219. Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas)

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 Life The 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.com Transcript of this interview 2nd interview with Hameed. Hameed Ali and Karen Johnson on Nondual Relationships Interview recorded 2/22/2014 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction of Hamid Ali 00:05:52 - The Nature of Spiritual Experience 00:10:53 - The Importance of Cultivating Fine Discrimination 00:15:01 - The Multifaceted Nature of Spiritual Development 00:19:15 - The Manifestation of Being 00:24:11 - The Different Paths of Experiencing Being 00:28:55 - Differences in Spiritual Teachings and Approaches 00:33:05 - Multi-dimensional spirituality and the nature of reality 00:37:32 - The Manifestation of Intelligence 00:42:04 - The Intelligence of Being 00:46:36 - Self-realization and God realization 00:51:16 - The Nature of Manifestation 00:55:44 - The Concept of Separateness vs Non-Separateness 01:00:17 - Experiencing Vastness & Radical Non-Locality 01:04:57 - The Maturity of the Individual 01:09:17 - The Totality of Being 01:13:27 - Moving through Obscuration, Vastness Becomes Liquid 01:18:03 - The Manifestation of Being 01:22:30 - The Experience of Emptiness 01:27:01 - The Taste and Sensation of Music 01:30:59 - The Illusory Nature of Individual Consciousness 01:35:00 - The Continuation of Practice 01:39:08 - The Practice of Inquiry and Spiritual Qualities 01:43:37 - Dzogchen and the Self-Destructing Practice 01:47:53 - Evolution and Communication Beyond the Body 01:52:07 - The Importance of Training and Guidance 01:56:05 - Finding Fulfillment in Work 02:00:07 - The Incompleteness of Being 02:04:23 - The Endless Potential of Knowledge 02:08:28 - The Connection of Hearts 02:12:29 - Weekly Discussion and Q&A