A. Hameed Ali was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the USA to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him more and more into inquiring into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature.
Hameed’s interest in the truth of human nature and the true nature of reality resulted in the creation and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach®:
Some of Hameed’s many books:
- Runaway Realization: Living a Life of Ceaseless Discovery
- The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life
- The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence
- Brilliancy: The Essence of Intelligence (Diamond Body Series)
- Essence With the Elixir of Enlightenment: The Diamond Approach to Inner Realization
Website: ahalmaas.com
Karen Johnson is a co-founder of the Diamond Approach as it is taught in the Ridhwan School, a contemporary original spiritual understanding and path, expressing timeless wisdom on self-realization using the insights of our time. She is a colleague and friend of Hameed Ali (A.H. Almaas). Her life is dedicated to the discovery of inner freedom and sharing the treasures with humankind.
In this interview, we discussed how the Diamond Approach is evolving, what differentiates it from other traditions, and the most recent developments of the past 15 years, about which Karen and Hameed have only recently begun to teach, speak and write.
Neither the depths of spirit nor the surface of the mundane world can adequately express what reality is and what is possible for each of us. How can our human lives be both the arena for spiritual practice and enlightenment, and the occasion for our true being to express its infinite possibilities?
Book: The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life
Website: ridhwan.org
Recorded 10/23/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction to Hameed Ali and Karen Johnson
- 00:03:39 – Reconciling Enlightenment with Human Relationships
- 00:07:01 – Recognizing Unity in Relationships
- 00:10:27 – Non-duality and the Fabric of Reality
- 00:13:29 – The Qualities of Personal Relating
- 00:16:27 – Understanding Personalness and Relationships
- 00:19:19 – Relationships as Tools for Growth and Expansion
- 00:21:48 – Using the Relationship to Optimize Truth and Growth
- 00:24:28 – The Expansion of Non-Dual Experience in Relationships
- 00:27:13 – A Unique Friendship
- 00:29:39 – The Unconventional Bond
- 00:31:46 – The Power of Libido in Relationships
- 00:34:30 – Taking Risks and Replenishing the Genius
- 00:37:14 – The Importance of Seeing and Being Seen in Relationships
- 00:40:05 – Shifting of Gears in Relationship
- 00:42:56 – Unleashing Energies for Heart and Mind Nourishment
- 00:45:34 – Unity and Oneness in Relationships
- 00:48:00 – The Paradox of Being One
- 00:50:59 – The Rich Possibilities of Relationships
- 00:53:58 – Falling in Love and Inquiry in the Diamond Approach
- 00:56:24 – The Power of Inquiry and Love
- 00:59:26 – Dialectic Inquiry and Relationship Building
- 01:02:39 – The Practice of Self-Exploration
- 01:05:26 – Passion for the Teaching and Deep Connection
- 01:08:13 – The Discovery of Oneness
- 01:10:48 – The Dimension of Friendship
- 01:13:47 – Tele-somatic Events and Soul Connections
- 01:16:05 – The Patterns of Consciousness in Relationships
- 01:18:24 – The Diamond Approach Online
- 01:20:23 – Teaching Opportunities and New Groups
- 01:21:40 – Musical Performance
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