About this episode
John J. Prendergast, Ph.D., is a retired professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and a psychotherapist in private practice. He spent many years studying with the European Advaita master Jean Klein as well as with Adyashanti. He was invited to share the dharma by Dorothy Hunt in 2012. He is the author of: The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence and In Touch: How to Tune in to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself. He is the senior editor of two anthologies of original essays about nondual wisdom and psychology entitled Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy (Omega Books)and Listening from the Heart of Silence: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, Volume 2 (Nondual Wisdom & Psychotherapy). He is also the founder and editor of Undivided: The Online Journal of Nonduality and Psychology. Website: listeningfromsilence.com Interview recorded 4/4/2015 Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Second BatGap interview with John. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:49 - Following Subtle Impulses 00:07:19 - Mysterious Encounters with Spiritual Teachers 00:11:02 - The Wisdom of Not Knowing 00:14:24 - Crossing the Barrier of Fear 00:18:08 - The Head-Heart-Gut Structure 00:21:46 - The Schizophrenia of Awakened Consciousness 00:25:45 - Changing Patterns and Seeking Truth 00:29:35 - The Balancing Act of Spiritual Maturity 00:33:24 - Trusting the Process and Letting Go of Seeking 00:37:29 - The Paradox of Seekership and Exploration 00:40:40 - Finding Our Dharma 00:44:11 - Embracing the Human Experience 00:47:52 - The Capacity of the Heart to Bear Collective Suffering 00:51:44 - Moving with Love in the World 00:55:19 - Living in Deep Integrity with Our Heart 00:59:04 - Meeting Ajay, Continuing the Teachings of Jean 01:02:07 - The Power of Presence with a Teacher 01:05:03 - Discovering inner resonance 01:09:09 - Opening a Channel of Communication to the Body 01:12:46 - The Myth of Ultimate Completion 01:16:29 - Transformative Sobbing 01:20:28 - The Upwelling of the Heart 01:24:15 - The Wisdom of the Body 01:27:52 - The Power of Beliefs in Creating Noise in the System 01:31:29 - Tapping into Core Subconscious Beliefs 01:34:49 - The Tendency for Negative Traits in Humans 01:38:28 - Acting without being married to the principle of fairness 01:42:04 - Self-Acceptance and Judgment of Others 01:45:47 - Final Thoughts and Book Recommendations 01:49:20 - Featuring Regular Joes