About this episode
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. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 2, 2020. 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