023. Rick Archer interviewed by Richard Miller

I'm the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer at Buddha at the Gas Pump. Richard Miller hosts a similar interview show called Never Not Here. Somehow we connected and he asked to interview me, not necessarily as an awakened being or teacher, but as a fellow spiritual aspirant. In the summer of 1967, when I was 17 years old, I was driving through Westport, CT with three friends in the car. One of them in the back seat was reading from a commentary on the Tibetan Book of the Dead by Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass). A quiet but memorable realization dawned in me that there was such a thing as "enlightenment" and that realizing it was life's ultimate goal. I rather recklessly explored that possibility through drugs for a year, then saw the futility of that approach and learned Transcendental Meditation. I taught TM for 25 years and still meditate regularly but am not affiliated with any particular spiritual organization. I respect any of them which seem to offer genuine benefits to their participants. Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded 6/5/2010. Other talks by or interviews of Rick on BatGap: SAND 2019 - Knowledge/Reality is Different in Different States of Consciousness 2018 SAND Conference Q&A and Interview by Shakti Caterina Maggi SAND 2017: "The Ethics of Enlightenment" Talk at Berkeley Open Circle Center SAND 2015: Science and Spirituality: Potential Allies in Discovering Truth Interviewed by Fax Gilbert YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Welcome to Never Not Here 00:02:56 - The Growth of Transcendental Meditation in Fairfield 00:05:45 - A Diverse Spiritual Community in Fairfield 00:08:12 - The Blurring of Cultural Boundaries 00:11:23 - The Awakening Moment 00:13:59 - Sincerity and Genuine Practice 00:16:48 - The Profound Effects of Long Meditation 00:19:36 - The Process of Re-Entry from Meditation Retreats 00:22:28 - Unwinding Deep Stresses 00:24:52 - The Benefits of Dissolving Negative Experiences 00:26:35 - The Continuous Practice of Meditation 00:28:26 - The Reflection of Consciousness in the Nervous System 00:30:25 - Becoming a Better Reflector 00:32:21 - The African man's interpretation of the surroundings 00:34:31 - The Correlation of Concept and Experience 00:38:11 - The Presence of Babbling Saints and Articulating Experience 00:41:28 - Different Orientations and Experiences 00:45:27 - The Origins of Spiritual Traditions and Their Relevance Today 00:48:16 - The Qualities of Enlightenment 00:50:06 - Layers of Ignorance and the Essence of Consciousness 00:51:56 - Preferences and Enlightenment 00:54:03 - The Limitations of Conceptual Thinking 00:56:25 - Duality in Concepts: The Positive and Negative 00:58:40 - The Tragedy of Locked Perspectives 01:01:23 - Living in a State of Enlightenment 01:04:27 - Leaving the Incubator and Awakening 01:07:11 - The Illusion of Movement in Enlightenment 01:10:21 - Embracing Further Unfoldments in Education 01:13:33 - The Paradox of Seeking Answers 01:16:05 - Remembering the Nature of Thoughts 01:18:28 - Farewell for this Episode