Ep. 173 (Part 2 of 2) | In this 8th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali gives a clear, colorful description of the three stages we go through on the spiritual path: the journey to presence, the journey with presence, and the journey in presence. “There’s much more to the journey than just being free of suffering,” he says, “in the journey with presence, there’s a whole universe to discover—unexpectedly we find there is a whole realm of splendor, beauty, freedom, and liberation.” In the third journey, the journey in presence, the stage of actualization, we are swimming in the ocean of presence or we are the presence itself. Hameed relates how impeccability, strong and pure like stainless steel, is an important part of actualizing presence, embodying our essence in our daily lives. “The ‘I am’ can function in the world as a person,” he explains, “I can be the vastness, an infinite, black, luminous night, completely formless, but still walk in the street as a person.”

Hameed also talks about the “pearl beyond price”—the individuated self that brings a functional capacity to the isness, which is why it is of incomparable price—and the point of existence, point of light, or pure I-ness. He discusses the individuation of the soul and the realization that the nature of the soul is the nature of everything: this is the nondual experience. This dialogue is another treasure trove of spiritual transmission by Hameed—with humor, clarity, precision, and beautiful metaphor, his teachings, even as deeply profound and mysterious as they are, come as wonderful revelations for us to grasp onto, leading us forward on the inner journey home. Recorded January 3, 2025.

“Presence is the ground of all reality.”

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2

What is the I in ‘I am that’? A point of light, presence, existence (00:53)
I-am-that are three different things (04:25)
At some point, the point of light and the pearl beyond price become unified (06:56)
The ego self is insecure: that’s why there is selfishness (09:04)
With the realization of I am that, the “that” changes (12:30)
The “I am” can function in the world as a person: I can be the vastness, formless & infinite, but still walk in the street as a person (14:01)
In the source dimension, all people are nothing but organs of perception for the absolute (15:05)
What brought Hameed back from the absolute? (17:46)
Each teaching has their ultimate, but there is more than one ultimate (19:24)
There’s much more to the journey than just being free of suffering (20:31)
Ignorance never ends (21:26)
Is there a best way to study spirituality? (22:57)
The essentialization of the soul: recognizing that presence is our true nature, essence is a living consciousness (25:21)
Realizing the ground of being: the nature of the soul is the nature of everything; this is the nondual experience (27:18)
The issues that come up on the journey: psychodynamic, structural, existential & epistemological (33:17)

Resources & References

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

A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (Dialogue 8, Part 2) – Navigating the Inner Journey Home: To Presence, With Presence, In Presence

Deep Transformation