Bruce Joel Rubin is an Oscar-winning screenwriter for the film Ghost. His films include Jacob’s Ladder, My Life (which he also directed), Brainstorm, Deep Impact, Stuart Little 2, The Last Mimzy, and The Time Traveler’s Wife, among others. His spiritual journey began with a massive overdose of LSD in the 1960s. Shortly afterward he began hitchhiking around the world in search of a teacher and then found him in New York City, just blocks away from where he began his search. His name was Swami Rudrananda, also known as Rudi. Rudi was a New York City businessman and a yogi who taught a form of Kundalini meditation he called The Work. Rudi died in 1973 but Bruce continues to teach his practice. In 2001 Bruce discovered I AM THAT – the teachings of Nisargadatta Maharaj, and fell into the world of non-dualism. He awoke in 2010 during a seminar on awakening. Since that time he has continued to teach meditation and the effortless nature of simple Being. Since most people work and struggle in the world, it seemed to Bruce that meditation was a significant tool for living a good and productive life while waiting for awakening to make itself known. Bruce teaches in San Rafael, CA, in Los Angeles, and in New York.
Interview recorded 11/14/2015
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
- 00:04:31 – A Storyteller without a Story
- 00:08:28 – A Journey into Hell
- 00:12:08 – The Awareness of Being Shakespeare
- 00:16:33 – The Journey to Tibet
- 00:21:41 – The Awakening and Continuing the Work
- 00:25:49 – Appreciation for the YouTube Channel
- 00:30:38 – Dealing with the Discomfort and Kundalini Awakening
- 00:34:28 – A Journey with Bart Marshall
- 00:39:18 – Observing and Compassion for Constriction
- 00:46:25 – The Candlelight in the Dazzling Sunlight
- 00:52:10 – The Mystery of Existence
- 00:54:34 – Life After the Car Crash
- 00:57:30 – The Reality of What Is
- 01:00:02 – Sharing Teachings Locally
- 01:02:51 – The Power of Presence and Awakening
- 01:05:52 – Levels and Stages of Awakening
- 01:09:10 – Letting Go of Accumulation and Being Present
- 01:12:28 – Awakening and Discovery
- 01:15:24 – The Immense Intricacy and Complexity of Creation
- 01:18:43 – Awakening and Changing the World
- 01:21:34 – The Power of Storytelling
- 01:24:10 – Taking the Leap to Hollywood
- 01:26:49 – Awakening from Story
- 01:29:43 – Embracing the Darkness
- 01:32:49 – Embracing Darkness and Awakening to Totality
- 01:35:48 – The Serenity of Meditation and Embracing Chaos
- 01:38:57 – The Dualistic Nature of Life
- 01:40:58 – Trusting the Process and Embracing Existential Meaning
- 01:43:54 – Understanding Suffering and the Divine Hand
- 01:46:54 – Upcoming Book and Film Projects
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