Gangaji Podcasts

A key strategy for our human survival is to "be special." If we stand out in some way, get noticed by others, we may find ourselves better positioned in the "herd." That isn't necessarily a problem, until the drive to be more and more special becomes an addiction and in that, is ultimately destructive. This lively exchange offers great insight into what it means to be absolutely ordinary and still discover what is truly extraordinary.

"Stop all effort to get whatever it is you think will give you fulfillment. All that is required is one instant of truly stopping." The longing for true freedom, for lasting fulfillment is no ordinary desire. Unlike the desires for food, shelter, or social connection that serve our physical survival, true fulfillment cannot be attained, even if we employ spiritual techniques and meditation practices. In this monologue, Gangaji speaks to the resolution of the paradox this extraordinary desire presents in our lives—true fulfillment can only be realized if you don't do anything for its realization.

In dealing with life's hardships, we naturally identify what is broken, what emotions need to be controlled, which circumstances need to get better. That is part of the human drive to survive. But there is something beyond brokenness, beyond any emotions we wish would go away. In the willingness to directly meet the pain we fear, rather than trying to control or get rid of it, there is a life-changing discovery of what is whole, complete, and has no need of fixing.

Our most sublime experiences of acceptance, wholeness, and truth, are commonly followed by a fierce "mind attack." If there is a willingness to investigate what is underneath the experience, there is a revelation of what is untouched in the wake of any mental phenomena.

"All of your life you have wanted to be who you are. That is what authentic means, isn't it?" Recognizing you are just "faking it" is a moment of discriminating wisdom that reveals an essential choice point. Will you keep faking it? When the desire for the truth of who you are overwhelms every other human desire, the choice becomes clear. In this exchange, Gangaji takes us on a deep dive into the desire for authenticity and the habit of postponement.

Many have taken a spiritual path to escape the pain of human suffering that flows from war and injustice. But the truth is, we are never separate from it all. Where can we discover the strength and the capacity to bear that pain? How can our lives be beacons of true peace?

A new composition from Scott Reich blends Gangaji's spoken word with his music. Listening is an opportunity to drop deeply into the message, "You, yourself, are Home."

If you were totally and completely seen and heard, what would that give you? As human beings living in relationship to each other, we play many different roles: partner, mother, father, son, daughter, or co-worker. In these roles, we may have the experience of not being seen or feeling invisible. In this inquiry, Gangaji takes us into the direct experience of "not being seen" to discover what is actually not being seen.

"The willingness to be silence is the willingness not to be who you think you are. To not get what you think you need. Not have what you think you have. There is a nakedness in that." In her latest podcast, Gangaji and interviewer Mark Groves share a compelling conversation about what it means to be still, to stop. How does our fear of silence lead us away from our true self, especially in the midst of our active and often chaotic sensory world. Where do silence and sobriety meet?

"There is some force that is seeking itself. That desires itself. That is praying for itself." As we begin a new year, you can take a moment for reflection. You can tell the truth about what you are desiring, what you are hoping for, what you are praying for as you walk on your spiritual path. Sharing her own personal experience, Gangaji also invites you to inquire into the source of your prayers and see what it reveals.

Musician and composer Scott Reich incorporates Gangaji's spoken word into a his new composition entitled "This Space of Stillness." "I write music to create a place of refuge - for myself, and for all who are drawn to a place of deeper peace."

"We are here to retreat from the trouble, so that actually when the trouble returns, we have a bigger capacity, a stronger foundation to meet whatever appears." When we choose to walk on a spiritual path, our first aspiration may be to transcend our problems or at least transcend the world's problems. From the mundane to the catastrophic, problems are part of living a human life. So where is peace? What if true fulfillment is realized when we actually stop trying to transcend what Gangaji calls "trouble?"

"Maybe grace, deliverance comes to get you. Knocks on your door and says, 'You have a chance to be at peace.' In your willingness to take that chance, to accept that invitation to be at peace, then you have an opportunity to share this peace, everywhere." Living our daily lives, we may find ourselves actually attracted to war. We can also be fed up with that attraction. We can recognize that there is no need to postpone peace in our own minds. In this podcast, Gangaji speaks about the roots of war and the opportunity of being at peace for ourselves and the world.

The human desire for understanding is powerful. We naturally want to understand where we fit in or how best to fix a problem. Understanding satisfies particular needs in our daily life, but on the spiritual path, is understanding enough? Gangaji addresses the crucial difference between realization and understanding that transforms our life experience.

When we are willing to set aside our beliefs, our thoughts, our powers of mind for an instant, the peace we long for and search for, is immediately revealed. In this lively exchange, Gangaji speaks to the experience of "losing our peace" because some thing has changed, and where finally it is always found. "You live your life in Truth, you live your life knowing that even though 'my breath changes, and my feelings change, and my body changes,' this Peace does not change. It is here, always."

Perhaps your search for peace and happiness has taken you down many different roads. It may be rooted in a desire for security, spiritual attainments, personal power, or even just an end to feeling afraid. In this monologue, Gangaji shares how it is possible to discover the limitless peace of being that is not subject to our ideas, definitions, or circumstances. "What this appearance in your consciousness is about, first of all and finally, is to invite you to this space of stillness that is your heart, now."

Many spiritual seekers hope to realize a "quiet mind" What is actually possible given the stream of thoughts that go through our minds every day? In this month's podcast, Gangaji speaks to the life-changing opportunity to "overhear your stories" and stop following any thought no matter how elevated or mundane the thought is. BONUS: Gangaji reads a powerful report from a prisoner who is participating in her Freedom Inside course by mail, and has a brief conversation about working with prisoners.

Take a moment to join Gangaji for a short, but revealing inquiry: "What blocks your fulfillment?"

"To be true to the eternal truth of yourself is to ignore nothing." Our spiritual discovery of the absolute truth of one's being can be turned into a hiding place, where we ignore harsh realities and deny the cruelest aspects of our shared humanity. Ignorance is not "bliss." Rather, it is the root of all suffering. In this powerful monologue delivered in 1999, Gangaji shares that the end of ignorance and our willingness to be all is the "gold of self-realization."

"The more you are willing to face the helplessness of being human, the more being human is not the problem." When we step onto the spiritual path, often we hope to transcend our fears. Our fear of death and loss can drive a lack of compassion and perpetuate our unnecessary suffering. Gangaji encourages us to meet our fear, not avoid it. In a moment of giving up control and simply being undeniably flawed, mortal, and very human, we can rest in the peace of who we are.

The sacred hunger for truth, for God, for love, for peace, for freedom is the force calling us home. This deep longing doesn't leave us alone. It persists even with a lifetime of disillusionments or "unfulfilled promises." No matter what spiritual path we have taken or not taken, Gangaji offers all this encouragement: "Let this hunger for Truth have you. It is a glorious feast, and it is time to stop circling the table. You have a place at this feast."

At its root the desire for control is an infantile thought: "What I want is what I should have." We do have a limited capacity to control many things within our life circumstances, our relationships, or our emotions. But when we try to control what cannot be controlled, we suffer and cause others to suffer. On this podcast, Gangaji speaks to what that moment of letting go of control really is and what it reveals. She shares it "is the opportunity to realize what doesn't need to be controlled to be free, to be happy, to recognize itself."

Many take a spiritual path in life with a sincere desire to contribute to the well-being of all sentient beings. In this month's episode of Being Yourself, a young man asks, "How can I cultivate the heart of a Bodhisattva?" Gangaji speaks to how we can be true to the Bodhisattva heart in the face of our human, cultural, and spiritual conditioning.

We naturally value self-reliance and independence especially in Western culture. Considering our personal survival, the desire to not be dependent on others makes sense, but is it real? In this podcast, Gangaji helps us discover the self we can truly rely on and the self-love that is revealed in that discovery. "I would like to share with you exactly what I mean when I say self-reliant and how essential it is that you be completely, absolutely, totally self-reliant. First, you have to know what "self" means."

As the new year approaches, we can to shift our focus from what we think we need to fix, and give our full attention to what is already whole and perfect. In this podcast, Gangaji speaks of the catalyst for a deeper awakening—the willingness to "unlearn" and open to what is fresh, alive, and who you are. Not a concept or memory of who you are, but as a true, living freshness. Also: We share a song in tribute to Amber Terrell.

On the spiritual search we often ask, "What do I have to do?" to find resolution and fulfillment. We look for "masters" of spirituality and enlightenment who we hope will tell us how to behave or will direct us in practices necessary for true happiness. Gangaji makes clear that true resolution can be discovered when you set aside your cosmologies, theologies, and formulas for that which is much, much closer— the truth of who you are.

Since 1990, Gangaji has shared Papaji's invitation to call off the search. This essential teaching serves our conscious discovery of who we truly are and is profoundly relevant to living our daily lives. In this recording, Gangaji shares a teaching story, written by a sangha member, that is relatable and true. What is discovered when we are willing to completely call off the search and simply let ourselves be found?

"Our minds can be agitated and we can still be aware of what is at peace, regardless of circumstances." Gangaji speaks to the maturity needed when we are confronted with significant life challenges. It is absolutely possible to live our lives fully as Peace and as human beings with choices. In the midst of the challenges, we may find ourselves in individually and collectively, what is our response? Will we contribute to the "collective angst" or dive ever more deeply, and consciously, into the peace that is always present.

"Finally, integrity means honesty. But honesty is a moving target because of our conditioning. We have to be willing to be humbled in the recognition that what we perceived as being honest or truthful was revealed to be just a conditioned "version" of truth." When we recognize what we have long overlooked or denied, we can have one of the most valuable experiences a human being can have: to be humbled. In this podcast, Gangaji speaks about the natural integrity and vigilance revealed when we are truly willing to be humbled.

This month our conversation on the subject of racism continues. Taking us more deeply to the underlying fear that is the source of racism, Gangaji speaks about the fear of death and the fear of our own and others' freedom. Recalling her early life in Mississippi, she shares the moment when her racist conditioning was first challenged and how that awakening set her on the path to discovering true freedom.

This month Gangaji sits down for an interview on the subject of racism. Gangaji grew up in Mississippi, raised a white southern girl in the segregated town of Clarksdale. In this interview, she speaks about how her own racist conditioning first began to be dismantled. She invites us not only to meet the cruelty and wrongs of the past 400 years, but also to meet the internal system of racism within our own minds today. Part One of this interview covers the human patterns of denial, seeking power for survival, meeting the fear that perpetuates racism, and the possibility of serving true freedom for all beings everywhere.

In this historic moment, white people have an opportunity to redress the long, cruel legacy of racism in America. Author Ibram X. Kendi said, "The history of racism is a history of denial." So that is where we begin with this episode: the resolve to end denial and face hard truths. In this recording from 1998, Gangaji recounts an article about Bishop Desmond Tutu. His commitment to truth and reconciliation in South Africa serves as inspiration to all. "When you are seeking nothing but truth, and in that seeking you are willing to see everything then closure is by-product. Peace is revealed, harmony is revealed, to be your own self."—Gangaji

What is revealed when we stay conscious in the midst of great upheaval? When we are willing to inquire with an open mind, we can move beyond simply coping with disaster and discover a life changing truth untouched by any loss. Recorded in March of 2011 following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, this monologue is relevant to the times we find ourselves in now, confronting a worldwide pandemic. "In our sophistication as human life forms, in our worldliness, in our psychological astuteness, in our pursuit of happiness, we too often lose the direct experience of the boundlessness of love that is life."

Mistakenly, we define who we are by the roles we play in the theater we call our lives. Then we further define ourselves with our evaluations of how well or how poorly we play those roles. When Gangaji first met Papaji, he told her to stop everything. In her willingness to stop everything and just be, Gangaji saw past the roles (mother, daughter, spiritual seeker, wife, student) and recognized her true face. It is possible for all of us to recognize our true face—the truth of who we are. Then every role we are given can be played fully and authentically. We can live freely, resting in the truth of who we are.

"When fear is experienced as energy, as feelings, without a story attached to it, without thoughts defining it, when it is not fought or made war with, what is it? What is it in your experience?" Together we are facing a global pandemic. It is something none of us has ever faced, something that is truly unknown. Naturally fear arises in uncertainty, fear that can lead to panic. How can we meet this moment with our natural intelligence? With the willingness to investigate, to open to the fear we may be experiencing, we can discover what is at the core of fear, what is at the core of what isn't wanted or desired. In opening to fear, you open to yourself, you open to "what is in the heart of the heart." Selected from a live online meeting Gangaji held on March 22, 2020, Gangaji responds to questions about the pandemic and guides us in an inquiry.

"Thank God you haven't been able to escape the dissatisfaction with life as it is prescribed."—Gangaji When we are filled with doubt and overwhelm, and all seems to be falling apart, there is the potential through self-inquiry to discover home. This enlivening exchange with Gangaji, recorded in Santa Fe in 1998, demonstrates how in our willingness to fall apart, we ultimately see what falls away and what remains—the home that is real.

Is your inner critic running your life? The inner critic tells us how we are not enough, how we should be more, how we should be better than we think we are. Thinking about what is wrong with us can eat up our lives and ultimately distracts us from the essential truth. In this episode of Being Yourself, Gangaji demonstrates how to confront the inner-critic without judgment, and finally end the war between ego and superego.

Where is your attention? Our minds are designed to recognize what is "wrong" and needs fixing. This aspect of our ego serves our survival as human animals. There is nothing wrong with this aspect of our ego, but if we only look for what is wrong and neglect to honor what is already whole and free, then we suffer unnecessarily. Wherever you find yourself, you can take this moment to shift your attention to what is right: the wonder of existence itself.

"The door is open." How can you discover freedom and peace exactly where you are right now, in your current circumstances, without changing anything? This month, reading a former prisoner's letter, Gangaji speaks to the egoic prisons we live our lives in, and how it is possible to recognize the door to freedom that is already open.

We all play many roles in our lives: parent, child, student, seeker, teacher, boss, and many, many more. But what do we want our lives to be used for? In this episode, Gangaji shares her own experience of being in the role of teacher and addresses how the roles we play can serve the deepest truth—the truth of who we are. Also: In a special interview, Hillary Larson, host of A Conversation with Gangaji, tells us about her recent trip to the Amazon rain forest. Along with sharing her own experience of roles ending and beginning, she tells us what her journey to a very far away place revealed about finding home.

What if the last obstacle to discovering true freedom and fulfillment is just a thought? Often hiding in plain sight, our common doubts— "I am stuck," "I am separate," "I can't help it"—are how we create our reality and suffer unnecessarily. In this episode of Being Yourself, Gangaji offers a radical invitation and demonstrates how being aware of what we are actually thinking can open the door to freedom. We all have the capacity to see through our doubting thoughts into the vast simplicity of who I am—freedom itself.

One of the ways we commonly define ourselves is by our "problems." In this episode of Being Yourself, Gangaji powerfully challenges the assumptions we have about our problems and what it means if we can or cannot find the respective solutions. If we can't solve our day-to-day problems, does that exclude us from living a free and authentic life? What really is the last obstacle that keeps one from discovering natural fulfillment?

When we let go of our worldly desires, we often replace them with spiritual desires. When we want enlightenment, what is it that we imagine enlightenment will give us? Really? In this podcast Gangaji dares us to set aside all our desires just for one moment, and discover what is already here, completely fulfilled, and awake. "If you have nothing, you only have yourself. When you truly only have yourself, you are awake."

Chasing success and avoiding failure are natural aspects of our human drive to survive. On the spiritual path, however, ending our struggle with avoiding failure offers a profound realization. This illuminating dialogue between Gangaji and a retreat participant gives us a fresh look at failure, perhaps one you have never considered. Gangaji challenges all of our assumptions and leads us to the recognition of what is deeper than either success or failure ... and is always here.

"Enlightenment at the core is heart opening, and heart opening reveals wisdom. And wisdom is mercy. It's impossible to be merciful to anyone else if your heart is closed to yourself." We continue the investigation into self-hatred with this episode of Being Yourself. Gangaji speaks to the necessity of "kissing the toad" if you truly want to be free of patterns of self-hatred and live a life rooted in self-love.

This month, Gangaji begins an exploration into the many facets of self-hatred. Our first installment in a series begins with the egoic cycle of inflation and deflation. How do we get off this wheel of suffering? We are all familiar with feeling great and feeling horrible, but what does that have to do with who we are? This powerful monologue helps us see how the egoic structure works, and that is possible to stop perpetuating patterns of avoidance and patterns of grasping.

We have looked at how we project onto the so-called "other" and the unnecessary suffering that projection generates. This month, we look at how we relate to ourselves as an object in our own minds, overlooking our true face. Objectification also leads to unhappiness and suffering. In this episode, Gangaji offers the possibility to completely simplify our narratives saying, "The ultimate universal remedy to suffering is I AM."

Projection is an aspect of our human minds that allows us to survive and to function, but projection can also lead us to suffer unnecessarily in all kinds of relationships and within our our minds. In the extreme, when we project fear and hatred onto the so-called "other", tragically it can manifest into horrendous violence. So what can we do as individuals? In this episode, Gangaji addresses how we end the trance of projection and recognize what is here, now.

In this podcast, we take a look what drives our desire for purpose and consider, what is our deepest purpose. In two powerful exchanges, Gangaji addresses how the deep fear of being nobody, and the search to be a somebody, becomes its own burden.

Gangaji speaks to the essential mistake we make on the spiritual path and offers her own resolution for the new year and beyond. Take a listen to Resolve & Resolution, a loving and passionate monologue taken straight out of the archives...