Dena Merriam has been working in the interfaith field for 20 years and founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002. Initially, the organization was designed to provide a global platform for women spiritual leaders to organize and mediate dialogues in areas of conflict and tension. This soon expanded to include an equal number of men and women spiritual teachers and to deal with a range of issues, including climate change, ecological destruction, racial inequity, etc. The premise for the gatherings organized by GPIW is that at the heart of all these issues is a spiritual crisis and the way to address them is a shift in consciousness. Dena has served on the boards of the Harvard University Center for World Religions, the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association, among others. In 2014 she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize. Over the years as memories of past births have arisen, Dena has recorded them in order to better understand the karmic patterns. She has now shared her memories in My Journey Through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death, and Rebirth, in the hope that others will gain insight into their own lives through this sharing.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Interview recorded July 14, 2018
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
- 00:04:15 – Overcoming the Fear of Death and Shaping our Destiny
- 00:08:04 – Identity and Spiritual Experiences
- 00:12:03 – Consciousness and Past Lives
- 00:16:02 – The Process of Remembering Past Lives
- 00:20:01 – Reincarnation and the Fear of Death
- 00:23:59 – Shaping Your Own Life and Awakening
- 00:28:11 – Shifting to a Higher Era
- 00:32:13 – Embracing Human and Spiritual Unity
- 00:35:49 – The Virtue of Patience and the Law of Cause and Effect
- 00:39:48 – Long-term Vision and Reflection in Life
- 00:44:02 – Creating a Vision for the Future
- 00:48:09 – The Shift in Consciousness
- 00:51:47 – The Cleansing Process and Mobilizing Spiritual Energies
- 00:55:40 – A Powerful Moment of Bonding
- 00:59:37 – Memories and Aspirations in Between Lives
- 01:03:40 – Living in the Celestial Realms
- 01:07:44 – The Yogis’ Understanding of Consciousness
- 01:11:28 – Meditation and Brain Changes
- 01:15:12 – The Impact of Meditation in All Communities
- 01:19:41 – Reincarnation and Spiritual Connections
- 01:23:48 – The Power of Love and Consciousness
- 01:27:20 – The Power of Spiritual Laws and Love
- 01:30:37 – Broadening Perspective and Compassion for the Planet
- 01:33:40 – The Importance of Every Individual
- 01:36:50 – The Need for Proper Values in Society
- 01:40:05 – Debauchery and Inner Clarity
- 01:43:17 – The Concept of Self in Buddhism and Hinduism
- 01:46:31 – Finding My Voice as a Woman and Bridging Cultures
- 01:49:41 – Accessing Higher States in Dreams
- 01:52:44 – Where to find more content
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