About this episode
Paul was born in 1961 and lived most of life in the coastal county of Pembrokeshire, UK. He always loved the sea and aspired to be a professional football (soccer) player. One day, at the age of 15, while playing football, unbounded awareness dawned. Everything was the "ocean". He didn't know what this was, or whether anyone else had experienced it, but later on he discovered the Upanishads in a bookstore, which led to his joining a Vedanta Monastery for five years. For a time after that, he lived a hermit-like life. One day in meditation, a woman's name came to him. He had never heard of her, nor did he even know whether she existed, but he knew he would marry her. He later did, opened a gallery and had two boys. He now spends his time supporting the boys and their business and chatting about the ocean. Facebook Page Email Paul. Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded December 3, 2017. Transcript of this interview YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:31 - Changing Sense of Identity 00:10:17 - Kundalini and Energetic Experiences 00:15:04 - The Beauty of Human Experience 00:20:02 - Assimilation and Adjustment Challenges 00:24:42 - Falling in Love with the Ocean and Finding Books 00:29:34 - An Old Monk's Experiences 00:34:02 - Shake-up of Central Structures of Authority 00:38:32 - The Limitations of Words and Language 00:42:25 - Non-verbal communication and the limitations of language 00:46:24 - Insecurity in Identity 00:50:21 - The Paradox of Movement 00:54:19 - The Process of Creative Intelligence 00:57:53 - The Importance of Individual Paths 01:01:37 - The Wholeness of Everything 01:05:36 - A Journey of Awakening 01:09:06 - The Power and Intoxication of Authority 01:12:58 - Power and Abuse in Spiritual Circles 01:16:28 - The Role of Teachers and Students 01:20:13 - The Power of Humility 01:24:29 - An Unexpected Journey 01:28:30 - The Nature of Reality in Words 01:32:03 - Conversations and Tea 01:36:02 - Chatting and Helping People with Awakening 01:39:45 - Unsettling Experiences and Fear 01:43:52 - Dancing in the Bedroom 01:47:47 - The Presence of Subtle Beings. 01:51:49 - The Paradox of Existence 01:55:52 - A Delightful Virtual Tea and the Dance of Words 02:00:04 - The form and the formless 02:03:41 - John Sampson: A Life of Fascinating Experiences