Talks 2013
Click on the links below to watch on YouTube or listen to the audio.
December 22 LA (watch, listen)
Christmas and the promise of hope in a world where the odds are stacked against us.
December 15 LA (watch, listen)
Entropy, the journey from nothing to something and back again. We are all on that ride.
December 8 LA (watch, listen)
The experience of longing and how it shapes and distorts our lives. No matter how much you get in life, in the end we all come up empty.
December 1 LA (watch, listen)
GHOST in Korea. How it feels when the Universe takes care of you. The experience of no tension.
November 17 LA (watch, listen)
Spiritual growth and human evolution.
November 10 LA (watch, listen)
The horizontal and vertical dimensions of spiritual development.
October 20 LA (watch, listen)
Why does the journey to where you already are take so many lifetimes?
October 6 NY (watch, listen)
Final class at the farmhouse. A reminder that everything you are searching for is right in front of you. Or, put another way, if it's in front of you, it's yours.
September 22 LA (watch, listen)
If you want true spiritual awakening you have to demonstrate to the Universe that this is the driving force of your life. You have to get its attention.
September 15 NY (watch, listen)
The manifestation and circulation of love as the essence of everything we do or fail to do in our lives.
September 8 NY (watch, listen)
The mind is a computer programmed to look out for us at all cost. But it cannot make sense of the fact that we are, in fact, programmed to die.
September 1 NY (watch, listen)
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. It is all temporary. It is all on loan. That truth must inform our lives.
August 25 NY (watch, listen)
Teaching this work.
August 18 NY (watch, listen)
We come into this world alone and with nothing. We leave this world alone and with nothing. So what is this journey for? You need to find your own answer. Your life depends on it.
August 11 NY (watch, listen)
What to do when the teacher leaves and you are on your own.
August 4 NY (watch, listen)
Shiva, the Hindu deity, is the lord of destruction. His goal is to annihilate you. Your goal is to let him do it. It is your path to "Liberation."
July 28 NY (watch, listen)
The remarkable lessons of the Buddha story and how those teachings inform our lives.
July 21 NY (watch, listen)
The value of therapy on the spiritual path.
July 14 NY (watch, listen)
Small-minded obsessions, old angers and regrets, bind people into knots that can take decades or even lifetimes to untie.
July 7 LA (watch, listen)
Spiritual work is the preparation for death. How can you let go of life if you can't let go of your ego, fears, illusions, angers, hopes, loves? Death will take them all, by force if necessary.
June 23 NY (watch, listen)
You are responsible for making yourself right with God. You must do whatever it takes.
June 16 NY (watch, listen)
The tragedy of human life is that almost no human being knows who they are.
June 9 NY (watch, listen)
The idea that you are perfect as you are refers to your Eternal Self. If your egoic life is a mess, it is your conscious responsibility to make it work on every level.
June 2 NY (watch, listen)
Many people arrive at the middle of their lives with the sense that they missed the boat. I'm here to tell you that even if you own the boat, it's going to sink. There is no safety here.
May 26 NY (watch, listen)
Surgery, vertigo, bronchial infection and selling the farmhouse. It's been a crazy few weeks full of grief and tears. A primer on letting go.
May 5 NY (watch, listen)
If I were to give a final talk, what would I say? Let's find out.
April 21 NY (watch, listen)
Rudi said that pain was God's love. I am only beginning to understand what he meant. It is a lesson we all must learn.
April 14 NY (watch, listen)
Dreaming yourself through life is a tragic waste. Wake up! Be present! You don't get that many chances. This is the time!
April 7 LA (watch, listen)
All you need is love.
March 31 LA (watch, listen)
Living with your eye focused on the hope of eternal life misses the point. This very moment is the doorway to that life. The time to enter it is now. It will always be now.
March 17 LA (watch, listen)
Many people lead lives filled with confusion but few understand that being confused is a choice. There is a path to clarity and understanding if you want to take it.
March 10 LA (watch, listen)
Reflections on turning 70. Aspects of the journey so far.
March 3 LA (watch, listen)
The environment within us is the self we know. It is how we feel and know who we are. What happens when that changes?
February 24 LA (watch, listen)
Every so often I give a talk about why you should not be studying with me. This is one of them.
February 21 LA (watch, listen)
Rudi's Samadhi.
February 17 LA (watch, listen)
As I approach 70 I am profoundly grateful that Rudi's first instruction to me was that I commit to meditating every day for the rest of my life. It has become my north star, my constant guide.
February 10 LA (watch, listen)
My journey from Kundalini Yoga to Advaita Yoga and how I have married the two. It is essentially the journey from effort to no effort and how both are needed.
February 3 LA (watch, listen)
The Universal Self. It is the core of your being. It is who you are.
January 27 LA (watch, listen)
Commitment, effort, wish, resistance. These are the essentials. These are at the core of Rudi's teaching.
January 20 LA (watch, listen)
There is a life force that guides your life, that is the very essence of your life. Stop trying to pretend that you are in charge. Trust it.
January 6 LA (watch, listen)
Gratitude—how rarely it is expressed and why it defines a spiritual life.
December 22 LA (watch, listen)
Christmas and the promise of hope in a world where the odds are stacked against us.
December 15 LA (watch, listen)
Entropy, the journey from nothing to something and back again. We are all on that ride.
December 8 LA (watch, listen)
The experience of longing and how it shapes and distorts our lives. No matter how much you get in life, in the end we all come up empty.
December 1 LA (watch, listen)
GHOST in Korea. How it feels when the Universe takes care of you. The experience of no tension.
November 17 LA (watch, listen)
Spiritual growth and human evolution.
November 10 LA (watch, listen)
The horizontal and vertical dimensions of spiritual development.
October 20 LA (watch, listen)
Why does the journey to where you already are take so many lifetimes?
October 6 NY (watch, listen)
Final class at the farmhouse. A reminder that everything you are searching for is right in front of you. Or, put another way, if it's in front of you, it's yours.
September 22 LA (watch, listen)
If you want true spiritual awakening you have to demonstrate to the Universe that this is the driving force of your life. You have to get its attention.
September 15 NY (watch, listen)
The manifestation and circulation of love as the essence of everything we do or fail to do in our lives.
September 8 NY (watch, listen)
The mind is a computer programmed to look out for us at all cost. But it cannot make sense of the fact that we are, in fact, programmed to die.
September 1 NY (watch, listen)
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. It is all temporary. It is all on loan. That truth must inform our lives.
August 25 NY (watch, listen)
Teaching this work.
August 18 NY (watch, listen)
We come into this world alone and with nothing. We leave this world alone and with nothing. So what is this journey for? You need to find your own answer. Your life depends on it.
August 11 NY (watch, listen)
What to do when the teacher leaves and you are on your own.
August 4 NY (watch, listen)
Shiva, the Hindu deity, is the lord of destruction. His goal is to annihilate you. Your goal is to let him do it. It is your path to "Liberation."
July 28 NY (watch, listen)
The remarkable lessons of the Buddha story and how those teachings inform our lives.
July 21 NY (watch, listen)
The value of therapy on the spiritual path.
July 14 NY (watch, listen)
Small-minded obsessions, old angers and regrets, bind people into knots that can take decades or even lifetimes to untie.
July 7 LA (watch, listen)
Spiritual work is the preparation for death. How can you let go of life if you can't let go of your ego, fears, illusions, angers, hopes, loves? Death will take them all, by force if necessary.
June 23 NY (watch, listen)
You are responsible for making yourself right with God. You must do whatever it takes.
June 16 NY (watch, listen)
The tragedy of human life is that almost no human being knows who they are.
June 9 NY (watch, listen)
The idea that you are perfect as you are refers to your Eternal Self. If your egoic life is a mess, it is your conscious responsibility to make it work on every level.
June 2 NY (watch, listen)
Many people arrive at the middle of their lives with the sense that they missed the boat. I'm here to tell you that even if you own the boat, it's going to sink. There is no safety here.
May 26 NY (watch, listen)
Surgery, vertigo, bronchial infection and selling the farmhouse. It's been a crazy few weeks full of grief and tears. A primer on letting go.
May 5 NY (watch, listen)
If I were to give a final talk, what would I say? Let's find out.
April 21 NY (watch, listen)
Rudi said that pain was God's love. I am only beginning to understand what he meant. It is a lesson we all must learn.
April 14 NY (watch, listen)
Dreaming yourself through life is a tragic waste. Wake up! Be present! You don't get that many chances. This is the time!
April 7 LA (watch, listen)
All you need is love.
March 31 LA (watch, listen)
Living with your eye focused on the hope of eternal life misses the point. This very moment is the doorway to that life. The time to enter it is now. It will always be now.
March 17 LA (watch, listen)
Many people lead lives filled with confusion but few understand that being confused is a choice. There is a path to clarity and understanding if you want to take it.
March 10 LA (watch, listen)
Reflections on turning 70. Aspects of the journey so far.
March 3 LA (watch, listen)
The environment within us is the self we know. It is how we feel and know who we are. What happens when that changes?
February 24 LA (watch, listen)
Every so often I give a talk about why you should not be studying with me. This is one of them.
February 21 LA (watch, listen)
Rudi's Samadhi.
February 17 LA (watch, listen)
As I approach 70 I am profoundly grateful that Rudi's first instruction to me was that I commit to meditating every day for the rest of my life. It has become my north star, my constant guide.
February 10 LA (watch, listen)
My journey from Kundalini Yoga to Advaita Yoga and how I have married the two. It is essentially the journey from effort to no effort and how both are needed.
February 3 LA (watch, listen)
The Universal Self. It is the core of your being. It is who you are.
January 27 LA (watch, listen)
Commitment, effort, wish, resistance. These are the essentials. These are at the core of Rudi's teaching.
January 20 LA (watch, listen)
There is a life force that guides your life, that is the very essence of your life. Stop trying to pretend that you are in charge. Trust it.
January 6 LA (watch, listen)
Gratitude—how rarely it is expressed and why it defines a spiritual life.