Category: Spirituality

A.H. Almaas: Endless Enlightenment

A.H. Almaas is the pen name of of Hameed Ali, the author of more than 14 books, founder of The Ridhwan School, and creator of the “the Diamond Approach” of spiritual inquiry and development. With Sounds True, Hameed has created a new online course called Endless Enlightenment: The view of totality in the Diamond Approach. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Hameed converse on the markers one can recognize on the path to enlightenment—and beyond. They talk about how nondual realization isn’t the endpoint of the spiritual path, and how setting goals for that journey may do more harm than good. Finally, Hameed explains his teaching of the view of totality, its development over a span of 20 years, and why he’s decided to share it now with the world.
(67 minutes)

Sandra Ingerman: The Power of Ceremony

Sandra Ingerman is an award-winning author and internationally recognized teacher of shamanism and ceremony. Sandra will soon join many other leading shamanic teachers—including don Oscar Miro-Quesada, Luisah Teish, and José Luis Stevens—for Year of Ceremony, a Sounds True-hosted online gathering that will take place each full moon for the next 13 months. Intended to form an international community devoted to the power of ceremony, each gathering will highlight different shamanic concepts, rituals, and diverse traditions. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Sandra Ingerman about the preparations essential for and the role intention plays in an effective ceremony. They also discuss the advantages of calling in the aid of the primal elements and their invaluable role in ceremonies of transformation. Finally, Sandra shares stories of some of the most powerful ceremonies she has presided over—as well as the pitfalls that can impede shamanic practice.
(60 minutes)

Marianne Williamson: Make Us Instruments of Love and A...

Marianne Williamson is a New York Times bestselling author, public speaker, social activist, and respected teacher who draws extensively from the spiritual classic, A Course in Miracles. With Sounds True, she has created the audio programs Love’s Manifesto and Meditations of the Heart in partnership with Andrew Harvey. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Marianne and Tami Simon talk about the ineffable moment in which we come into inner communion with the divine. Marianne also challenges listeners in the transformational community to put their beliefs into action through direct activism. Finally, Marianne speaks frankly about a political campaign that failed to bring her into office—but also brought her into a much deeper understanding of herself and her true purpose in life. (64 minutes)

Led by Spirit

Alice Walker is a poet, essayist, and New York Times-bestselling author who has won both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. With Sounds True, Alice has released the audio program My Life As My Self, which vividly recounts her personal, professional, and spiritual journeys. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Alice and Tami Simon speak on what it means to step into the line of fire and receive criticism for what one believes. In this vein, Alice explains her role as an activist in locations such as Gaza and the Congo—and how standing up for one’s principles brings an ineffable lightness to the heart. Finally, Alice and Tami discuss stepping into the role of a societal elder and why it is imperative that we reconnect with the whole of the Earth. (55 minutes)

Adyashanti: Embracing the World: Resurrecting Jesus

Adyashanti is an American-born teacher trained in the Zen tradition who teaches an inclusive path toward awakening. With Sounds True, he has published several books and audio programs, including Falling into Grace, Emptiness Dancing, and True Meditation. In this episode, Adya draws upon his book Resurrecting Jesus to examine the deep mythic underpinnings of the story of Jesus and how it can serve as a map of awakening. He also talks about Jesus as a revolutionary figure, how the metaphor of the crucifixion helped him process his own experience with intense physical pain, and the redemptive power of love to restore us to our natural state. (79 minutes)

Mirabai Starr: Caravan of No Despair

Mirabai Starr is an author and teacher best known for her well-regarded translations of Christian mystics such as Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Francis of Assisi. Her most recent work with Sounds True is Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of of Loss and Transformation. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Mirabai and Tami Simon talk about “the dark night of the soul” and how this intense experience is essential to the spiritual path. They also speak on the process of writing about grief and loss, and how such an act can spark a powerful personal metamorphosis. Finally, Mirabai shares a pair of potent excerpts from Caravan of No Despair. (65 minutes)

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