Paul was born in 1961 and lived most of life in the coastal county of Pembrokeshire, UK. He always loved the sea and aspired to be a professional football (soccer) player. One day, at the age of 15, while playing football, unbounded awareness dawned. Everything was the "ocean". He didn't know what this was, or whether anyone else had experienced it, but later on he discovered the Upanishads in a bookstore, which led to his joining a Vedanta Monastery for five years. For a time after that, he lived a hermit-like life. One day in meditation, a woman's name came to him. He had never heard of her, nor did he even know whether she existed, but he knew he would marry her. He later did, opened a gallery and had two boys. He now spends his time supporting the boys and their business and chatting about the ocean.
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Interview recorded December 3, 2017.
Transcript of this interview
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:05:31 - Changing Sense of Identity
00:10:17 - Kundalini and Energetic Experiences
00:15:04 - The Beauty of Human Experience
00:20:02 - Assimilation and Adjustment Challenges
00:24:42 - Falling in Love with the Ocean and Finding Books
00:29:34 - An Old Monk's Experiences
00:34:02 - Shake-up of Central Structures of Authority
00:38:32 - The Limitations of Words and Language
00:42:25 - Non-verbal communication and the limitations of language
00:46:24 - Insecurity in Identity
00:50:21 - The Paradox of Movement
00:54:19 - The Process of Creative Intelligence
00:57:53 - The Importance of Individual Paths
01:01:37 - The Wholeness of Everything
01:05:36 - A Journey of Awakening
01:09:06 - The Power and Intoxication of Authority
01:12:58 - Power and Abuse in Spiritual Circles
01:16:28 - The Role of Teachers and Students
01:20:13 - The Power of Humility
01:24:29 - An Unexpected Journey
01:28:30 - The Nature of Reality in Words
01:32:03 - Conversations and Tea
01:36:02 - Chatting and Helping People with Awakening
01:39:45 - Unsettling Experiences and Fear
01:43:52 - Dancing in the Bedroom
01:47:47 - The Presence of Subtle Beings.
01:51:49 - The Paradox of Existence
01:55:52 - A Delightful Virtual Tea and the Dance of Words
02:00:04 - The form and the formless
02:03:41 - John Sampson: A Life of Fascinating Experiences