
@SadhviBhagawatiSaraswati (Sadhviji's Facebook page with announcements of events, videos, etc.)
@ParmarthNiketan (Parmarth's Facebook page where they stream Sadhviji's satsangs live daily when she is in town.)
Youtube channel with all of the videos of Sadhviji's lectures (and also a lot of other good stuff...)
Twitter: @SadhviBhagawati
Book: Vegetarianism: For Our Bodies, Our Minds, Our Souls & Our Planet
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
First BatGap interview with Sadhvi.
Interview recorded July 25, 2021.
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump interview
00:03:30 - Honesty and Humaneness in Spiritual Awakening
00:07:49 - Bridging the Gap: Hollywood to the Himalayas
00:11:38 - The Shift in Perception
00:15:15 - A Sudden Knowing in Rishikesh
00:19:19 - A Profound Spiritual Experience on the Banks of Ganga
00:23:52 - Swarg Ashram: The Heavenly Abode
00:27:41 - The Beauty of Being Non-Verbal
00:31:29 - Living in the Deepest Level of Awareness
00:34:52 - Shame and Authenticity
00:38:01 - The Humility of an Enlightened Master
00:41:14 - The Qualities of the Guru
00:44:41 - The Light of the Guru
00:48:02 - The Garden and its Animals
00:51:03 - The Story of the Sleeves and the Cat
00:54:17 - Emptying the Cup and Finding the Guru
00:57:46 - Overcoming Unconscious Patterns with Mindfulness
01:01:24 - Being Present in Daily Life
01:04:39 - Productivity in Moments of Freedom
01:07:10 - The Experience of Grace without Spiritual Practice
01:10:43 - A Transformational Experience
01:14:11 - Renunciation and Transformation
01:17:36 - The Biological Urge for a Baby
01:21:01 - The Journey of Forgiveness
01:24:25 - The Power of Forgiveness
01:27:47 - The Stain on Our Hearts
01:30:53 - Letting Go with Forgiveness
01:34:05 - Understanding Dis-ease and Harm towards Others
01:37:10 - The Transformation and Healing Journey
01:40:39 - Sharing and Appreciation
01:43:26 - The Spiritual Path
607. Stephan Bodian, 2nd Interview
Season 12 · Episode 607
Thursday, July 22, 2021 • Duration 01:47:22
Stephan Bodian is a teacher in the nondual wisdom tradition of Zen, Dzogchen, and Advaita Vedanta and the founder and director of the annual School for Awakening, an intensive six-month program of exploration and study. His offerings are noted for their humor, warmth, spontaneity, and intimacy and combine direct pointers, lively dialogues, silent sitting, and guided self-inquiry. He’s the author of several books, including Wake Up Now: A Guide to the Journey of Spiritual Awakening and Beyond Mindfulness: The Direct Approach to Lasting Peace, Happiness, and Love.
Stephan spent a decade practicing Zen intensively as a monk but left the monastery because he sensed that the rigorous practice of meditation was obscuring the truth he was seeking. After studying Dzogchen for several years, he met his guru, Jean Klein, a European teacher of Advaita Vedanta, who told him to stop meditating and instead discover the meditator. Shortly after meeting Jean, he had a profound awakening to his true identity as timeless presence. After Jean’s death, Stephan met Adyashanti, and in 2001 Adya gave him Dharma transmission and invited him to teach.
Trained as a psychotherapist, Stephan also offers individual spiritual counseling and mentoring sessions to people throughout the world. His approach blends direct, experiential, nondual wisdom with the insights of Western psychology to support students in realizing who they really are while inquiring into the stories and patterns of thinking and behaving that continue to cause suffering.
Website: stephanbodian.org
Other books:
Meditation For Dummies, w/Audio CD (Also available in various languages.)
Timeless Visions, Healing Voices: Conversations with Men & Women of the Spirit
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
First BatGap interview with Stephan.
Interview recorded July 11, 2021
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:05:20 - A Shift in the Locus of Identity
00:10:00 - The Vastness and Dream States
00:15:05 - Roshi's Uninhibited Behavior and the Fall of the Center
00:20:18 - Bodhidharma's Precepts and Acting in Integrity
00:25:13 - The Ugly Truth and Confrontational Behavior
00:30:15 - Dealing with the Shadow and Integrity
00:35:01 - Narcissism in Spiritual Teachers and the Direct Path
00:39:53 - Awakening and the Role of the Teacher
00:44:51 - The Role of Teachers and the Need for Discernment
00:49:48 - The Impressionability of the Mind
00:54:19 - The Interface Between Science and Spirituality
00:57:59 - The Direct Meeting and Potential for Transmission
01:01:23 - The Pitfalls of Spiritual Teachers and Sex
01:05:31 - Boundary-crossing and predatory behavior
01:09:01 - Spiritual Teachers and Dark Triad Qualities
01:12:56 - The Importance of Care in Spiritual Evolution
01:16:34 - Relationships and Higher Callings
01:19:59 - The Literary Invention of Crazy Wisdom
01:23:47 - Compassionate Being and True Crazy Wisdom
01:27:12 - Starting a New University
01:30:43 - The Strange Fit Between Narcissists and Spiritual Teachers
01:34:16 - Embracing Human Relationships
01:37:51 - Giving Power Away and Seeking Enlightenment
01:41:49 - Being Your Own Authority
01:45:11 - The Horse and the Whip
01:48:28 - Different Spiritual Teachers and their Teachings
01:51:57 - The True Guru Within
01:55:49 - The Awakening Journey
01:59:32 - The Role of a Spiritual Teacher
02:03:10 - School for Awakening
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