Death, Rebirth, and the Illusion of Loss
Summary: A conversation about death, dying, and how remembering impermanence can help us live more fully and without fear. It also explores karma, non-attachment, discernment, and the importance of following the inner voice over external authority.
Questions This Interview Explores
- How can contemplating death make everyday life more vivid and meaningful?
- What does karma really mean, and how does it differ from punishment or fate?
- How can non-attachment deepen love without becoming cold or detached?
- Why do rigid belief systems and outside authorities so often block spiritual growth?
- What can the dying process teach us about fear, grief, and living on our own terms?
Clare Goldsberry has been a life-long student of religion and spiritual traditions. Having been reared Protestant Christian, her goal was to study for the ministry after completing her BA in Journalism at Arizona State University. However, a few semesters into those studies in a cooperative study program with Claremont School of Theology (Claremont, CA), she was called away into the study of Buddhism.
For the past 27 years, she has been engaged in the practice of Buddhism, as well as the study of Hinduism, Gnosticism, Theosophy, philosophy (from the ancients to modern philosophers), and modern Christian religions. She has even added the study of Quantum physics to the mix after noticing that modern quantum ideas parallel those of Buddhism as the science of mind.
She has always followed her inner voice, as it is that call that is the true call on her path. She teaches classes on all of those topics and tries to encourage people to follow their inner light/voice and not to be led astray. The questions are always more important than the answers, as she tells her students.
Website: claregoldsberry.com
Books:
- The Illusion of Life and Death: Mind, Consciousness, and Eternal Being
- The Teacher Within: Finding and Living Your Personal Truth: Finding and Living Your Personal Truth
- A Stranger in Zion
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Transcript, summary, and key takeaways from this interview
Interview recorded July 2, 2022
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction and Background of Clare Goldsberry
- 00:03:41 – Learning from Brent’s Illness
- 00:07:51 – Remembering Death
- 00:11:30 – The Mystery of Different Opportunities
- 00:15:21 – The Meaning and Purpose of Karma
- 00:19:23 – The Intelligence of the Universe
- 00:23:24 – Guardian Angels and Grace in Life
- 00:27:06 – The Search for Answers Outside Oneself
- 00:30:31 – Believing in Leaders and Having All the Answers
- 00:34:24 – Excommunicated from the Church
- 00:38:01 – The Importance of Discernment in Beliefs and Truth
- 00:41:34 – Reincarnation in the Judeo-Christian Tradition
- 00:45:24 – Making Choices in Life
- 00:49:14 – Embracing the Twists and Turns in Life
- 00:52:56 – The Chinese Farmer Story and Embracing All Perspectives
- 00:56:12 – Why We Don’t Know How to Die
- 01:00:00 – Attachment and the Fear of Death
- 01:03:21 – Reincarnation and Beliefs in India
- 01:07:27 – Quantum Physics and Creating Reality
- 01:10:46 – Making a Difference in Your Practice
- 01:14:13 – The Possibility of Transcending Suffering
- 01:17:47 – Non-attachment and Letting Go
- 01:21:34 – Grief to Growth and Finding Meaning
- 01:25:02 – A Shift in the World
- 01:28:42 – The Buddha’s Awakening
- 01:32:25 – The Dying Process and Embracing Death
- 01:36:14 – Loving without Attachment
- 01:40:04 – Letting Go of Attachments and Embracing Fulfillment
- 01:43:42 – Living Life on Your Own Terms for the Time You Have
- 01:47:12 – Reflections on Aging and Death
- 01:50:03 – Farewell in Phoenix
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