Ep. 167 (Part 2 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.

“True nature is a real magician; to know yourself as that magician is true realization.”

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2

Living ethically is conducive to realization (00:50)
True mastery means your kindness is spontaneous (02:15)
Ethics apply more at an ego level; spirit has its own principles (04:28)
Feeling the pain of being constricted is one way the spiritual impulse arises (05:59)
Why do some people want to go deeper than others? (06:40)
The love of truth leads us home: the dynamic of realization (09:14)
Unilocal realization: experiencing all time and space in the heart (11:10)
Hameed can learn from his future self and from people who have died (12:26)
Trusting ourselves, and the distinction between universal grace and specific grace (16:28)
Practice helps make us grace-prone; most people need a teacher or guide (19:24)
Presence is the fullness and inner spaciousness the emptiness side of things (21:50)
True nature is a real magician; to know yourself as that magician is true realization (26:52)
Space/time emanates from our true nature (29:02)
Ethics are relative to our time and culture; but essential ethics are timeless (31:24)
Selflessness and concern for the well-being of all has grown over time (33:35)

Resources & References – Part 2

A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of

A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (Dialogue 7, Part 2) - The Alchemy of Transformation: Exploring the Essence of Presence

Deep Transformation