About this episode
Fax and Sharon Gilbert were among my first guests on BatGap (interview here). Recently, Fax has been interviewing a few people in Fairfield, Iowa under the auspices of Fairfield's Trillum Awakening group. In this interview, I neglected to adequately express my appreciation to the volunteers who make BatGap possible. Please see the Volunteers page for a list of some of them. Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 5/11/2014 Other talks by or interviews of Rick on BatGap: Interviewed by Angelo Dilullo SAND 2019 - Knowledge/Reality is Different in Different States of Consciousness 2018 SAND Conference Q&A and Interview by Shakti Caterina Maggi SAND 2017: "The Ethics of Enlightenment" Talk at Berkeley Open Circle Center SAND 2015: Science and Spirituality: Potential Allies in Discovering Truth Interviewed by Richard Miller YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Interview 00:03:50 - Awakening and Resistance 00:06:56 - From Fairfield to the World: Taking Buddha the Gas Pump Online 00:09:58 - Awakening and the Misconceptions of Enlightenment 00:13:24 - The Awakening Experience 00:16:49 - Awakening and the Physiology 00:20:59 - Awakening and Identity 00:24:39 - The Attitude of a Beginner and the Range of Possibilities 00:28:10 - Overcoming Challenges and Finding Bliss 00:31:49 - Personal Spiritual Journey 00:35:31 - The Beginning of My Meditation Journey 00:38:23 - The Importance of Meditation in Spiritual Practices 00:41:19 - Fulfillment and Devotion 00:44:20 - The BatGap Bump 00:47:20 - Impact and Service in Embodiment 00:50:55 - The Process of Interviewing 00:54:00 - Exploring Common Themes in Spiritual Maturity 00:57:43 - Subtle Beings and Refined Perception 01:00:51 - The Flow of Love and Divine Consciousness 01:04:29 - Scheduling Difficulties and Prioritization 01:07:53 - Awakening and Service 01:11:31 - Levels of Preparedness for Awakening 01:14:57 - The Definition of Awakening 01:18:33 - Possibilities in the Indian Tradition 01:22:44 - The Importance of Personal Verification 01:26:14 - Mutual Coexistence of Opposites 01:29:27 - The Rot: Dealing with Stagnation 01:32:18 - Evolving the Show and Engaging with the Audience 01:35:16 - Awakening and the Audience Evolving 01:38:03 - Healing and Discussion at the Retreat 01:41:04 - Farewell and Thank You