Proud to be born in India as a Hindu, I will be sad if I die merely a Hindu. Convinced very early in life that all boundaries are artificially created and tend to hinder the growth of the spirit, I ended up studying at post-doctoral level Physics, Philosophy, and Religion at various universities and later teaching as a professor in these fields. Wishing to correspond to the transformational teachings of several great spiritual luminaries, especially of Krishna, Buddha, Christ, and Patañjali and of present-day masters Krishnamurti and Gurdjieff, I am interested in the actual journey of self-transformation and experiencing the inevitable shifts of focus of energy along the way.
Website: ravindra.ca
Books:
- The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism
- The Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Navigating the Battle of Life
- The Pilgrim Soul: A Path to the Sacred Transcending World Religions
- Heart Without Measure: Gurdjieff Work with Madame de Salzmann
- The Wisdom of Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide
- Science and the Sacred: Eternal Wisdom in a Changing World
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Interview recorded May 2, 2020.
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction: Buddha at the Gas Pump
- 00:05:56 – Radical Transformation in Spiritual Practice
- 00:10:39 – The Emphasis on Science and Technology in India
- 00:15:05 – Exploring Christianity in a Different Cultural Context
- 00:19:16 – The Role of Belief and Faith in Spiritual Development
- 00:23:48 – Truth is a Pathless Land
- 00:28:53 – Love and Compassion vs Intellectual Understanding
- 00:33:38 – The Significance of Uniqueness and Oneness
- 00:39:19 – Uniqueness and Oneness in Spiritual Traditions
- 00:44:43 – The Miraculous Orderliness of Creation
- 00:49:18 – The Expulsion of Lucifer from Heaven
- 00:54:34 – Inclusivity in Religion
- 00:59:45 – Temptations and Tests
- 01:04:24 – Seeking for What I Am
- 01:09:07 – The Journey of Self-Realization
- 01:13:37 – The Development of an Enlightened Person
- 01:18:12 – Kundalini Awakening and Subtle Energies
- 01:23:42 – The Importance of Self-Knowledge in Spiritual Growth
- 01:27:41 – The Shift in Perspective: From Having Questions to Being in Question
- 01:31:44 – The Eight Limbs of Yoga
- 01:35:57 – Being Breathed
- 01:40:40 – The Path to Self-Transformation
- 01:45:58 – The Purpose of Prakriti in Serving Purusha
- 01:49:47 – Conditioning and Impression
- 01:53:46 – Christ’s Response on the Crucifixion
- 01:58:25 – The Need for the Right Instrument
- 02:03:03 – The Connectivity of Mycelium and Wondering About Astrology
- 02:07:15 – Remarkable People and Scientific Work
- 02:11:34 – Trouble with CIA and FBI suspicions
- 02:15:14 – Website and Future Events
- 02:17:45 – Swami Beyondananda’s Farewell
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