Michael James on the Teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the Practice of Self-Enquiry: BatGap interview

[@TheSolsonia2003]

Delightfully sweet and exceedingly informative to listen to Michael James and you Richard talking about such profound subject, I rewinded many times...I loved it... thank you!!!

[@noarelax]

Wonderful stuff! Rick without your wonderful wealth of knowledge and your uncanny knack of knowing just when to come in with the right question (and, yes, prompt and probe if need be..) never ceases to amaze me !. Much appreciation here..

[@nondualcafe]

Grateful for having a video of MJ. His book was excellent- concise, to the point and written by someone with years experience in linguistic translation. He seems very humble, and not willing to admit he's made much progress in vichara, which was a bit disappointing, seeing as he's one of the few experts in the area. Still, great interview, and would love to hear him again any time.

[@sathyan2013]

It is simply great.Thanks Rick and James.Rick is a wonderful host and James, it seemed that on self enquiry in the background.It is his book which gave me very good insights.I love him.

[@nilminisubramaniam7985]

Both James and Rick are not wrong. Rick is trying to make the interview more vibrant not monotonous and also Rick is trying to take it as a conversation rather than a monologue by James. At the same time, James look s so innocently absorbed in his talk and he is in his own world and not thinking from Ricks side. Very Interesting interview and I love it.

[@samanthapoogie236]

Great stuff...Always feel like coming home when hearing about Sri Ramana Maharshi... Infinite gratitude for your time, effort and passion!

[@mertles02]

love the way Rick plays devils advocate in his interviews. If the subject veers towards the scientific elements of spiritual teaching, he will provide insights and questions of the experiential nature of spiritual practice, if the subject veers toward the only experiential, he will in turn put across a scientific view point. I think him doing this makes for a really well rounded interview, eeking out all the aspects, never getting stuck in the relative or absolute view, it's a true exploration.

[@ricardomusicdoc7227]

🙏 l've listened non- stop to your inspired talks. Love IS the answer, it seems. When one had a v traumatic childhood 'love' is an unknown. How can one 'grow' love? Bhagawan has changed my life via yourself & D.G. weeks and weeks listening and practising. Love still isn't present. Thank you for your dedication and devotion. ❤❤❤

[@iloverumi]

outstanding interview. you should consider another one with michael. beautiful, brilliant man. exudes both humility and holiness- rare on the "spiritual scene" these days.

[@Batgap]

Thanks. And keep the constructive criticism coming. I need and appreciate it.

[@Batgap]

I'm sure you guys are right. I'm always trying to break new ground and see things afresh, but there are still plenty of habits and assumptions to work through. Regarding my tendency to interrupt, often guilty as charged, although many professional interviewers do that (Larry King, Piers Morgan, Oprah Winfrey) if the guest doesn't pause for a breath from time to time. Some people could go on for two hours without a break. I try to make these conversations, not monologues.

[@Batgap]

That was probably my wife typing. We sit next to one another in a small office. She tries to be quiet, but sometimes she has to do stuff. Regarding my talking too much, mea culpa. But having listened to hours of Michael's talks, I knew, and someone else even commented here, that unless one interjects a question, he'll continue talking. These are interviews, not soliloquies.

[@rpodury]

Traditional seekers do not declare their achievements and it is for us to see it. The body language and the face it self is an indication of the state in which they are. In the latest interview by Rick, Godman also very skillfully answered the question on his achievement. Let us not doubt the efficacy of Self Inquiry. Who ever does it is sure to progress towards the Goal nay reach the Goal

[@garchendasaramana3120]

If you are reading this, you are loved by me . . .

[@DavidTitus_]

Garchendasa Ramana

[@kenwiebe2706]

Garchendasa Ramana thank you

[@WilliamArsenis]

For a while, there, at around 1:30, it sounded like Michael was talking about solipsism. Michael's comparison with the dream state and the waking state doesn't work for me (though it might hold water for most dreamers) in the context of the dream state feeling as real as the waking state to the experiencer. He says that in a dream, everything appears just as real as it does in reality and that in a dream, we can't just change our reality. That has not been my experience. When lucid in a dream, I can create my reality as I please--I can remove walls, I can fly, I can hold conversations with dream figures and even ask them what they represent. The dream analogy aside, the problem of the solipsistic point of view is one of relativity. Which is what Rick was trying to point out. To quote from Paul Watzlawick's book, THE INVENTED REALITY: "The principle of relativity rejects hypothesis when it does not hold for two instances together, though it might hold for each instance separately (Earthlings and Venusians may be consistent in claiming to be the center of the universe, but their claims fall to pieces if they should ever get together.) Likewise, the solipsistic claim falls to pieces when besides me I invent another autonomous organism. However, the principle of relativity is not a logical necessity-nor can it be proven to be true or false-the crucial point is that one can choose to either accept the principle of relativity or reject it. If I reject it, I am the center of the universe, my reality is my dreams and my nightmares, my language is monologue, and my logic monologic." The problem with solipsism is that it ascribes the creation of the universe to the individual perceiving it. And there are seven billion of us apparently observing the same universe, as Rick pointed out. Solipsism is not non-dualism or advaita, though these are easily confused.

[@Boomhilda]

Amazing guest. Agree with NothingnessLove. Rick's volume is always significantly louder than his guest. Suggest equalizing the sound.

[@Carsten-Karthik]

Thank you!

[@Callmeoldfashionedshop]

Enjoyed!

[@SeerofShadows11]

Makes sense. I give you credit, it would be very hard for anyone to have this job and hear everything with total fresh perception! Can you imagine expecting that of someone at any other job? haha. But anyway keep doing what you're doing, I'm half way through this one and enjoying very much regardless. :)

[@zenman11]

the sound of someone typing really interferred with my concentration, it was too difficult to 'unhear' it

[@SeerofShadows11]

I agree, Rick is a great host, and I love this series when I watch it time to time, but I can't help but feel that his intellectual knowledge of spiritual inquiry sometimes overwhelms his ability to hear things freshly. I could be wrong, No way do I mean to be condescending. Happens to every one of us hear at one point or another.

[@rpodury]

at 1.02, addressing arunachala in that famous poem, is just a poetic way of expression of the subject. It is not that Ramana actually assumed a divinity other than SELF

[@saidas108]

Awareness with a capital "A" is not the same as with a small "a"...as in "aware of something. Awareness exists during the waking and dreaming state so is it nonsensical to assume that Awareness exists in deep sleep as well? Can you say "I was Aware while waking/dreaming but not deep sleep? As was stated in interview, we feel at peace and rested when thoughts are lessened or eliminated which is an indication as that being our natural state. How much more so then in deep sleep?

[@sharonphillips3373]

It is not current scientific theory (quantum mechanics) that we produce our thoughts. We are perceivers. We perceive thoughts. See Stephen Davis's excellent 5-part series titled, the Holographic Universe. It's on youtube and his website.

[@swingtrade2]

"the person who made you and me...?" what were you before your parents were born? i take my stand prior to all. nissargadatta

[@MrShootman999]

So the practice of Self-enquiry, is to learn HOW to practice Self-Enquiry. Once you learn how to practice, you're enlightened. Because there is no practice indeed.

[@saidas108]

Michael James - If you read this, do stop with the incessant "Yes. Yes. Yes." when the other is speaking. It is very annoying and distracting.

[@kalumdharmasiri6180]

Lord Buddha said mind is most Powerful force on earth, Lord Buddha was not a creator, he was not a saviour, He is the greatest Scientist in the world of all time We are our own masters,No body can save us

[@saidas108]

Professional interviewers have very strict time constraints and usually very large egos. I do believe, however, that if you had let him, Michael would have talked non-stop for the entire 1:45. His sounded more soliloquy than conversation.

[@MrSimonj1970]

Rick I love the show, but please let the guests talk...you constantly cut people off before they can get a sentence out.

[@kwixotic]

I don't think you any kind of apologies or rationalizations to anyone. Given that Michael James kind of rambles on simply because he has so much to say, it would be incumbent on you to "creatively" interrupt lest he goes into monologous(but NOT monotonous) dissertations.

[@ravi9973]

i dont understand anythings they are talking about at all...all i heard was noises coming out from the both side,old farts...perhaps that is what it means beyond the words..

[@fuldagermany]

Just because one does not understand does not mean that the people expressing themselves are old farts ... that is really not kind, to say the least. If you live long, you too will get old.

[@winstono75]

I commented on your previous video that you seemed to be dominated energetically in that interview. As a follow up on that, your energy in this interview is very markedly changed from just a few weeks ago. You are way more outwardly focused in a socially engaging way, meaning you are less able to hold your own perspective in view. What happened? This is not good.