The Alchemy of Transformation: Exploring the Essence of Presence with A. H. Almaas

Ep. 166 (Part 1 of 2) | In the 7th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali enlightens us as to the nature of presence. Our path begins with the recognition that spirit is presence, he explains, an insight which all spiritual traditions share; this is where most of their focus lies. But this is not the end of the story, Hameed tells us—discovering spirit is only half the work. The other half is actualizing presence by clarifying and purifying our souls. Presence works as an agent of transformation in this process; appearing in our souls as curiosity and a love of truth, it leads us home. The discussion turns to virtues, the fruition of realization, and how it is that realized teachers can behave in entirely unethical ways: “realization is no guarantee of ethical behavior.”

This conversation is packed with insights regarding many related topics: how ethics most importantly concern our relations with others, that kindness becomes spontaneous for the true master, the distinction between universal grace and specific grace, how inner spaciousness or emptiness is the other side of the coin from presence or fullness, and the question arises, “Why is it that some people are interested in going deeper and others not?” Hameed also speaks of his own experience of unilocal realization, where all time and space are found in the center of the heart and accessing information from the future is possible. It is not so much I am this or that, he says, it’s simply I am. This warm, illuminating discussion has a fascinating flow and sparks many instances of quiet laughter on all sides. Recorded December 12, 2024.

“Presence is both the inner nature and the elixir of transformation.”

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1

• Introducing the 7th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (01:01)
• The basic spiritual insight common to all schools is the recognition of what spirit is: a palpable presence, a substrate of all reality (01:37)
• The path begins with recognizing presence and then goes on (03:49)
• Presence is being, the way we experience our true nature (05:55)
• Exploring the essential qualities of the soul is an important tool to expose and dissolve components of the ego (07:55)
• Recognizing true nature doesn’t mean we express it in our life (09:09)
• Discovering spirit is only half the work, the other half is purifying the soul (10:50)
• Great traditions don’t get into actualization; psychology is what allowed us to develop practices like inquiry that help to release ego structures (13:02)
• How realized teachers can be angry, or sadistic (17:18)
• Animal soul, human soul, angelic soul: most of us operate from the animal soul (19:40)
• Working on character (21:43)
• Realization and teaching skill are quite different (23:36)
• There’s no guarantee a realized person will behave ethically (27:01)
• Virtues are the impact of spiritual presence on the soul (28:17)
• An important part of ethical behavior is in relationship (28:59)
• “Objective conscience” supports us in living a life of truth (29:22)
• Liberation is different from realization; with liberation there are no imprints of time left in you (32:38)
• The inner child is an imprint of the past, the structure doesn’t last (33:45)
• Getting beyond victimhood (34:44)
• Guilt versus true sorrow (36:12)

Resources & References – Part 1

• A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond Approach
• A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of Reality*
• Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt Therapy, “Awareness in itself is healing.”
• Frederick Perls, Ralph Hefferline, Paul Goodman, Gestalt Therapy* 
• A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Dialogue 4, “Discovering the Souls Treasures,” is where Hameed talks about the specific qualities of the soul (YouTube video)
• Dilgo Khyentse & Orgyen Tobgyal, The Life and Times of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

The A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series will generally follow the sequence of Hameed’s magnum opus, The Inner Journey Home* (which John describes as psychoactive and spiritually, psychologically, and intellectually transformative), so listeners may want to get a copy of this book, to study and follow along on this exhilarating path of awakening.

* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.

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Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general.

Hameed’s process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence, and more. 

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Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell