079. Wayne Liquorman

Wayne LiquormanWayne Liquorman was both a spiritual seeker and a family man with a successful export business, when he met his first and final guru, Ramesh Balsekar, in September 1987. In April 1989 the process of seeking ended when enlightenment happened through the body-mind mechanism called Wayne.

Wayne describes the event as being “of interest only to seekers.” His first book, No Way: A Guide For the Spiritually ‘Advanced’ was published in 1990 under the pen name Ram Tzu because he “didn’t want a bunch of miserable seekers cluttering up his living room.” In fact, Wayne did not speak publicly until Ramesh asked him to do so in 1996.

This enlightenment event and its aftermath are described in Wayne’s second book, Acceptance of What IS, published in 2000. He is also the author of Never Mind… A journey into Non-duality, and the editor of Consciousness Speaks and several other books by Ramesh Balsekar, who refers to Wayne as his “spiritual son.” His most recent book, Enlightenment Is Not What You Think, was published in 2009.

The teaching, as it happens through Wayne, is pure Advaita (non-duality), uniquely presented in a uncompromising, sometimes humorous way, without religious dogma or new age veneer. In his Talks, Wayne is without agenda, speaking only in response to seeker’s questions. He talks about Consciousness: the ground of all being, the source and the substance of everything.

“This Advaita, as I talk about it, is not actually a philosophy, because it does not hold any tenets. It is simply a collection of pointers and concepts, and it posits that none of them are true in an absolute sense. This teaching is not about conveying the truth. It is about prying away the limitations and misconceptions about how things are.” – from Never Mind

Wayne’s message is clear and simple. Although he may suggest areas for further inquiry, Wayne offers no cures, practices, or miracles to reach enlightenment. He invites you to bring your most cherished beliefs to his Talks. If you are really fortunate, you may leave without them.

Wayne’s site: http://www.advaita.org/

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded 7/24/2011

Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Wayne Liquorman
  • 00:03:29 – The Illusion of Authorship
  • 00:06:45 – The Metaphor of the Ocean and the Wave
  • 00:09:48 – The Illusion of Separation
  • 00:13:18 – Pure Presence and Is-ness
  • 00:16:59 – The Paradox of Action and Inaction
  • 00:19:41 – Playing the Role of an Instrument of Consciousness
  • 00:22:22 – The Journey from Addiction to Recovery
  • 00:25:21 – A Life-Altering Moment
  • 00:28:02 – Transformation and the Power of the Universe
  • 00:30:16 – Exploring Spiritual Explanations
  • 00:32:46 – Falling in Love with Ramesh
  • 00:35:38 – Falling in Love with an Indian Guru
  • 00:37:54 – The Movement from Wanting to Getting
  • 00:40:15 – The Turning Point of Giving and Receiving
  • 00:42:27 – Real Freedom and Giving
  • 00:44:34 – Getting to Know the Man on Tour
  • 00:47:17 – The Experience of Resonance with the Guru
  • 00:50:07 – The Awakening
  • 00:53:07 – The Presence of Absence
  • 00:57:53 – The Unexpected Talk with Ramesh
  • 01:01:00 – The Difference Between Pain and Suffering
  • 01:04:40 – The Experience of Pain without a Witness
  • 01:07:32 – Understanding the Sense of Self as Wayne
  • 01:10:35 – The Difference Between Awakening and Enlightenment
  • 01:13:56 – The Link Between Enlightenment and Behavior
  • 01:17:15 – Behavior and Enlightenment
  • 01:20:20 – The Relationship between Action and Consciousness
  • 01:23:18 – Further Unfoldment and Development After Realization
  • 01:26:01 – Changes in the Human Organism
  • 01:28:19 – Wrapping up the Interview