Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, is a cardiologist, meditation teacher and tantrika. She became drawn to the Direct Path through the teachings of Greg Goode and Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, and has studied yoga, Sri Vidya Sadhana, Vedanta and Tantra through the teachings of Chinmaya Mission, Sri Premananda, Sally Kempton, Paul Muller-Ortega and Sri Chaitanyananda Natha Saraswati. She blends her expertise in cardiology with her knowledge of Ayurveda, yoga, Vedanta, Tantra, and the Direct Path in her approach to healing, enabling patients to discover bliss amid chronic illness. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, MI.

She is the author of

• Shakti Rising: Embracing Shadow and Light on the Goddess Path to Wholeness (2017) and
• The Heart of Wellness: Bridging Western and Eastern Medicine to Transform Your Relationship with Habits, Lifestyle, and Health (2018).

Website: kavithamd.com

Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded January 20, 2018

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
• 00:04:34 – The Direct Path vs Progressive Path
• 00:08:27 – The Direct Path and Neo-Vedanta
• 00:12:05 – Witnessing in Tantra
• 00:16:25 – Discovering the Unobservable through Spiritual Path
• 00:21:18 – Redefining Gender Roles and the Divine Feminine
• 00:26:15 – The Mahavidyas: Goddesses of Darkness and Light
• 00:30:14 – Reconciling Ahimsa with the Reality of the Universe
• 00:33:55 – The Intelligent Universe and the Mahavidyas
• 00:38:26 – Shiva and Shakti: The Creative Power
• 00:42:53 – The Misunderstanding of Kali
• 00:47:42 – The Black Goddess Kali and the I-Self
• 00:51:36 – Refinement of the Sense of Self in Tantra
• 00:55:19 – Tantric Philosophy and Rewiring the Body-Mind
• 00:58:52 – The Role of Nadis in Kundalini Awakening
• 01:02:50 – Differences between Vedanta and Tantra
• 01:07:14 – Sri Yantra and Sri Vidya
• 01:11:33 – The Power of Bija Mantras in Consciousness
• 01:15:00 – The Use of Aum Mantra
• 01:18:36 – Tara’s Shadow and Light Aspects
• 01:22:54 – Chinnamasta: The Concealing and Revealing Power of the Divine
• 01:27:05 – Stories of Delusion and Awakening in Hinduism
• 01:31:38 – The Ashrama System and the Four Stages of Life
• 01:36:08 – Elements of the Path of the Mahavidyas
• 01:39:20 – The Ethics of Tantra
• 01:43:54 – The Path of Tantra and Work in Progress
• 01:48:26 – Cultivating Discernment and Discrimination
• 01:52:39 – The Divine Feminine and the Shadow Side
• 01:57:37 – Surrendering in Softness and Sweetness
• 02:01:11 – Exploring Wellness through Ayurveda and Yoga
• 02:04:10 – Music Introduction

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In January of 2012, Robert was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and told he had nine months to live. However, consistent with his contrarian nature, he lived a productive life until passing away in 2017.

Robert was struck by a strong curiosity about life when he was 11, which propelled him into years of globe-trotting adventures. In 1973, Robert met Swami Muktananda and spent the next 10 years studying with him. Since 1985, Robert’s professional motto was Have Mouth, Will Travel, and he was known as an iconoclastic self-awareness facilitator, speaker, leadership adviser, and mentor to people from all walks of life. He led “Conversations on the High Wire” and presented programs in “The 5 Principles of Authentic Living” and “Speaking Truthfully.”

Robert published eight books and more than 250 articles on the themes of meditation, self-inquiry, leadership, authentic living and speaking, and spiritual activism. In the early 1990s, he wrote a pioneering column for The New Leaders’ executive newsletter entitled “The Corporate Mystic.” He contributed original essays to three leading-edge anthologies and was interviewed for The Awakening West, a collection of conversations with contemporary Western wisdom teachers.

His résumé of speaking engagements includes more than 350 of his distinctive inquiry-based seminars and talks to such organizations as State of the World Forum, California Institute of Integral Studies, Institute of Noetic Sciences, International Conference on Enlightenment, Inner Directions Conference, and International Coach Federation.

Books:

• The 5 Principles of Authentic Living: How to Live an Authentic Life in 10 Words
• Sound Bites from Silence: Scouting Reports from the Frontier of Consciousness
• Speak Truthfully: Speak Your Way to an Authentic Life with Awareness, Courage, and Confidence
• Invisible Leadership: Igniting the Soul at Work
• The Sacred Hub
• Radical Wisdom: Living from Silence while Rocking the World

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded 8/1/2015

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
• 00:06:15 – A Journey Through Education
• 00:10:50 – Adventures in Watershed Management
• 00:14:12 – A Journey to India
• 00:18:11 – Healing and Meeting Baba
• 00:21:24 – An Encounter with Baba at the Ashram
• 00:25:24 – Shaktipat Experience and Leaving the Ashram
• 00:29:21 – Stories of Gurudev and Maharishi
• 00:33:32 – The Mechanics of Creation
• 00:37:26 – Reverence for the Body
• 00:41:09 – Living in Perpetual Astonishment
• 00:45:41 – Profound Transformative Experience
• 00:49:41 – The Ashram Experience and Letters to Mother
• 00:53:49 – Lessons from Cutting Carrots
• 00:57:39 – Managing Other People’s Money
• 01:01:36 – Acknowledging Devotion and Contribution
• 01:06:18 – The Significance of Human Feelings and Worth
• 01:11:13 – Transitioning into Political Activism
• 01:14:45 – Personal Reflection on Attending an Orgy
• 01:19:36 – Fear of Being Found Out
• 01:23:31 – The Terrifying Immensity of Muktananda
• 01:27:21 – Inner Growth and Making a Positive Difference
• 01:31:30 – Personalization and Open-mindedness
• 01:35:40 – The Experience of Silence, Shakti, and Action
• 01:40:46 – Pony Rides to Oblivion
• 01:47:03 – The Experience of Silence and Language Collapse
• 01:53:40 – The Source of Questions and Language in Spiritual Path
• 02:01:08 – Speaking your Inner Truth
• 02:10:40 – The Five Principles: Be Present, Pay Attention, Listen Deeply, Speak Truthfully, Act Creatively
• 02:19:08 – Following the Path of Mastery
• 02:26:42 – Supporting the interview series

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Bri. Joan Shivarpita Harrigan, Ph.D. is the spiritual director of Patanjali Kundalini Yoga-Care (PKYC-USA). Shiva has practiced, studied, and taught Raja yoga and Advaita Vedanta for more than thirty years. She has been tutored as the designated successor for America in the Kundalini Vidya lineage founded by Gomatagiri Maharaj, learning the oral commentary teachings of Traditional Kundalini Science from her spiritual mentor, Swami Chandrasekharanand Saraswati. A retired psychologist, she has been a brahmacharini (novice) in the Shankaracharya Vedic monastic order since 1987. She is the author of Kundalini Vidya The Science of Spiritual Transformation: A comprehensive system for understanding and guiding spiritual development and Stories of Spiritual Transformation: The Fulfillment of Kundalini Process – Modern Seekers, Ancient Teachings.

Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care is a spiritual guidance service for qualified spiritual seekers. Based on Traditional Kundalini Science (Kundalini Vidya), it supports serious aspirants in advancing their spiritual progress by providing individualized spiritual practices designed for their particular needs. The specialty of PKYC is to assess the kind of spiritual process that seekers have, to assist them in reaching a stable higher level, and to support them in their continued spiritual advancement by providing ongoing spiritual education, consultations, recommendations, and guidance so they can progress more skillfully and dedicatedly. This helps the divine within make efficient, untroubled, and speedy progress toward Liberation, awareness of oneness with the One.

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded 7/12/2015

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction to interview with Joana Harrigan
• 00:04:31 – Kundalini-vidya and Stories of spiritual transformation
• 00:09:55 – The mystery of intelligence and its role in the universe
• 00:15:54 – The only source and pitfalls of spiritual materialism
• 00:21:24 – Views of the Kundalini: An Esoteric View
• 00:26:16 – Removal of desire and imprints
• 00:31:07 – Sattvic Mind Development
• 00:36:34 – Kundalini process and awakening
• 00:42:09 – Magical ways and Kundalini awakening
• 00:46:33 – Kundalini-vidya and acceleration of spiritual development
• 00:51:52 – Interventions for minds
• 00:56:51 – Cultural relativity and subtle states of consciousness
• 01:01:47 – Kundalini – Name and meaning
• 01:06:44 – Life calling and responsibility
• 01:11:32 – Your genetic strain and vegetarianism
• 01:17:13 – Emptying and uniting with the One
• 01:21:46 – Macros: Full Moon Experience
• 01:27:06 – A thoughtful person and a pious person
• 01:31:46 – The path of development
• 01:36:45 – Discovery of yoga and spiritual life
• 01:41:45 – Spiritual intervention and Kundalini process
• 01:47:09 – Contexts, trajectories and bringing spiritual practice to people
• 01:51:40 – The relationship between higher states of consciousness and moral behavior
• 01:57:11 – Karmic path and levels of awareness
• 02:01:34 – States of consciousness: waking state, dreaming state and deep sleep state
• 02:06:02 – Karma purification process
• 02:11:01 – Seeing angels and other beings
• 02:16:05 – Low Tamasic Vibration
• 02:20:37 – Pressure on the top of the head and spiritual obstacles
• 02:24:52 – Spiritual motivation and living in harmony
• 02:28:57 – Apple fix and donation button

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