566. Helen Hamilton

Helen Hamilton is a spiritual teacher based in West Yorkshire, in the north of England, and is a mother of four. After struggling through her own awakening several years ago Helen was driven by the urge to simplify awakening for all beings and to share the essential pointings that allow us to overcome common challenges along the path to freedom. Helen's teaching style is direct and uncompromising in its insistence that we already are what we are searching for and yet encompasses compassion and wisdom to help us dissolve our ego with love and understanding. She teaches worldwide and holds regular Satsangs and other events. Books: Dissolving The Ego The Story of I Reality Check: A Simple Guide to Final Enlightenment Website: helenhamilton.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 29, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Interview with Helen Hamilton 00:04:34 - Discovering Meditation and the Third Eye 00:08:50 - The Polarization of Life 00:12:48 - Discovering Different Types of Meditation 00:16:36 - Exploring the Sense of Self 00:20:46 - A Pivotal Moment of Awakening 00:24:47 - Overcoming the Belief of Exclusivity 00:28:39 - Removing Obstructions in Spiritual Growth 00:32:47 - Embracing the Ongoing Unfolding in the Body and Mind 00:36:54 - Understanding the Mind's Obsessive Thoughts about Others 00:41:01 - Understanding Obsessions and Cravings 00:45:22 - Passionate Contemplation and Openness to Emotions 00:49:13 - Assault by the Demon Mara and the Importance of Regular Practice 00:52:56 - Characteristics of Enlightenment 00:57:07 - The Manifestation of Diversity within Oneness 01:01:14 - The Source of Intelligence 01:05:39 - Teenagers, Emotions, and Parenting 01:09:39 - Consciousness and Awareness 01:13:40 - Stages of Awakening 01:17:39 - Success in Awakening 01:21:18 - The Absence of Internal Conflict 01:25:01 - Awakening and the Energy Component 01:28:38 - The Proper Context of Spiritual Experiences 01:32:18 - The Power of Meditation 01:36:10 - Recognizing the Unchanging Nature 01:40:09 - Quieting the Mind and Experiencing Oneness 01:44:03 - Settling the Mind and the Presence of Thoughts 01:47:28 - Thoughts and Enlightenment 01:51:21 - The Journey through Spiritual Courses 01:54:56 - Meeting People Where They Are 01:58:31 - Finding Home in Life

Om Podcasten

The implication of the title - Buddha at the Gas Pump - is that ordinary people are experiencing higher states of consciousness once thought to be rare and difficult to attain. People everywhere are undergoing a shift or awakening to their true nature. For some, this shift has been abrupt and dramatic. For others, it has been so gradual that they may not have realized it has occurred. Such shifts, or awakenings, are not new: Christ spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven within, Buddhists speak of Nirvana, Zen masters of Satori, Hindus of Moksha, but these traditions generally regard these states as rare and difficult to attain. Many people are therefore skeptical of claims of higher states of consciousness. They find it hard to believe that apparently ordinary friends and neighbors might be experiencing something extraordinary. Maybe they expect Enlightenment to look as remarkable on the outside as it is reputed to be on the inside. This show will attempt to dispel skepticism and misconceptions by week after week, allowing otherwise ordinary people to relate their experience of spiritual awakening. The terminology is tricky, because there are no universally agreed upon definitions to describe this experience. So please forgive us if we use some unfamiliar terms. We will try to clarify our definitions as we go along. Perhaps, after a while, those listening will become convinced that genuine and permanent spiritual awakenings are not just a pipe dream, but are real and are becoming relatively commonplace. These podcasts are the audio track of a weekly interview show which may be seen as videos on our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/buddhaatthegaspump). Also see the main site: https://batgap.com. For search purposes, I will add the following to this description - batgap, Buddha at the Gaspump, Buddah at the Gas Pump.