181. Puran and Susanna Bair

Puran and Susanna BairPuran and Susanna are successors to Hazrat Inayat Khan and Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan in the lineage of Universal Sufism: the mysticism independent of any religious tradition and the essence of all. They are one of the few married couples who teach together in the field of personal development and social change.

IAM is celebrating its 22nd year! In the last four years, Puran and Susanna have led 30 to 40 seminars a year, reaching thousands of people a year. They are frequent presenters at conferences on the heart, sound, subtle energy, healing, psychology, relationships, business development and sustainable futures. They have been teaching for 35 years and have directly influenced tens of thousands, who have in turn gone on to spread the techniques and principles of the heart to many more.

IAM began in 1988 when Pir Vilayat Khan asked Puran and Susanna to start a new school to bring the message of the heart to the public through a professional and scientific approach. This message, as taught by Hazrat Inayat Khan, includes the unity of all religious ideals, the one single family of humankind, the divinity of the human being, the unending progress toward perfection, and the fulfillment of every person’s unique purpose. The message of the heart integrates the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of self; the heart is the regulator of the body, the seat of emotions and the temple of the soul.

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Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded 6/22/2013

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Levels of Understanding and Spiritual Growth
  • 00:05:11 – The Path to Peace: Emptiness and Wholeness
  • 00:09:28 – Progress on the Path of the Heart
  • 00:13:55 – Sustaining ourselves on light
  • 00:18:00 – Experiencing the Divine Within
  • 00:22:31 – The Method of Samadhi and the Heart’s Role
  • 00:26:48 – The Awakening Process: Steps to Stay Grounded
  • 00:31:21 – Finding and Pursuing What You Love
  • 00:34:53 – The Awakening of Collective Consciousness
  • 00:38:43 – Reason for Optimism and the Exciting Shift in the World
  • 00:42:53 – Exploring Different Perspectives
  • 00:46:35 – Nourishing Different Expressions of Spirituality
  • 00:50:30 – Leading by Example
  • 00:54:39 – Recognizing Steps on the Path of Life
  • 00:59:17 – The Three Stages of Behavior and Connection
  • 01:03:32 – The Cleveland Experiment and Crime Reduction
  • 01:07:09 – The Mind-Body Connection
  • 01:10:57 – The Effects of Meditation on Crime Rates in Cleveland
  • 01:15:53 – The Power of the Heart in Shifting Behaviors
  • 01:19:59 – Searching for Something More in Life
  • 01:24:05 – The Nine Steps of Spiritual Development
  • 01:28:16 – The Five Steps of Self-Development and the Power of the Heart
  • 01:32:51 – The Dark Night of the Soul and the Power of the Heart
  • 01:37:24 – Themes of Alien Encounters
  • 01:41:50 – Chasing the High and the Temptation to Meditate
  • 01:46:25 – Communication with the Universe
  • 01:50:10 – Making Light for Those in Need
  • 01:53:55 – The Nine Steps of Service
  • 01:58:05 – Becoming an Instrument for a Larger Purpose
  • 02:02:28 – Developing Health Relationships and Accomplishments
  • 02:06:33 – Thank You for Your Work