About this episode
Chris Hebard is the founder and creator of StillnessSpeaks.com, a premier resource on the internet aggregating the text, audio, and film of authentic contemporary and traditional teachers of Non-Duality and Self Inquiry from within all spiritual disciplines. The website reflects his enthusiasm and love for its material. The approach of StillnessSpeaks is integral; it does not promote any particular path or methodology. Chris attempts to honor the many paths available to all Truth Lovers; in doing so, he hopes to demonstrate that there is only one destination. Chris writes, speaks and films on Self Inquiry, Advaita, and non-duality extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He can be reached at oncechris@stillnessspeaks.com. As you will hear in this interview, Chris’s own journey involved becoming a hard-driving, successful businessman, who dismissed spirituality as impractical nonsense, only to suffer a series of devastating losses which brought him literally to his knees, dismantled his ego, and ignited a burning desire for Self-Realization. Interview recorded 4/3/2011. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Chris Hebard 00:04:16 - Childhood Memories and Prep School Life 00:06:35 - The Beginning of My Rebellious Years 00:09:09 - Entrepreneurship and Spiritual Disconnect 00:11:36 - The Shift in Perception from LSD Experiences 00:14:13 - The Shift into Business and Ego-Inflation 00:17:08 - Embracing Change and Transformation 00:20:04 - Overcoming Adversity and Finding Inner Peace 00:24:21 - Feeling Lost and Searching for Identity 00:27:51 - The Power of Now and a Turning Point 00:30:15 - The Shift in Understanding 00:32:37 - The Beautiful Journey of Personal Growth 00:34:55 - Discovering Advaita Resources 00:37:55 - The Journey of Awakening 00:40:18 - Stumbling upon Francis Lucille 00:42:35 - Meeting Francis and Profound Experiences 00:44:59 - "Darshan" and the Power of Proximity 00:47:18 - The Shift in Perception and Direction of Life 00:50:12 - Enthusiasm and Criticism 00:53:15 - Magnificent People on the Unfolding Journey 00:56:19 - The Contagion of Awakeness 00:59:18 - The Substance of Awareness 01:02:06 - A Lukewarm Heart 01:05:02 - The Importance of Having Teachers 01:07:35 - The Nature of Reality and Self-Realization 01:09:47 - Fine-tuning the Physiology and Letting Go 01:11:46 - The Question of Free Will 01:13:28 - Following Your Heart's Desires 01:15:49 - The usefulness of teaching different perspectives 01:18:17 - Connecting and Collaborating 01:20:10 - Sign up for email notifications