Simplest State

Simplest State

Sir Arthur Eddington, the British physicist, said, “The stuff of the world is mind-stuff.” The Yoga Vasistha of the ancient Vedic literature states, “Even as from the waking state there is no materiality in the objects seen in a dream, this world appears to be material, yet in reality it is pure consciousness.” We are not in the world; the world is within us, and the Simplest State of human awareness is that state where consciousness is open to itself--a field of all possibilities. The development of higher states of consciousness has been a theme of all cultures throughout time. Each in their own way, our guests have searched for something more, and we will hear how their experiences have impacted their lives as they describe the pursuit, development, and expression of consciousness and creativity in their lives. Unique guests, fascinating stories, wonderful revelations, and spiritual epiphanies, all brought to light in an entertaining and informative fashion on Simplest State. read less
Society & CultureSociety & Culture

Episodes

Craig Pearson - Author: The Supreme Awakening: Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time
Mar 4 2024
Craig Pearson - Author: The Supreme Awakening: Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time
Dr. Pearson’s book, The Supreme Awakening: Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time—and How You can Cultivate Them, offers us a glimpse into the lives of people who have recorded their experiences of higher states of consciousness, as conveyed to us through their poetry, prose, letters and biographies. The wonderfully unique feature of this book is that it documents the experiences of higher states of consciousness by dozens of people, spanning thousands of years, across all geographic regions, and in every culture. The interview ranges from Wordsworth to William Blake, from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj to Eugene O’Neill and Billie Jean King. Pearson provides clear examples revealing that the development of higher states of consciousness is not a fanciful philosophy, nor a mere metaphor or belief system, but is a natural, and indeed vital, progression of human evolution. As William James said, “Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake.” We discuss the fact that knowledge is structured in consciousness and knowledge is different in different states of consciousness. Each state of consciousness is a world unto itself and our experience of reality is, and can only ever be, a reflection of our own state of consciousness. Craig notes that people seem to have a glimmer, a spark, that tells them there is something more to life that lies beyond their day-to-day experiences. He further explains that the development of consciousness is the key to knowing the full experience of happiness that we are capable of—the ultimate experience of bliss within, in our own simplest state of awareness. Dr. Pearson also describes how the development of our consciousness can bring solutions to world problems which, essentially, are caused by collective stress, adding that a problem is just something to which we have not applied sufficient consciousness or creativity.   Music by Lesfm. Track “In the Forest”
George Barselaar - student and teacher of the traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism
Jan 10 2023
George Barselaar - student and teacher of the traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism
George Barselaar was born in the south of Holland and grew up in Sydney, Australia. At the age of 18, George took a keen interest in Yoga, which inspired him to learn Transcendental Meditation (TM), and eventually, to become a teacher of TM. He went deeply into Vedic Science and Sanskrit, and  developed a keen interest in Kashmiri Shaiva Philosophy. George was immediately struck by the very first verse of the Shiva Sutras, as translated by Lakshmanjoo, which says, "Consciousness is everything." Feeling an irresistible pull, George went to India to study under the guidance of Swami Lakshmanjoo, who was the last living Master of the oral tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. George recalls the time that one aspirant told Swami Lakshmanjoo that he did not feel he was making much progress with his meditation, and Lakshmanjoo explained that the passion for self-knowledge (enlightenment) must be as strong as the overwhelming passion he felt the first time he fell in love. With regard to the turmoil we see in the world, George was optimistic and said that, "Sometimes the world gets shaken-up in order to wake up." He added that meditation creates ripples that affect others in a positive way. When we create coherence in our own consciousness, it affects everyone in our environment. George was given permission to transcribe all of the Swami’s recorded lectures, and it took almost 20 years to complete the English transcriptions of all of Swami Lakshmanjoo’s recorded teachings. George now lives in Northern California, where he and his partner, Claudia, work full-time for the Universal Shaiva Fellowship and Lakshmanjoo Academy. They often spend the summer months in Kashmir, and George connected with us for this interview from Kashmir, India, at the ashram of Shaivacharya Swami Lakshmanjoo Maharaj. About Kashmir Shaivism, Swami Lakshmanjoo said that it is the three-fold science of man and his world, and is a philosophy meant for any human being without the restriction of caste, creed, color or gender. For more information on Swami Lakshmanjoo and Kashmir Shaivism, please see the following websites: Kashmir Shaivism: www.universalshaivafellowship.org Lakshmanjoo Academy: www.lakshmanjooacademy.org Ishwar Ashram Trust founded my Swami Lakshmanjoo: https://www.ishwarashramtrust.com/     Music by Lesfm. Track “In the Forest”
Don Arney - Entrepreneur, inventor, pilot, and philanthropist that has practised meditation for 5 decades.
May 4 2022
Don Arney - Entrepreneur, inventor, pilot, and philanthropist that has practised meditation for 5 decades.
The Bambi Bucket, used in aerial firefighting in more than 115 countries, is a life-saving device that allows pilots to drop water on wildfires with precision. It was even used to fight the post-explosion fires after the tragic blast at the Port of Beirut, Lebanon and also to cool the nuclear reactor after the Tsunami tragedy in Fukushima, Japan. Don Arney, the man who invented it, is our guest today. Don is a resident of British Columbia, Canada, and is just the 14th Canadian to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, in Washington, DC He is an inventor, a helicopter pilot, and noted philanthropist that has practised meditation for 5 decades to develop his mental potential and creativity. Entrepreneur, inventor, helicopter pilot, and a noted philanthropist, Don has practised meditation for 5 decades to develop his mental potential and creativity. Don describes how diving deep in meditation has allowed him to find the infinite value in solutions and see that each part of the solution contains the entirety. He adds that everyone has the opportunity to do the same. Meditation has revealed to Don the interconnectedness of our active world, and he says, “The beauty of mind-stuff is the lack of boundaries.” Don describes how “Being happy for no reason,” is one of the greatest gifts of his expanded vision. The profundity of solutions is in their simplicity, says Don, as he relates how solving engineering problems is ultimately a journey of self-discovery. Learn more about Don at Donarney.com     Music by Lesfm. Track “In the Forest”