219. Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) - a podcast by Rick Archer

A. Hameed Ali was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the USA to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him more and more into inquiring into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature.

Hameed's interest in the truth of human nature and the true nature of reality resulted in the creation and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach®:

“The Diamond Approach is a path of wisdom, an approach to the investigation of Reality and work on oneself that leads to human maturity and liberation. Because of our particular vision of Reality it is not completely accurate to think of this approach as spiritual work, for this work does not separate the spiritual from the psychological, neither does it see these two as separate from the physical everyday life and scientific investigation of the content of perception. However, because we live in a society where the prevailing thought is that of the separated facets of Reality, the closest category recognized in this mentality, to our approach, is that of a spiritual path or exploration.”Some of Hameed's many books:

The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday LifeThe Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence
Brilliancy: The Essence of Intelligence (Diamond Body Series)Essence With the Elixir of Enlightenment: The Diamond Approach to Inner Realization

Website: ahalmaas.comTranscript of this interview

2nd interview with Hameed.Hameed Ali and Karen Johnson on Nondual Relationships

Interview recorded 2/22/2014Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.


YouTube Video Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction of Hamid Ali
00:05:52 - The Nature of Spiritual Experience00:10:53 - The Importance of Cultivating Fine Discrimination
00:15:01 - The Multifaceted Nature of Spiritual Development00:19:15 - The Manifestation of Being
00:24:11 - The Different Paths of Experiencing Being00:28:55 - Differences in Spiritual Teachings and Approaches
00:33:05 - Multi-dimensional spirituality and the nature of reality00:37:32 - The Manifestation of Intelligence
00:42:04 - The Intelligence of Being00:46:36 - Self-realization and God realization
00:51:16 - The Nature of Manifestation00:55:44 - The Concept of Separateness vs Non-Separateness
01:00:17 - Experiencing Vastness&Radical Non-Locality
01:04:57 - The Maturity of the Individual01:09:17 - The Totality of Being
01:13:27 - Moving through Obscuration, Vastness Becomes Liquid01:18:03 - The Manifestation of Being
01:22:30 - The Experience of Emptiness01:27:01 - The Taste and Sensation of Music
01:30:59 - The Illusory Nature of Individual Consciousness01:35:00 - The Continuation of Practice
01:39:08 - The Practice of Inquiry and Spiritual Qualities01:43:37 - Dzogchen and the Self-Destructing Practice
01:47:53 - Evolution and Communication Beyond the Body01:52:07 - The Importance of Training and Guidance
01:56:05 - Finding Fulfillment in Work02:00:07 - The Incompleteness of Being
02:04:23 - The Endless Potential of Knowledge02:08:28 - The Connection of Hearts
02:12:29 - Weekly Discussion and Q&A

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