1 00:00:07,694 --> 00:00:08,614 you 2 00:00:11,266 --> 00:00:12,392 You 3 00:00:28,898 --> 00:00:31,667 think it's an interesting world down here because... 4 00:00:34,060 --> 00:00:39,975 dealing with a number of interesting things, even culturally. 5 00:00:40,216 --> 00:00:44,579 First of all, it's like a sun culture. 6 00:00:45,081 --> 00:00:46,081 that's a little different. 7 00:00:46,081 --> 00:00:52,867 It's a little more laid back and more boring as well. 8 00:00:54,349 --> 00:00:59,213 But the sun definitely has an effect on your psyche and your body. 9 00:00:59,872 --> 00:01:01,773 and then you have uh... 10 00:01:01,773 --> 00:01:03,923 fishing in south florida you have uh... 11 00:01:03,923 --> 00:01:05,564 very large uh... 12 00:01:05,564 --> 00:01:18,247 aging community you know you like you go out to eat in three-quarters of the people there over eighty years old very strange you know and and so that that's a whole vibration men 13 00:01:18,247 --> 00:01:29,190 in it you know we were also in miami and on then you have the latin culture and then of course you like south beach and that's like the like height of you know he didn't 14 00:01:29,346 --> 00:01:30,527 in the world. 15 00:01:30,888 --> 00:01:39,438 So everybody is in there, you know, showing off their car and their cologne and their, you know, gold chains and the whole thing there. 16 00:01:39,438 --> 00:01:42,742 It's a very highly sexed place, if you know what I mean. 17 00:01:44,718 --> 00:01:56,233 so you have all that to jumble together so it's interesting you know like other places you know it gives you food for thought there in extremes that you normally don't have the 18 00:01:56,233 --> 00:02:05,112 opportunity especially with something like south beach and then you're dealing with the aging population here that's also very interesting 19 00:02:05,112 --> 00:02:06,142 Hmm. 20 00:02:07,424 --> 00:02:08,385 Wow. 21 00:02:08,385 --> 00:02:12,789 So do you see, you just see a different set of people? 22 00:02:13,210 --> 00:02:20,792 Yeah, well, you know, place like New York though, like New York City, see, I think, a wide diversity of people. 23 00:02:21,992 --> 00:02:30,855 And here, again, I think that the things that are interesting here is, especially in Miami, you know, have such a Latin presence. 24 00:02:31,275 --> 00:02:35,436 And then you have that whole South Beach scene thing. 25 00:02:35,476 --> 00:02:40,317 And a lot of people down there with a lot of showy money stuff. 26 00:02:40,598 --> 00:02:42,818 There's a lot of showy stuff there. 27 00:02:43,346 --> 00:02:57,190 and then then you have the whole people who come here to retire but it is like it's not like diverse like new york you have like certain real noticeable uh... 28 00:02:57,190 --> 00:03:13,354 you know sectors society but because it's so concentrated you know it has its own interesting aspects especially especially old people 29 00:03:15,950 --> 00:03:17,930 Yeah, yeah, I've been watching that a lot. 30 00:03:17,930 --> 00:03:24,510 A lot of them, you know, it's really interesting because there's a lot of people who are just like waiting to die. 31 00:03:25,813 --> 00:03:26,190 Eugh. 32 00:03:26,190 --> 00:03:30,790 And it's very interesting being around, very interesting. 33 00:03:33,450 --> 00:03:43,190 you know, they're just kind of, you know, they're relaxing, spending their last days, you know, they don't, not all, but many of older people, you know, they're enjoying 34 00:03:43,190 --> 00:03:51,670 themselves, but they're they're not really as a group, stretching to look to do new things. 35 00:03:51,670 --> 00:03:55,590 A lot of people look to me like they're kind of finished. 36 00:03:56,402 --> 00:04:04,852 They're kind of enjoying themselves, but they don't have, you you very rarely like talk to somebody in their 70s and 80s and they have dreams. 37 00:04:05,664 --> 00:04:06,699 Right. 38 00:04:07,020 --> 00:04:16,054 which really makes them different people like in the twenties and thirties they have dreams and things they wanted seen do but i don't get every now and then i do which is 39 00:04:16,054 --> 00:04:20,776 really interesting but my mom is it's interesting like my mom is uh... 40 00:04:20,776 --> 00:04:35,232 seen this guy and he's eighty two and he's still playing tennis and his partner is playing tennis with him ninety four so to me that was anybody look city look young 41 00:04:36,770 --> 00:04:39,635 I see people here in their 70s who look very old. 42 00:04:40,174 --> 00:04:41,501 m Yeah. 43 00:04:42,689 --> 00:04:55,310 So, yeah, it's just kind of interesting being around people as a group that, you know, they say they're retired. 44 00:04:55,850 --> 00:04:59,530 And then it's interesting to just see what all that means. 45 00:04:59,910 --> 00:05:02,830 Like what it really means to be retired. 46 00:05:02,830 --> 00:05:04,410 Are you retired from work? 47 00:05:04,410 --> 00:05:06,270 Are you retired from life? 48 00:05:06,903 --> 00:05:07,830 Right. 49 00:05:09,121 --> 00:05:13,062 In a lot of cases, a lot of people look like they're retired from life. 50 00:05:13,804 --> 00:05:14,835 Yeah. 51 00:05:15,476 --> 00:05:19,501 Well, it probably has a lot to do with what their definition of work was. 52 00:05:19,501 --> 00:05:33,477 And if their work was a burden and was terrible, then, you know, they probably never found the kind of work that made them feel like they were actually of service to the world. 53 00:05:34,324 --> 00:05:37,165 Yeah, I think that's one of the things. 54 00:05:37,165 --> 00:05:49,908 And then the other thing is the kind of interesting that now that you bring it up, but I think that a lot of the, just seems to me is that the people who are retired, who during 55 00:05:49,908 --> 00:06:03,852 their working years had kind of an interesting life outside of their work life, you know, they had other interests and other ambitions and work with like some of their life. 56 00:06:04,046 --> 00:06:15,532 seemingly have a different attitude and then the people who you know regardless of how successful they were in work if their work like totally defined who they were and that's 57 00:06:15,532 --> 00:06:25,438 they did and they made money whatever even if they're very successful made money or they had status and now that gig is over but they really didn't have a lot of other interests 58 00:06:25,438 --> 00:06:33,518 or pastimes or things kind of pulling them in other directions I think there's this 59 00:06:33,518 --> 00:06:36,118 thought that uh... 60 00:06:36,118 --> 00:06:47,978 i've seen it because i i hear this a lot from people who are working and they go you know i'm really going to work my ass off until i'm sixty sixty five when i get all this money 61 00:06:47,978 --> 00:07:01,758 i'm going to be comfortable and then i'm going to you know kind of pursue the things that i'd really like to do you know relax and enjoy myself but i i don't actually see that as 62 00:07:01,758 --> 00:07:02,938 happening 63 00:07:03,096 --> 00:07:13,782 because i'd met a lot of people here and what happened is that over the course of the thirty four years working actually were fairly one-dimensional and they're very successful 64 00:07:13,782 --> 00:07:28,101 at the doing me stop and now they were like you get beautiful you know how in florida get the elective to drive around for the actually never like acquired uh either at times and 65 00:07:28,101 --> 00:07:31,062 they weren't in the habit 66 00:07:31,822 --> 00:07:32,562 of uh... 67 00:07:32,562 --> 00:07:43,400 taking on new new interest in hobbies so their assumption that when they were sixty five they have this really and a free life to do whatever they don't know what they want to do 68 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:55,859 so they land up just playing cards everybody just finds people want to play cards and go out to restaurants talking about the same old things and it's really it's interesting 69 00:07:55,859 --> 00:07:59,501 watching and then then you know meet all the people who 70 00:08:00,524 --> 00:08:11,551 were working but during their working years they actually had kind of a lot of different interests and then they'll retire but it's a little different because they they have a 71 00:08:11,551 --> 00:08:24,899 nature for you know being a kind of a kind of a well-rounded person and then they take that on so I think a lot of these habits are actually developed earlier in Asia you can't 72 00:08:24,899 --> 00:08:27,230 just kind of turn it on and off 73 00:08:29,238 --> 00:08:35,738 So it's kind of just being here around, you know, my mom's elderly, most of her friends are elderly. 74 00:08:35,758 --> 00:08:42,918 And then you see these pictures, I hope I'm not being gross talking about all these, it's just like the soup de jour, right? 75 00:08:42,918 --> 00:08:47,938 I'm in South Florida, I'm around, everybody here is 80 years old, so how can you not notice, you know? 76 00:08:48,998 --> 00:08:55,258 Yeah, and it's interesting, because even like in my mom's house, you know, you have these pictures of her with her friends. 77 00:08:56,014 --> 00:08:58,834 And I just saw these friends a couple years ago. 78 00:08:59,254 --> 00:09:02,094 And these pictures are now like the old faded pictures, right? 79 00:09:02,094 --> 00:09:04,074 These are like, you know, the ones from the 50s. 80 00:09:04,074 --> 00:09:07,514 These are actually taken within the last five years. 81 00:09:07,514 --> 00:09:10,914 And, you know, they're on a cruise ship, whatever, and she's there with her friends. 82 00:09:10,914 --> 00:09:16,314 And all of a sudden, like, two of the four people in the photograph are no longer on the planet. 83 00:09:17,294 --> 00:09:25,966 And it's really interesting, and you could just see, you know, it's like all these pictures and people just kind of falling out of the pictures one by one. 84 00:09:25,966 --> 00:09:29,226 So it really affects your mentality. 85 00:09:29,766 --> 00:09:31,226 And I can see how it affects people. 86 00:09:31,226 --> 00:09:39,686 can really see in the elderly people, among many of them, it's interesting. 87 00:09:39,686 --> 00:09:43,660 Some of them seem to have peace and some look really depressed. 88 00:09:43,660 --> 00:09:46,034 Yeah, it's true. 89 00:09:46,350 --> 00:10:04,210 and i think the depression is kind of this kind of red unique almost like this and resignation tactic who's is always is ending it and and and actually the crew is ending 90 00:10:04,210 --> 00:10:16,310 and there's really no kind of resolution why they were here to begin with and and there's also this kinda 91 00:10:16,814 --> 00:10:23,274 kind of emptiness in that, you know, I'm going and I'm no longer going to exist. 92 00:10:24,234 --> 00:10:30,914 And you could feel it and you know that you could see that people starting to think about it, but they don't want to think about it. 93 00:10:30,914 --> 00:10:32,634 And that's my experience. 94 00:10:32,634 --> 00:10:33,614 It's fascinating. 95 00:10:33,614 --> 00:10:39,974 It's like nothing, you know, I really love interacting with people, but this is its own thing. 96 00:10:40,274 --> 00:10:46,914 It's like giving the whole group of people who's the, you know, the cruise is ending. 97 00:10:47,596 --> 00:10:51,255 So what have your seminars been like? 98 00:10:51,255 --> 00:10:53,866 Are there many elderly people there? 99 00:10:53,866 --> 00:11:07,922 no no to the contrary i think that the people over the plate no i within actually i've been miami and i came to a evening workshop on relationships spiritual relationships at a 100 00:11:07,922 --> 00:11:11,653 place called synergy yoga gene uh... 101 00:11:11,653 --> 00:11:23,708 in south beach and so it's in any any funny to you with you know it on the very can all loud almost like bourbon street in in 102 00:11:23,854 --> 00:11:35,094 New Orleans, just a kind of a loud festive restaurants outside bars and down a little alleyways actually this yoga studio in this total bedlam. 103 00:11:35,214 --> 00:11:36,254 It's really crazy. 104 00:11:36,254 --> 00:11:43,654 It's really noisy and half the people on the street are drunk and then you go down this little alleyway and there's this whole sanctuary in the middle of all this and you 105 00:11:43,654 --> 00:11:46,694 wouldn't even know it unless you knew where it was, you know? 106 00:11:47,594 --> 00:11:51,954 And so we taught there and it was a nice turnout. 107 00:11:52,526 --> 00:11:56,506 and we dealt one evening with uh... 108 00:11:56,506 --> 00:11:56,726 uh... 109 00:11:56,726 --> 00:12:07,006 spiritual relationships and then and i'd say that actually to the contrary i would be a little one of that group i felt ancient you know i just turned sixty one last week and 110 00:12:07,006 --> 00:12:07,546 uh... 111 00:12:07,546 --> 00:12:21,206 i think the average age of the person in the workshop probably close to thirty and half my age and you know this topic about relationships is you know big one for everybody 112 00:12:22,094 --> 00:12:31,654 So we spent an evening and I always like giving those workshops because, you know, I don't know what the expectation is to the people who go there, but usually by the end of 113 00:12:31,654 --> 00:12:42,554 evening, they get their heads blown off because they have, you know, I'm coming from probably an unexpected place from whatever they're expecting. 114 00:12:42,874 --> 00:12:49,214 I think they're expecting something to be kind of very new agey. 115 00:12:50,166 --> 00:12:56,570 and you know, about relationships in a very etheric manner and soulmates and that kind of stuff. 116 00:12:57,011 --> 00:13:04,916 But uh actually most of what I'm talking about is, you know, common sense things that my grandparents would tell me. 117 00:13:04,996 --> 00:13:12,501 It's just very pragmatic, uh straight ahead stuff that's often in conflict to what they're doing currently. 118 00:13:12,541 --> 00:13:15,343 So that kind of gets their head spinning. 119 00:13:16,044 --> 00:13:19,670 So, but everybody, but you know, even though I'm telling people stuff, 120 00:13:19,670 --> 00:13:37,148 you know very spiritual way of looking at the world of relationships i'm very happy that the feedback is usually a hundred percent positive and people appreciate hearing something 121 00:13:37,148 --> 00:13:39,459 that uh... 122 00:13:39,459 --> 00:13:48,002 may even disagree with them but i think they all agree in that it's hard to refute the basic wisdom of it 123 00:13:48,002 --> 00:13:48,846 Mm. 124 00:13:49,230 --> 00:13:53,470 and and and and i get a lot of feedback when i do these uh... 125 00:13:53,470 --> 00:13:55,670 relationship courses uh... 126 00:13:55,670 --> 00:14:07,130 i always get a lot of feedback from people that that like one night like totally changed their life that they had never really hurt it quite like that and that even though it's 127 00:14:07,130 --> 00:14:18,350 not something that they do currently they had to admit that they can now see how they got themselves in trouble and of course and 128 00:14:18,350 --> 00:14:29,850 what i was talking about deep down is what everybody there really wants themselves and so i feel very blessed i had a great teacher and uh... 129 00:14:29,850 --> 00:14:40,150 you know it's it's fun teaching the people in their like twenties because i used to live like that i was a point i think what we've talked about it other podcast i was a party guy 130 00:14:40,150 --> 00:14:45,870 so i was a party guy and i want to call myself like a professional womanizer 131 00:14:45,870 --> 00:14:46,730 but uh... 132 00:14:46,730 --> 00:14:59,130 you know i like i like pretty girls and i you know and i used to go out a lot and had a lot of women in my life and i had that kind of life so i i i can understand that lifestyle 133 00:14:59,130 --> 00:15:02,109 and uh... 134 00:15:02,109 --> 00:15:13,150 so i know where they're at because i've lived that way and then had this great teacher and he showed me another way to live and that's worked out much better 135 00:15:13,228 --> 00:15:14,160 Yeah. 136 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:15,521 Well, do you... 137 00:15:16,498 --> 00:15:17,561 Are... 138 00:15:17,561 --> 00:15:21,572 Is living the way that they are the way that you did? 139 00:15:21,572 --> 00:15:24,896 Is that any better or worse than the way that you're living now? 140 00:15:25,934 --> 00:15:29,314 Well, better or worse, I would say this. 141 00:15:29,694 --> 00:15:35,514 I mean, to put that question context, because I'm getting older, I see things in all different contexts. 142 00:15:35,514 --> 00:15:43,774 I think that in anyone's life, you know, you got to experience life. 143 00:15:44,074 --> 00:15:48,394 You can't, um, you can't live in a, you know, a company in your whole life. 144 00:15:48,394 --> 00:15:50,394 You got to experience life. 145 00:15:50,394 --> 00:15:55,554 And if you're a smart person, you get to things firsthand. 146 00:15:55,594 --> 00:16:01,619 And then you can learn from them and make choices as you go forward. 147 00:16:02,220 --> 00:16:06,994 And so I think where a lot of them are at, I don't think it's better or worse. 148 00:16:06,994 --> 00:16:18,713 think that a lot of them are doing things that seem like they're, um, they're what they want to do, but they're going to end up getting smacked in some cases. 149 00:16:18,834 --> 00:16:20,475 And that's how they learn. 150 00:16:21,276 --> 00:16:23,237 And so that's good too. 151 00:16:24,374 --> 00:16:26,225 Yeah, so it's all I mean, it's all relative. 152 00:16:26,225 --> 00:16:40,269 But if you were to say at the end of the day, if they were my age and living this way or the way that I'm living right now, I would say without unabashedly would say that the way 153 00:16:40,269 --> 00:16:44,860 that I'm living in regard to all the relationships is far superior way to live. 154 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,854 And it's not like I'm putting down anybody. 155 00:16:47,854 --> 00:16:50,942 It's just that I think. 156 00:16:51,784 --> 00:17:00,824 you know, it's not just about relationships, I think it's always better to live a conscious life rather than an impulsive life. 157 00:17:00,824 --> 00:17:01,754 Hmm. 158 00:17:02,015 --> 00:17:03,896 So it's not about... 159 00:17:05,014 --> 00:17:21,871 It is, to a certain extent, having experiences and experiencing a range of experiences and a range of possibilities, but you're also saying that there comes a time to kind of not do 160 00:17:21,871 --> 00:17:22,751 that. 161 00:17:22,814 --> 00:17:29,817 I mean, what are you getting out of the way that you're living other than the experience itself? 162 00:17:33,652 --> 00:17:36,161 in far as like the world of relationships. 163 00:17:37,388 --> 00:17:47,065 Yeah, if you categorize the way you're living now in terms of the relationships, what do you get out of them now that you weren't getting out of them before? 164 00:17:48,334 --> 00:17:58,714 well of course when you talk about and you know to about my marriage yeah when you talk about the related the type of relationships not to about like friendship talking about 165 00:17:58,714 --> 00:18:01,614 intimate relationship uh... 166 00:18:01,614 --> 00:18:08,894 yes well you know it's it's really almost had been to jump into it because this is uh... 167 00:18:08,894 --> 00:18:16,558 you each area but i would say that that just for this particular conversation i'd i'd love to 168 00:18:16,558 --> 00:18:24,278 really get into depth with this thing with relationships over the course of a number of specific conversations. 169 00:18:24,597 --> 00:18:33,398 But one thing I would, like I was saying this in class the other day, that the bigger picture is it's never about the relationships. 170 00:18:33,398 --> 00:18:40,138 It's how the relationships fit into a bigger panorama of your life. 171 00:18:40,258 --> 00:18:46,738 So your life in general needs to have purpose and meaning. 172 00:18:47,374 --> 00:18:54,954 And to me, to have a really phenomenal life, you really need like singular purpose in your life. 173 00:18:54,954 --> 00:19:00,374 Like, you know, I'm here to be this person, to do this, you know, have, be very mission oriented. 174 00:19:00,374 --> 00:19:05,814 And you're, you know, have a sense of, know, who I am, what my identity is, why I'm here. 175 00:19:05,814 --> 00:19:10,294 And then the relationship needs to kind of fold into that. 176 00:19:10,294 --> 00:19:11,674 It can't be like the other way around. 177 00:19:11,674 --> 00:19:15,950 You can't like have an interpersonal relationship and then. 178 00:19:15,950 --> 00:19:29,808 build your life around that that usually disaster you know it's much better to know where you're going and then consciously involved yourself with another individual so that it is 179 00:19:29,808 --> 00:19:45,144 congruent with your mutual mission and people normally don't think in this way so you know basically the way this is most benefited me in the way that i presented subject is that it 180 00:19:45,144 --> 00:19:54,793 You know, looking at relationships this way has given me the opportunity to live what I would call like a congruent life with direction. 181 00:19:54,793 --> 00:20:06,304 Okay, and then that brings great fulfillment to myself and hopefully with the person I'm with who is also using this vehicle neutrally for the same reason. 182 00:20:07,566 --> 00:20:21,088 So why is it if at the end of the day, at the end of your life, everyone has to deal with the idea that you will physically vanish from this? 183 00:20:21,358 --> 00:20:24,718 my god, you know, I was so happy you said that. 184 00:20:25,658 --> 00:20:27,718 because you know, it's really interesting. 185 00:20:27,718 --> 00:20:37,178 I knew this would come up in a conversation and you're great, you know, afternoon that I don't want to, you know, it's podcast so you can blush because I'm, always singing your 186 00:20:37,178 --> 00:20:41,958 praises because you're always like, you're always like a step ahead of me here. 187 00:20:42,398 --> 00:20:46,658 And this, this is exactly, this is amazing. 188 00:20:46,658 --> 00:20:50,338 The other night I'm at the dinner table with my mom. 189 00:20:50,638 --> 00:20:53,858 her best friend and her uh... 190 00:20:53,858 --> 00:21:09,338 and her boyfriend and this is exactly what came up in the conversation and these people are in their eighties and one of the people at the table her friend i guess she just could 191 00:21:09,338 --> 00:21:15,886 recognize something in me and my wife and she's the one who like at all left field just 192 00:21:15,886 --> 00:21:28,926 broach this subject we just eating dinner imagine if you like in in south florida you're around me you know it's kind of like jewish people from brooklyn now living in in florida 193 00:21:28,926 --> 00:21:34,486 people right and we need dinner and uh... 194 00:21:34,486 --> 00:21:45,390 and one of the people just have a clear blue sky wants to know about what would she ask i think she was asking about 195 00:21:45,390 --> 00:21:51,930 the incarnation and what happens after we die. 196 00:21:51,930 --> 00:21:56,310 I mean, it's like, right, you know, while they're eating like a filter fish, right? 197 00:21:56,430 --> 00:21:58,910 So it's like out of left field. 198 00:21:59,370 --> 00:22:04,830 And of course, the other two people at the table are like, this is an unusual conversation. 199 00:22:05,150 --> 00:22:13,170 I mean, it's not usual conversation that there's somebody who's just kind of out of the clear blue sky saying, what happens to us after we die? 200 00:22:13,170 --> 00:22:14,330 Like, whoa. 201 00:22:14,334 --> 00:22:16,174 right? 202 00:22:17,255 --> 00:22:23,556 This landed up opening up, I talking about this for like an hour and a half. 203 00:22:24,917 --> 00:22:32,019 And it was like the best class I taught the whole time I was here, for sure. 204 00:22:32,379 --> 00:22:43,252 And I think the people at Paymore were absolutely stunned and never heard anything like this, but could not deny anything that they were hearing. 205 00:22:43,544 --> 00:22:45,466 So what did you say? 206 00:22:45,466 --> 00:23:00,040 Because what I was going to ask earlier is if you do leave this earth and whatever existence you had here is gone, what is the point of having a singular goal in life rather 207 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:08,197 than just being like these people that you see that are waiting for death and just have the experiences of life wash over you? 208 00:23:08,302 --> 00:23:08,882 Right. 209 00:23:08,882 --> 00:23:11,782 So this is actually kind of what we're talking about. 210 00:23:11,782 --> 00:23:20,042 And we were talking about kind of this whole intersection of like reality, the beginning of time. 211 00:23:20,042 --> 00:23:22,162 Can you imagine this conversation? 212 00:23:22,162 --> 00:23:28,622 The beginning of time, existence, reincarnation, death and infinity. 213 00:23:29,762 --> 00:23:37,902 And your question, and actually somebody actually said something which kind of really 214 00:23:37,902 --> 00:23:41,522 provoked the conversation in the direction that you're saying they're going. 215 00:23:41,602 --> 00:23:53,202 It's really interesting because, okay, so after we die here, and then, you know, I was basically saying that, you know, at the bottom of the day, we're essence, we're spirit. 216 00:23:53,342 --> 00:23:59,562 So when you die, you drop your body and they're going, and you hear this question all the time. 217 00:23:59,562 --> 00:24:03,942 Okay, then they always ask this, well, where do we go? 218 00:24:04,742 --> 00:24:07,654 You know, it's an interesting word because they go where. 219 00:24:07,654 --> 00:24:10,916 they're to define a place. 220 00:24:11,918 --> 00:24:13,009 You know, like where? 221 00:24:13,009 --> 00:24:15,140 It's like not here but there. 222 00:24:15,241 --> 00:24:16,722 But this is how their mind's working. 223 00:24:16,722 --> 00:24:20,394 So if we're dying, we are going to someplace. 224 00:24:20,394 --> 00:24:27,130 You know, they're thinking in terms of like taking like an inter-coastal trip here to another place, right? 225 00:24:27,331 --> 00:24:31,654 And I was sharing with them that you're not going anywhere. 226 00:24:31,654 --> 00:24:33,175 There's nowhere to go to. 227 00:24:34,056 --> 00:24:35,447 Because you are who you are. 228 00:24:35,447 --> 00:24:36,718 You're not like... 229 00:24:36,718 --> 00:24:41,502 you're not going to necessarily have a body. 230 00:24:41,502 --> 00:24:50,909 so, to answer your question, this really gets into uh this whole concept of reincarnation and karma. 231 00:24:51,610 --> 00:25:03,920 Because if you really look at it, you, at the end of the day, you are consciousness that's existing within a physical body. 232 00:25:04,781 --> 00:25:06,414 And the physical body... 233 00:25:06,414 --> 00:25:20,514 the human life is just kind of like your vessel and your spirit is living within this vessel and you got shit to do and you got so much time to do it and you're here, you 234 00:25:20,514 --> 00:25:23,374 you're on a mission, you're here for reason. 235 00:25:23,634 --> 00:25:29,874 So you're kind of, there's a reason, you have an infinite, you have an infinite existence. 236 00:25:30,514 --> 00:25:33,294 Right now you're taking a human form. 237 00:25:33,454 --> 00:25:37,071 How do you assume that we're here for a reason? 238 00:25:40,140 --> 00:25:46,633 Because everything, if you look at it, and again, you know, these are like phenomenal questions. 239 00:25:46,633 --> 00:25:48,994 So we're like jumping all over the place, which is fine. 240 00:25:48,994 --> 00:25:49,614 Okay. 241 00:25:49,614 --> 00:25:52,675 I'm just like riffing on this right now. 242 00:25:52,675 --> 00:26:04,961 But, but these are very big concepts because, but a lot of them are self evident in that, know, like somebody at the table the other night, this was a really deep conversation. 243 00:26:04,961 --> 00:26:07,161 They were kind of bringing in evolution. 244 00:26:07,622 --> 00:26:08,438 Right. 245 00:26:08,438 --> 00:26:20,458 they asked me if i believe in evolution and i'm well if you're talking about what you think evolution is which is the evolution of physical species of course how can you be 246 00:26:20,458 --> 00:26:31,877 sure why not but i'm now and after actually mean that's a limited view of evolution because actually everything is evolving everything is evolving so you're not just evolving 247 00:26:31,877 --> 00:26:38,622 as a species in a cellular way but there's also evolution in intelligence 248 00:26:38,892 --> 00:26:41,203 and is an evolution in consciousness. 249 00:26:41,384 --> 00:26:42,044 Okay? 250 00:26:42,044 --> 00:26:48,829 So where everything will be completely conscious, which we're not right now. 251 00:26:48,829 --> 00:26:49,609 Right? 252 00:26:49,609 --> 00:27:01,877 So when you talk about purpose, there's not just like an individual purpose, there's a collective purpose, is that all of nature is constantly changing. 253 00:27:02,098 --> 00:27:04,920 It's not like changing just for no purpose. 254 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,512 You can actually see that it's evolving into something. 255 00:27:08,790 --> 00:27:14,233 And if you pay attention, what it's evolving into is pure consciousness. 256 00:27:14,594 --> 00:27:15,434 All right? 257 00:27:15,434 --> 00:27:25,320 So whatever each individual is born into, you have your own individual role to play in all of that. 258 00:27:25,501 --> 00:27:34,696 And then at the end of the day, every being is on this planet to just get closer to where it's living in pure consciousness. 259 00:27:37,864 --> 00:27:52,638 And so when the human body has its last heartbeat and its last breath, the consciousness is what continues on exactly where it's at. 260 00:27:52,878 --> 00:28:00,240 So there is a difference between people just hanging out to die and people who are still growing. 261 00:28:00,540 --> 00:28:03,801 Because the people who still growing are on an ascent. 262 00:28:03,801 --> 00:28:06,424 Unless those people are hanging out, they're already 263 00:28:06,424 --> 00:28:18,321 completely self-realized Buddhas, okay, which I didn't see many at the retirement home the other night, but you know, unless they were self-realized completely and the body will 264 00:28:18,321 --> 00:28:20,834 drop and they'll become pure spirit. 265 00:28:22,466 --> 00:28:34,084 this body will drop but their existence will go on and they will just take some form where their consciousness will start off where it ended because you can't kill consciousness. 266 00:28:34,958 --> 00:28:38,355 What's the difference between a Buddha and a regular person? 267 00:28:39,336 --> 00:28:39,596 uh... 268 00:28:39,596 --> 00:28:51,405 that actually the only difference between a booted regular person the booty knows who he is completely though people put magic around it but it's it's it's just represents pure 269 00:28:51,405 --> 00:29:05,615 consciousness which which a person can realize in this lifetime infected the highest realization this person in this lifetime is to actually experience and know yourself to be 270 00:29:05,615 --> 00:29:06,836 a hundred percent 271 00:29:07,882 --> 00:29:16,275 And to the extent that you're not there is the extent that you will experience pain and suffering in this lifetime. 272 00:29:16,275 --> 00:29:18,996 And that's, not a Buddhist, but that's the Buddhist teachings too. 273 00:29:18,996 --> 00:29:25,929 The Buddhist teachings of life is pain and suffering, and because that's what we need to do. 274 00:29:26,770 --> 00:29:29,951 we're, you know, none of the Buddhist teachings were attached. 275 00:29:29,951 --> 00:29:31,591 have to be unattached. 276 00:29:31,742 --> 00:29:37,614 To be unattached, you experience yourself, and you're enlightened, and there's no reason for you 277 00:29:37,614 --> 00:29:40,401 to take on any incarnation. 278 00:29:43,882 --> 00:29:55,173 So when you said it was an ascent um for every soul, there's a trajectory with this highest part of enlightenment being the top. 279 00:29:55,173 --> 00:30:00,368 And when you reach the top, that's essentially being done growing though. 280 00:30:00,368 --> 00:30:03,921 Because what happens to the spirit after you reach the top? 281 00:30:05,464 --> 00:30:10,264 Well, once you totally self-realize, no need to grow anymore. 282 00:30:12,786 --> 00:30:14,367 you're self-realized. 283 00:30:14,367 --> 00:30:33,443 So every being is growing and changing, but at some point on a time-space continuum, that soul will be liberated because there's nothing holding it back. 284 00:30:35,025 --> 00:30:41,760 all these, as human beings, we're sort of equally evolved just to be human beings. 285 00:30:42,510 --> 00:30:49,890 but they're human beings who are more evolved and they're human beings who are liberated, not many. 286 00:30:49,890 --> 00:31:01,590 But that's the highest achievement as a human being is not only to be liberated but to assist other beings to be liberated as well. 287 00:31:02,030 --> 00:31:05,247 to what happens to the soul when it's liberated. 288 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:07,750 Nothing. 289 00:31:08,591 --> 00:31:10,031 That's the thing. 290 00:31:10,332 --> 00:31:13,673 The soul, by nature, is totally free. 291 00:31:14,134 --> 00:31:24,518 And it's all part of God's play that we're encumbered to one extent or other. 292 00:31:25,579 --> 00:31:32,222 Our soul is kind of like yanked down and limited to the extent that we're attached. 293 00:31:33,912 --> 00:31:49,221 to things that we have these all these kind of attachments to things and all these attachments ah even attachments of affection and comfort and self-importance power all 294 00:31:49,221 --> 00:32:01,932 these things these things encumber the souls being absolutely free and liberated and there's a way in this lifetime to kind of burn those things off so you're pure 295 00:32:01,932 --> 00:32:05,885 your pure freedom, pure spirit, even as you're alive within the body. 296 00:32:06,226 --> 00:32:11,230 And so you don't even have to wait till you die to experience this. 297 00:32:11,230 --> 00:32:19,216 Because this, you actually, to the contrary, what you want to do in your lifetime is experience liberation now. 298 00:32:19,216 --> 00:32:22,158 That's the purpose of spiritual life. 299 00:32:22,699 --> 00:32:26,104 And so there's like even in the Sikh path, know. 300 00:32:26,104 --> 00:32:37,524 gunaniko he used to talk about to die while you're yet alive he always used to say that the purpose of life is to die while yet alive but that's really what he was saying is that 301 00:32:37,524 --> 00:32:52,617 while you're still alive that you feel you experience deathlessness even while you're alive and then you're free so that's so if you can imagine it's not like the soul or your 302 00:32:52,617 --> 00:32:53,612 essence 303 00:32:53,612 --> 00:32:55,945 come something else or go somewhere else. 304 00:32:55,945 --> 00:32:58,328 It's actually the contrary. 305 00:32:58,328 --> 00:33:04,054 It's actually you're going nowhere and all the chains are let go. 306 00:33:06,454 --> 00:33:16,934 That's the highest state of being of a human being and it's one of the great things about being a human being is that that is actually in your DNA. 307 00:33:22,286 --> 00:33:24,166 Are you still there or did I lose you? 308 00:33:27,886 --> 00:33:29,626 Yeah, my soul is just checking. 309 00:33:32,662 --> 00:33:35,020 are you there elutia okay 310 00:33:35,020 --> 00:33:36,402 Yeah, you're still there. 311 00:33:42,196 --> 00:33:45,958 alright they from there so where are we where where are we 312 00:33:48,494 --> 00:34:11,267 uh I mean, I guess it just it seems counterintuitive to me to have a goal, like have a singular kind of goal or vision or plan in life and yet also be seeking this this 313 00:34:11,267 --> 00:34:15,529 lessening of your worldly burdens. 314 00:34:16,062 --> 00:34:30,490 well yeah but you know it all depends on the context you look at it because the great thing about being human being is that there are many ways to serve many many there's many 315 00:34:30,490 --> 00:34:42,717 ways to serve the humanity and as many ways as there is to serve the humanity you can actually experience your totality of yourself walking on that path 316 00:34:44,174 --> 00:34:47,357 So it's not like two things at once. 317 00:34:47,357 --> 00:34:57,665 It's like, for instance, you know, the other night I was talking about marriage and one of the things my teacher always taught us, which really makes lot of sense to me now, is that 318 00:34:57,665 --> 00:35:03,729 the highest spiritual path, the highest form of yoga is actually marriage. 319 00:35:04,310 --> 00:35:06,632 It's a very different way of looking at it. 320 00:35:07,173 --> 00:35:13,986 But he goes, he says, you you think you're practicing yoga, he says, if you really want to practice yoga, 321 00:35:13,986 --> 00:35:16,587 the highest form of yoga is marriage. 322 00:35:17,227 --> 00:35:20,828 And I didn't quite understand him back then, but now of course I do. 323 00:35:21,248 --> 00:35:34,152 Because, you know, in that endeavor, if you're really into it and you apply yourself to it, everything you need to know about life and reality and spirit and everything you can 324 00:35:34,152 --> 00:35:37,993 actually learn in that, in on that playing field. 325 00:35:38,106 --> 00:35:42,776 And then, of course, and you could 326 00:35:42,776 --> 00:35:51,550 probably say that about many endeavors in life, especially whatever it is you decide to devote your life to. 327 00:35:51,550 --> 00:36:03,865 So wherever you're putting your energy as a human being, it will, if it's really a very exalted thing and you put your whole energy into doing this, you know, through this, you 328 00:36:03,865 --> 00:36:06,436 can realize yourself. 329 00:36:06,696 --> 00:36:09,778 know, we, we like friends, we, were, we were talking about this. 330 00:36:09,778 --> 00:36:11,266 they are telling you how 331 00:36:11,266 --> 00:36:22,680 you know, there's a person I know who was wanting to, you know, just create a look for, you know, my website and my flyer and, and, you know, that kind of thing. 332 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:29,138 might call my, just kind of my, my, my, uh, my promotional look, right. 333 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,732 And so, you know, she's saying to me, well, what do you want? 334 00:36:33,732 --> 00:36:38,155 I'm going, well, okay, well, I'll tell you what, this is, this is, this is your, this is your mission. 335 00:36:38,155 --> 00:36:39,278 You're, you're going to. 336 00:36:39,278 --> 00:36:55,298 going to create like a business card and a flyer and a website and this way you're to have to represent I want you to represent strength, nobility, kindness and excellence. 337 00:36:56,318 --> 00:37:04,738 And she's, oh my God, you know, well, you know, that's not like, you know, that's not like a job from a cracker company. 338 00:37:04,798 --> 00:37:08,898 You know, now I'm asking her to actually 339 00:37:09,024 --> 00:37:23,458 in her job conceptualized a look something that represents the highest values known to man she doesn't have to go to church you know i'm saying she if she liked totally through 340 00:37:23,458 --> 00:37:36,012 herself into this just do a job she can actually experience enlightenment but totally putting her whole being into that because if she she's trying to 341 00:37:36,334 --> 00:37:39,294 represented she's going to experience it. 342 00:37:39,294 --> 00:37:45,554 It's like these people used to do these like paintings, you know, of Jesus or whatever. 343 00:37:45,554 --> 00:37:47,414 I very exalted. 344 00:37:48,014 --> 00:37:56,714 you can imagine just painting those paintings where that must have put their head just totally putting themselves into the painting. 345 00:37:56,894 --> 00:38:03,494 So I think that's true for any endeavor you do in life if you like totally throw your whole self into it and it's... 346 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:08,527 of service to humanity, can be a means through which you learn who you are. 347 00:38:11,906 --> 00:38:12,709 Hmm. 348 00:38:12,709 --> 00:38:13,231 That's it. 349 00:38:13,231 --> 00:38:17,865 mean, that implies that there's some innate knowledge inside of us. 350 00:38:18,570 --> 00:38:20,512 Well, yeah, well, of course there is. 351 00:38:20,512 --> 00:38:37,156 And I think that's the whole thing is like, definitely is this gets back, you know, again, all these, these different, these different spiritual concepts, all kind of intersect 352 00:38:37,156 --> 00:38:41,010 because yeah, we would say it's in your DNA. 353 00:38:41,010 --> 00:38:42,951 You're hardwired already. 354 00:38:42,951 --> 00:38:46,624 You were born with the code, right? 355 00:38:47,278 --> 00:38:59,358 So it's already, it's like in a science fiction, science fiction, it would be like somebody, you were born and you were planted with like a chip, right? 356 00:38:59,798 --> 00:39:03,678 So the code's already implanted, right? 357 00:39:04,138 --> 00:39:05,698 But it's not activated. 358 00:39:06,278 --> 00:39:07,458 But it's there. 359 00:39:07,458 --> 00:39:08,258 I mean, it's right there. 360 00:39:08,258 --> 00:39:11,318 You don't have to, it's all like the spiritual point of view. 361 00:39:11,318 --> 00:39:13,238 It's not like the truth is outside of you. 362 00:39:13,238 --> 00:39:16,856 The truth is actually inside of you. 363 00:39:16,856 --> 00:39:20,947 codes in there and you have to activate it. 364 00:39:21,607 --> 00:39:27,009 And there's a way to activate it and that's by living a certain way. 365 00:39:27,069 --> 00:39:29,830 And that will automatically open it up. 366 00:39:29,830 --> 00:39:46,130 again, if you go back to this whole thing, even a karma of everything being caused and effect, it's kind of like you today on whatever it is, March 20th or 21st of 2013. 367 00:39:46,190 --> 00:39:54,030 whatever it is that's you is a result of everything that's happened in time since the beginning of time that's brought you to this very moment. 368 00:39:54,030 --> 00:39:54,890 Yeah? 369 00:39:56,750 --> 00:40:12,830 since you're kind of a permutation of the first wave, that first, that first primordial sound, as we would say, okay, is... 370 00:40:12,830 --> 00:40:17,092 Is that, maybe I should go in another room because, do you hear that stuff in the background? 371 00:40:18,472 --> 00:40:20,053 Okay, okay. 372 00:40:20,073 --> 00:40:34,569 Yeah, so that original, we would say the original vibration, uh it's kind of everything in the universe is a permutation from that original, that like a clear lake, a little pebble 373 00:40:34,569 --> 00:40:41,522 is thrown, you got that first wave going out, and then every ripple is a permutation of that, including you. 374 00:40:41,912 --> 00:40:49,185 So within you is actually the code going back all the way to the beginning. 375 00:40:49,565 --> 00:41:04,512 And what you do in your life is there are certain ways of living and certain practices that actually people have found out can like open up that door. 376 00:41:04,512 --> 00:41:10,374 And then you experience the primordial energy, is 377 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:25,410 the infinity which people call God and so it's almost like the God code is in you and you need something to like switch it on and so that is that so to answer your question yes 378 00:41:25,410 --> 00:41:35,146 every human being has that in their DNA there's nobody who doesn't it's not something you grab from outside you're born with it 379 00:41:36,524 --> 00:41:40,916 But people are at different levels of evolution and wisdom. 380 00:41:41,336 --> 00:41:49,820 So that that happening in this lifetime is not probable for most people. 381 00:41:50,101 --> 00:42:01,602 But what is very likely is that for many people in this lifetime, they'll actually bring themselves farther along that path, drop the body. 382 00:42:01,602 --> 00:42:09,469 the spirit will be evolved, the consciousness will be evolved to a certain closer level to this absolute opening. 383 00:42:09,510 --> 00:42:21,942 They'll take on another form and space and they'll continue that journey until all of this is dropped and they kind of switch back onto that code. 384 00:42:22,510 --> 00:42:34,526 So for people who aren't, I mean, is it possible to go through this life and not make any progress and even make anti? 385 00:42:34,526 --> 00:42:37,097 I mean, I think that's it. 386 00:42:37,580 --> 00:42:39,534 kind of go kind of go backwards. 387 00:42:39,534 --> 00:42:42,103 Yeah, there are people that definitely go backwards. 388 00:42:42,254 --> 00:42:42,775 uh... 389 00:42:42,775 --> 00:42:45,706 it would appear that way uh 390 00:42:45,706 --> 00:42:46,897 what happens to them? 391 00:42:46,897 --> 00:42:52,660 I mean, does everybody get regenerated no matter what you did? 392 00:42:52,978 --> 00:43:04,921 Yeah, I in the end it all everything you know There's there's a saying in almost all the spiritual paths that all things come from God and all things go to God So it's all a 393 00:43:04,921 --> 00:43:20,466 matter of time and space You know and and this lifetime is amazingly short Seems longer than it is, but it's very it's like a blink and so and so ah And even if it seems like 394 00:43:20,466 --> 00:43:22,506 people are spiraling down 395 00:43:23,362 --> 00:43:23,783 uh... 396 00:43:23,783 --> 00:43:39,867 it's all you ball that there is learning from that that will be still taken care of it a later time and this is what you know i get i i can't you know kind of we like it's like a 397 00:43:39,867 --> 00:43:49,395 jazz riff here we're gonna like you know you know that the other night i was kind of gotta bring in people long like step-by-step hearing showing them how it all can pull together 398 00:43:49,395 --> 00:43:50,784 we're here we kind of 399 00:43:50,784 --> 00:43:53,124 all over the place which is equally fine. 400 00:43:53,124 --> 00:43:55,814 uh 401 00:43:57,390 --> 00:44:08,390 but you know from bringing in different concepts at different points but again this brings us back to karma which is at the end of the day it's about cause and effect. 402 00:44:08,390 --> 00:44:20,650 is no more you know people make these things, oh I'm driving around I got good parking karma you know stuff like that but actually all karma really is is that it's a law of the 403 00:44:20,650 --> 00:44:27,002 universe that every cause has an effect that's all karma means all right and 404 00:44:27,002 --> 00:44:36,385 And so there is this thought that there's things that produce good karma and there's things that produce bad karma. 405 00:44:36,385 --> 00:44:37,855 Because everything has a cause and effect. 406 00:44:37,855 --> 00:44:47,108 So for instance, if you in your lifetime are very honest person and you're very generous in giving and you help those in need and you're very, you know, all those kinds of things 407 00:44:47,108 --> 00:44:51,540 that everybody looks up to, that brings good karma. 408 00:44:51,540 --> 00:44:52,850 mean, it's it's... 409 00:44:54,402 --> 00:45:00,044 it's not even like an outside source is rewarding you, it's like you're writing your own ticket there. 410 00:45:00,905 --> 00:45:14,030 You do uplifting things and you help out other people and you're kind and yada yada yada and it just creates a whole scenario where it kind of brings you to a higher platform. 411 00:45:14,190 --> 00:45:23,494 And then of course if you do things and you're harmful to other people and you're cruel and this and that and you steal and you lie, 412 00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:33,243 you're actually when you're doing it is you're just more inflating your own self you burdening yourself like you're you pilot shit on yourself and you gotta get that off and 413 00:45:33,243 --> 00:45:35,851 you gotta clean up any uh... 414 00:45:35,851 --> 00:45:41,995 you know you you're really at the end of the if you're doing the kind of things like this that are uh... 415 00:45:41,995 --> 00:45:51,798 self-centered and hurtful to others you need a person hurting most of yourself because it's just burdening you deep down your conscious knows 416 00:45:52,814 --> 00:46:05,594 not a good thing and and and it's just another thing you have to unshackle yourself from at some point so at the end of the day it's cause and effect and you you want to create 417 00:46:05,594 --> 00:46:20,494 things that and ultimately at the end of the day anything is good karma is something that's leading you closer to liberation and anything that we would refer to as bad karma 418 00:46:20,494 --> 00:46:21,932 is anything 419 00:46:21,932 --> 00:46:26,529 that is for the shackling you and that you'll have to um... 420 00:46:26,529 --> 00:46:28,030 unencumber yourself. 421 00:46:31,634 --> 00:46:31,904 it. 422 00:46:31,904 --> 00:46:46,589 So I mean it's a very, it seems like a very self-centered pursuit with the hopeful effect that if you do it right you're, you'll flow out to other people, your kindness will... 423 00:46:47,118 --> 00:46:49,098 You know, it's really interesting. 424 00:46:49,098 --> 00:46:54,158 It's kind of like, and know, and charity is a very good, good example. 425 00:46:54,158 --> 00:46:59,178 It's because people always say, you know, give 10 % and you'll get 10, then you get 10 times in return. 426 00:46:59,378 --> 00:47:00,278 Right? 427 00:47:00,278 --> 00:47:03,958 So, you know, you would talk about giving their 10th. 428 00:47:03,958 --> 00:47:05,918 This is very common too. 429 00:47:05,978 --> 00:47:06,798 Same thing. 430 00:47:06,798 --> 00:47:09,078 So I think you're onto something. 431 00:47:09,078 --> 00:47:10,258 You're actually very well. 432 00:47:10,258 --> 00:47:12,398 I love talking to you here. 433 00:47:12,478 --> 00:47:15,338 I think sometimes I think you're actually wiser than you know. 434 00:47:15,646 --> 00:47:21,870 you're always saying wise things and i think this is another one of them and this is that there's um... 435 00:47:21,870 --> 00:47:33,897 you actually brought up something that'll come up a lot in our our talk it's something that people who think they're on a spiritual path they can't get get through this it's 436 00:47:33,897 --> 00:47:43,202 like one of the big obstacle spiritual growth is that people cannot accept paradoxes and i 437 00:47:43,278 --> 00:47:54,078 i struggle with this myself and i see how many people get lopped off they think that very they really you know becoming very spiritually oriented this and then at some point they 438 00:47:54,078 --> 00:48:04,818 start hearing paradoxes and then the wheels come off because they can't live with paradox so it's kind of like you it's really interesting you were talking about that spiritual 439 00:48:04,818 --> 00:48:06,078 life uh... 440 00:48:06,078 --> 00:48:11,358 when i think spiritual life is that you know there's an intention to liberate oneself you know 441 00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:21,046 and develop along lines where you have the possibility in this lifetime to liberate yourself and others. 442 00:48:22,027 --> 00:48:35,538 So on the one hand, it is probably the most selfish of all pursuits, really, because you your soul, your life, and you're not going to be denied. 443 00:48:35,538 --> 00:48:40,792 You're going do whatever you need to do to do this, and in a way you're almost being ruthless about it. 444 00:48:40,792 --> 00:48:53,913 you know we do whatever i can because there's no plan b here i'm not going to negotiate this so it's a very self-centered self-oriented pursuit on the other hand you cannot 445 00:48:54,714 --> 00:49:07,094 really get to the higher levels of this without being selfless which is very paradoxical but at certain point in your development you actually realize that the only way to 446 00:49:07,094 --> 00:49:09,336 liberate yourself is 447 00:49:09,336 --> 00:49:11,267 sacrifice your life for others. 448 00:49:12,168 --> 00:49:14,986 It's very paradoxical, but I totally get it. 449 00:49:14,986 --> 00:49:18,543 It took me a long time, but you I've been very fortunate in my life. 450 00:49:18,543 --> 00:49:21,776 I've had many, what you would call like epiphanies. 451 00:49:23,217 --> 00:49:26,960 And every time I had an epiphany, my reaction was to break out laughing. 452 00:49:27,961 --> 00:49:38,908 Every time I just broke out laughing and usually I broke out laughing is that I'd be laughing at myself because I'd laugh at myself and how stupid I was because I didn't get 453 00:49:38,908 --> 00:49:39,510 it. 454 00:49:39,510 --> 00:49:49,957 You know, and so, and often I laugh because it's like a very, it's like, you know, I just think that all these great spiritual masters were like the best comedians of all time. 455 00:49:50,658 --> 00:49:55,441 They were, they really were the best comedians because this stuff actually is very funny. 456 00:49:55,441 --> 00:50:05,928 If you listen to any great comedian, they're always funny because they're, they're kind of like, they can see the truth within things or they see the opposite within things that 457 00:50:05,928 --> 00:50:07,279 other people just can't see. 458 00:50:07,279 --> 00:50:09,460 mean, the best comedians are like brilliant. 459 00:50:09,652 --> 00:50:13,563 Maybe if they actually can see what's funny, even what's in... 460 00:50:13,563 --> 00:50:15,005 One sec. 461 00:50:22,574 --> 00:50:23,934 Okay, yeah, okay. 462 00:50:23,934 --> 00:50:25,834 I'm moving here. 463 00:50:25,994 --> 00:50:29,034 The cook has... 464 00:50:29,034 --> 00:50:30,434 I'm gonna start talking. 465 00:50:30,434 --> 00:50:32,774 Or even outside, think I can do Now, Lucia, let me know. 466 00:50:32,774 --> 00:50:34,574 I think I'm gonna talk outside here. 467 00:50:34,574 --> 00:50:35,494 outside. 468 00:50:36,214 --> 00:50:37,954 I need to do that. 469 00:50:37,954 --> 00:50:39,214 Oh, it's so nice out here. 470 00:50:39,214 --> 00:50:43,914 You know, living in New York, I don't have moments like this. 471 00:50:43,934 --> 00:50:48,314 Actually sitting out on the back of the porch on the side of a golf course. 472 00:50:48,314 --> 00:50:49,714 Oh, God is good to me. 473 00:50:49,714 --> 00:50:50,654 Okay. 474 00:50:51,758 --> 00:50:53,122 Super comedian. 475 00:50:53,294 --> 00:50:53,874 uh... 476 00:50:53,874 --> 00:51:09,430 well what was it talking about laughing laughing yeah you laugh at yourself because it's lot of this stuff is you get attached to things being this way or that way but maybe 477 00:51:09,430 --> 00:51:13,442 they're both at the same time and uh... 478 00:51:13,442 --> 00:51:21,986 and and that would be one of them is like i see these people there starting out on the spiritual path and they're very earnest you know they're very serious they're very 479 00:51:21,986 --> 00:51:22,638 self-disciplined 480 00:51:22,638 --> 00:51:24,578 And of course, you have to be that way. 481 00:51:24,578 --> 00:51:32,138 You have to be self-disciplined and you have to take it seriously and you have to dedicate yourself. 482 00:51:33,798 --> 00:51:50,098 But that's kind of in a way, I'm working it hard for myself, but at some point that gets heavy and you kind of have this insight is that if your whole life is dedicated to bring 483 00:51:50,098 --> 00:51:52,618 happiness to others, then you're free. 484 00:51:53,184 --> 00:52:06,747 one of the burdens and that's why being self-centered is so painful is that you just keep your locked in your prison cell and if you kinda get that hey you know what i'm i'm 485 00:52:06,747 --> 00:52:19,238 already happy i don't need anything so i'm just gonna help other people out that's very liberating but very few people actually only understand that like intellectually oh 486 00:52:20,630 --> 00:52:34,894 So what you're saying is actually true about the selfishness but a bit paradoxical, which is good, is that I think when you're starting out on the spiritual path, it's very 487 00:52:34,894 --> 00:52:37,415 important to be very self-centered. 488 00:52:37,715 --> 00:52:39,155 And people think, what? 489 00:52:39,155 --> 00:52:48,938 But the thing is that you cannot start off being selfless because you don't have the consciousness to really even understand what it means. 490 00:52:49,422 --> 00:52:58,096 So what you're doing is that you're kind of like being selfless but in a very self-centered, arrogant way. 491 00:52:58,096 --> 00:53:00,227 It's like you're pushing it. 492 00:53:00,227 --> 00:53:04,548 You're like, okay, I'm going to be selfless and that makes me a better person. 493 00:53:04,948 --> 00:53:07,009 No, you're still stuck. 494 00:53:08,410 --> 00:53:16,933 Because you're consciously trying, you're purposely trying to pretend that you're selfless before you're selfless, okay? 495 00:53:16,933 --> 00:53:18,766 Because you want something out of it. 496 00:53:18,766 --> 00:53:22,506 instead of it kind of being a natural flow from everything else. 497 00:53:22,506 --> 00:53:36,106 So in the beginning, in the beginning of the spiritual path, you have to be selfish because everyone around you or most of the people around you don't want you to go forward. 498 00:53:36,606 --> 00:53:39,746 They want you to hang in there with them. 499 00:53:40,026 --> 00:53:47,942 And if you're serious about spiritual life, you have to make decisions that you're going to 500 00:53:47,950 --> 00:53:50,272 You're gonna put yourself first right now. 501 00:53:50,412 --> 00:53:51,774 You gotta get yourself together. 502 00:53:51,774 --> 00:53:53,816 You gotta get your own shit together. 503 00:53:53,816 --> 00:54:03,857 You gotta get healthy physically, mentally, spiritually, and you're gonna do whatever you need to do it, and people are not gonna understand, and they're gonna be angry, and 504 00:54:03,857 --> 00:54:05,586 they're gonna feel abandoned. 505 00:54:05,727 --> 00:54:14,194 But you gotta take care of business, because if you're ever gonna be in a position to help other people, you gotta be in a position to be able to help them, not just wanna help. 506 00:54:14,732 --> 00:54:15,607 Yeah. 507 00:54:16,186 --> 00:54:21,829 I anybody can, when you put it like that, I think it's clear from experience. 508 00:54:21,829 --> 00:54:25,210 think a lot of people can understand that and can relate to that. 509 00:54:25,210 --> 00:54:32,634 um I think everybody's been in a position where they've overextended themselves and you know what it feels like. 510 00:54:32,634 --> 00:54:43,819 mean, it's, you're, feel bad because you feel like you're letting somebody down, but you're also, you've probably gotten to a point that you're really angry because you feel 511 00:54:43,819 --> 00:54:45,840 like you've been used and 512 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:52,768 And it's really negative and it's bad, but it's something that you need to recognize and pull out of. 513 00:54:52,768 --> 00:54:56,933 That way you can figure it out and keep going. 514 00:54:57,196 --> 00:55:07,809 you know i i got an interesting example that amount like you know when i i was in my twenties i i can make the turn to get into life i took on now and that i've been living 515 00:55:07,809 --> 00:55:20,132 for many decades and my family was it's funny to them busy my mom here so and history with family was incredibly angry incredibly angry and uh... 516 00:55:20,132 --> 00:55:26,744 more or less disown me and then there was a lot of resentment 517 00:55:26,744 --> 00:55:28,294 for many, years. 518 00:55:29,135 --> 00:55:32,636 And it's like 25 years later, and it was like a fight. 519 00:55:32,636 --> 00:55:42,239 I'm fighting for my right to have my own life, and they're fighting to keep me in their possession. 520 00:55:43,639 --> 00:55:47,634 And so this is a very existential fight here, right? 521 00:55:47,634 --> 00:55:52,188 I'm trying to break away, and they're trying to me planted. 522 00:55:52,686 --> 00:56:03,090 And finally, there's a lot of resentment on both sides until I got to the point in my life that actually I felt that I had broken away. 523 00:56:04,031 --> 00:56:06,151 And I didn't care. 524 00:56:07,012 --> 00:56:12,854 And it was only at that point, many years later, so I go up to my father who was very angry at me for a long time. 525 00:56:13,075 --> 00:56:17,246 up to him and I said, listen, I want to apologize to you. 526 00:56:17,246 --> 00:56:20,177 And he goes, yeah, about what? 527 00:56:20,438 --> 00:56:21,558 I said, you know, 528 00:56:21,558 --> 00:56:23,479 when i a uh... 529 00:56:23,499 --> 00:56:34,284 this gets back when you think anything about selfishness i think them you know when i'm cc when i made these decisions to change my life you know uh... 530 00:56:34,284 --> 00:56:49,410 that was like totally selfish on my part i didn't think about how it would affect you at all and it was all about me so i want to apologize to you for the fact that i was 531 00:56:49,678 --> 00:56:55,398 that incredibly selfish and didn't take your feelings into consideration at all. 532 00:56:55,578 --> 00:56:58,618 So he, of course, is very surprised to hear me say this. 533 00:56:58,658 --> 00:57:07,338 So he's going, oh, you know what to say, because here he's fighting me for all these decades, and he says, well, what do you want me to do about it? 534 00:57:08,278 --> 00:57:11,578 And I said, nothing, nothing. 535 00:57:11,578 --> 00:57:17,206 And in fact, although I said to you, and it's true that I'm really sorry that I hurt you this way, 536 00:57:17,206 --> 00:57:24,049 i really don't have to tell you that if i had to do it all over again i do exactly the same thing because uh... 537 00:57:24,049 --> 00:57:35,821 i needed a sense that you know i got this one life here and i'm not willing to flush it away i said i got something to do here i don't even understand i don't even understand 538 00:57:35,821 --> 00:57:46,550 what i did or you know is that my heart told me that i needed to do this and in fact definitely what i needed to do and uh... 539 00:57:46,550 --> 00:57:52,002 I just want to thank you for bringing me into this world and trying to do the best you can. 540 00:57:52,002 --> 00:58:02,416 And I even want to thank you for giving me so much opposition because you really did and said a lot of nasty things to me. 541 00:58:02,757 --> 00:58:07,398 But I'm so thankful because that made me even fight harder. 542 00:58:08,199 --> 00:58:14,161 yeah, I said, you didn't realize it, but you did me a great favor because I'm really strong right now. 543 00:58:14,502 --> 00:58:15,802 And so... 544 00:58:15,982 --> 00:58:17,382 You did a great job. 545 00:58:17,382 --> 00:58:19,222 You had a very important part to play. 546 00:58:19,222 --> 00:58:21,122 You're a very highly principled person. 547 00:58:21,122 --> 00:58:22,862 I'm glad you stuck up to your guns. 548 00:58:22,862 --> 00:58:24,462 gave me the opposition I needed. 549 00:58:24,462 --> 00:58:26,562 Now I'm super strong in what I did. 550 00:58:26,562 --> 00:58:27,802 I made the right decision. 551 00:58:27,802 --> 00:58:30,142 I was incredibly selfish. 552 00:58:30,482 --> 00:58:35,082 I apologize for my selfishness, but there's times in life you need to be selfish. 553 00:58:35,082 --> 00:58:39,962 And I find myself with many of my younger students. 554 00:58:40,222 --> 00:58:43,902 And to their surprise, I'm encouraging them to be selfish. 555 00:58:43,902 --> 00:58:45,454 And they can't believe it because 556 00:58:45,454 --> 00:58:52,854 they're expecting me to tell them to be selfless and I say to know, there's plenty of to be selfless. 557 00:58:54,114 --> 00:58:57,134 You know, we'll get to selflessness first. 558 00:58:57,134 --> 00:59:03,154 Let's first, basically you've abandoned yourself and you've betrayed yourself so long. 559 00:59:03,154 --> 00:59:07,354 Let's first be kind to yourself, get that together and then we'll talk about selflessness. 560 00:59:07,354 --> 00:59:11,874 But you know, we only can talk about selflessness if we have a self to be less about. 561 00:59:13,569 --> 00:59:22,350 Because if you don't have strong sense of yourself, how can you consciously be selfless? 562 00:59:22,590 --> 00:59:26,650 Because what exactly are you dedicating? 563 00:59:26,650 --> 00:59:31,250 What exactly are you sacrificing if you don't even have a hold on what that is? 564 00:59:31,270 --> 00:59:37,670 So let's first give you a grasp of what your self is, and then we'll devote it to something. 565 00:59:38,510 --> 00:59:43,816 So for you, you felt a calling inside of yourself? 566 00:59:45,262 --> 00:59:50,382 to do what i'm doing with my life now uh... 567 00:59:50,382 --> 01:00:01,182 you know although you know the call coming in was not that clear but you know it was like when these children's walkie-talkies you know uh... 568 01:00:01,182 --> 01:00:02,182 you know i 569 01:00:03,124 --> 01:00:04,544 It came from inside of you. 570 01:00:04,544 --> 01:00:06,374 uh 571 01:00:07,214 --> 01:00:09,274 you know uh... 572 01:00:09,274 --> 01:00:20,254 i'm trying to go back and actually reach you know you're asking them trying to go back and recreate that in my people call it a calling you know and it kind of is a calling but that 573 01:00:20,254 --> 01:00:20,894 kind of uh... 574 01:00:20,894 --> 01:00:30,074 you know it's funny to think they away from a lot of these common expressions because i find that they mean different things to different people you know because they're on own 575 01:00:30,074 --> 01:00:36,794 own subjective experience of those terms but i would say that what happened to me 576 01:00:36,968 --> 01:00:55,531 is that I, when I was younger, I had an, when I was 19, I for the first time was conscious of my interest in finding out who I was and why I was here, things that normally people 577 01:00:55,531 --> 01:00:57,433 don't think about at 19. 578 01:00:57,433 --> 01:00:59,013 But they kind of... 579 01:00:59,168 --> 01:01:02,847 I feel like a lot of 19 year olds think about that stuff. 580 01:01:03,414 --> 01:01:14,504 you know what if they do by the time the twenty five there aren't something else because i think maybe you're right for nineteen year olds but i don't find that true for a lot of 581 01:01:14,504 --> 01:01:21,902 people who are twenty five thirty i really don't need to you know maybe people you hang out with 582 01:01:21,902 --> 01:01:28,162 High school and college are very introspective for a lot of people. 583 01:01:29,398 --> 01:01:39,726 yeah and then people and that's age appropriate to i mean i i think i'm little bit i mean that the new twenty thirty two you meant to be a little bit outside yourself that's age 584 01:01:39,726 --> 01:01:42,268 appropriate uh... 585 01:01:42,268 --> 01:01:49,592 by that when i was very but in nineteen i mean i'd like to name it had been thinking about it but in nineteen i was reading the body to keep them uh... 586 01:01:49,713 --> 01:01:56,758 panchayat in the buddhist teachings so i was already into this very 587 01:01:57,506 --> 01:02:00,462 very sacred teachings at a very young age. 588 01:02:00,462 --> 01:02:02,291 So you were thinking about it. 589 01:02:02,702 --> 01:02:07,342 I know just thinking about it, was actually doing something about it already. 590 01:02:07,862 --> 01:02:14,602 And as I said in other things, I think that's what got me into hallucinogens and those things when I was in my early twenties. 591 01:02:14,602 --> 01:02:26,882 And then I'm into my mid twenties and now I'm really actively pursuing this and I'm hanging out at places where famous teachers are. 592 01:02:26,882 --> 01:02:29,182 I'm reading the classics. 593 01:02:29,202 --> 01:02:31,438 I'm more than thinking about it. 594 01:02:31,438 --> 01:02:33,221 started to do something about it. 595 01:02:33,221 --> 01:02:39,110 Started to do yoga and meditation in middle 70s before anybody was doing this stuff. 596 01:02:39,992 --> 01:02:43,937 And then eventually I bumped into what I'm doing now. 597 01:02:46,570 --> 01:03:03,058 and i was interested in code gets back to his whole calling thing i think the path that i'd landed up devoting myself to what happened a couple things happened first of all 598 01:03:03,800 --> 01:03:12,210 actually again get to the competition had the other night before then i was largely compelled uh... 599 01:03:12,210 --> 01:03:14,698 them a very intellectually oriented person so 600 01:03:14,698 --> 01:03:26,225 I was largely impressed by spiritual teachings that related to my mind, the world of ideas. 601 01:03:26,225 --> 01:03:40,174 So I'd be reading the teachings of the Buddha and very popular back then with the writings of like Alan Watts um and Ram Dass, Richard Albert, guy from Harvard. 602 01:03:40,206 --> 01:03:40,606 uh... 603 01:03:40,606 --> 01:03:42,306 you know those contemporary uh... 604 01:03:42,306 --> 01:03:43,606 people uh... 605 01:03:43,606 --> 01:03:56,466 you very very interested in this world of ideas and since so that kind of captured my interest in all these concepts about the meaning of life but it's not like i actually had 606 01:03:56,466 --> 01:04:09,346 something that hit me in the side with two by four that i actually had an experience that was like life altering i had i for many years was in 607 01:04:09,408 --> 01:04:15,852 allowed myself to enter into what I would call the world of new ideas that gave me a different perspective. 608 01:04:15,852 --> 01:04:21,506 But just giving me a different perspective did not fundamentally change my life. 609 01:04:22,207 --> 01:04:37,917 But when I started, when I was 25, practicing Kundalini Yoga taught by Yogi Bhajan, who had come from the East, for the first time I actually had profound life-altering 610 01:04:37,917 --> 01:04:39,022 experiences. 611 01:04:39,022 --> 01:04:51,802 that i had no frame of reference to and that was more compelling than anything that i ever read and in fact i almost lost my interest in reading about these things because all i 612 01:04:51,802 --> 01:04:59,902 really wanted to do with experience these things that really shifted me and it shifted my my uh... 613 01:04:59,902 --> 01:05:06,962 my relationship because before then i was mostly interested in you know 614 01:05:07,934 --> 01:05:10,296 mind-altering ideas. 615 01:05:10,897 --> 01:05:18,184 But then what happened is that things happened that I actually had life-changing experience. 616 01:05:18,505 --> 01:05:23,354 That I had no idea what was happening, no explanation. 617 01:05:23,354 --> 01:05:26,302 I experienced things that I actually didn't know existed. 618 01:05:26,302 --> 01:05:32,268 It would be like you have five senses, so you know, everybody knows touch, sight, smell and all that. 619 01:05:32,268 --> 01:05:41,186 and it's a year late to world and imagine if you like woke up one morning and somebody gave you like another sense that you didn't even know existed to you and other like you 620 01:05:41,186 --> 01:05:52,636 know window into the world that you never had before and it's it's like shocking but now you have like another sense but very few other people have this sense and if you have the 621 01:05:52,636 --> 01:05:59,222 sense in your town people hate i can experience the world through this other sense and they think you're crazy 622 01:06:00,510 --> 01:06:02,491 But actually you're not crazy. 623 01:06:02,491 --> 01:06:02,981 You do. 624 01:06:02,981 --> 01:06:04,091 You have this experience. 625 01:06:04,091 --> 01:06:06,952 So ah that's what happened with me. 626 01:06:06,952 --> 01:06:20,656 I had this experience and then that kind of shifted me away from actually having any interest in believing in anything into just experiencing things. 627 01:06:20,656 --> 01:06:25,553 And one thing my teacher told me that really I find myself repeating a lot. 628 01:06:25,553 --> 01:06:29,144 And even at dinner it was amazing how many times I found myself saying it. 629 01:06:29,144 --> 01:06:34,797 said the people at the dinner table the other night kept asking me, do you believe in this? 630 01:06:34,797 --> 01:06:37,137 Do you believe in reincarnation? 631 01:06:37,137 --> 01:06:38,980 Do you believe in life after death? 632 01:06:38,980 --> 01:06:40,620 Do you believe in God? 633 01:06:40,680 --> 01:06:47,544 And I kept saying them, no matter how many times they asked me the question, I kept saying to them, I don't believe in anything. 634 01:06:48,285 --> 01:06:50,306 I just kept saying, I don't believe in anything. 635 01:06:50,306 --> 01:06:54,268 And then they kept asking me because it's like it's so ingrained. 636 01:06:54,268 --> 01:06:58,440 And I kept saying, they kept saying, I don't believe in God. 637 01:06:58,446 --> 01:07:02,126 And I go, yes you do. 638 01:07:02,706 --> 01:07:04,546 Because you just use the word. 639 01:07:04,866 --> 01:07:12,426 I you believe that there's a guy in the sky with a cane and a long white beard and a gown, a white guy? 640 01:07:12,426 --> 01:07:15,126 Yeah, well I don't believe that that guy exists either. 641 01:07:17,570 --> 01:07:18,911 So we agree. 642 01:07:18,911 --> 01:07:21,852 If that's what you think God is, I agree there's no God. 643 01:07:22,453 --> 01:07:24,994 Okay, but maybe we actually do agree. 644 01:07:25,915 --> 01:07:33,149 And so for me, the real shift for me was getting away from beliefs and getting into experience. 645 01:07:33,149 --> 01:07:36,751 And my teacher always used to say, believe in what you've experienced. 646 01:07:36,751 --> 01:07:39,082 Don't believe in what you haven't experienced. 647 01:07:39,082 --> 01:07:42,243 I think that's a very reality-based faith. 648 01:07:42,484 --> 01:07:45,805 know, faith, say faith, but you know, way of life. 649 01:07:47,150 --> 01:07:57,090 Yes, so in our way of life, we wish to train ourselves so that we can experience the totality, right? 650 01:07:57,090 --> 01:07:59,610 And then we'll believe what we've experienced. 651 01:07:59,610 --> 01:08:11,170 So if I experience the totality of the universe and I experience the force behind it, I'll say, well, of course I believe in the existence of supreme consciousness because I've 652 01:08:11,170 --> 01:08:11,950 experienced that myself. 653 01:08:11,950 --> 01:08:13,414 Why wouldn't I believe that? 654 01:08:13,614 --> 01:08:17,790 But if I've never experienced it, I'm not going to say that I believe it exists. 655 01:08:19,310 --> 01:08:21,294 So this is a different way of looking at things. 656 01:08:21,294 --> 01:08:22,278 you 657 01:08:28,562 --> 01:08:30,725 Thanks for listening to Warrior Saint. 658 01:08:30,725 --> 01:08:35,568 Follow Hari Nam on Twitter at HariNam11 and also on Facebook. 659 01:08:35,649 --> 01:08:37,210 Hari Nam wants to hear from you. 660 01:08:37,210 --> 01:08:41,674 Email him at harinam56 at gmail.com. 661 01:08:41,674 --> 01:08:43,576 This has been a Stinky Production. 662 01:08:43,576 --> 01:08:48,180 Find us at StinkyProductions.com for more unavoidable podcasts. 663 01:08:48,180 --> 01:08:49,321 I'm Fanny Cohen. 664 01:08:49,321 --> 01:08:50,822 Thanks for listening. 665 01:09:20,642 --> 01:09:22,211 Mm, stinky.