Buddha At The Gas Pump

I had been a seeker for most of my life. I began to meditate in 1973 and followed that path for the next 28 years. In 1983 I had a very intense Near Death Experience that left me with a very unattached view on the seriousness of everything. A separation and subsequent divorce in 1991 left me without a reason to continue doing what I had been doing. After visiting Fairfield, Iowa twice a year from 1989, my new wife Cindy and I moved here in 1999, as it was the next obvious thing to do. Our old life had ended and this was a chance to start a new chapter. We jumped right into the group meditation program in the Domes at Maharishi International University but also were fascinated by the fact that Fairfield was Grand Central Station for just about every spiritual teacher on the planet. After sampling the various flavors of all the folks passing thru it seemed obvious that Andy Rymer was the next thing to pay attention to. I found Andy to be a very powerful force and can see his influence on me to finally get that

Sue Berkey is a multi-talented artist, spiritual practitioner, and teacher based in Fairfield, Iowa, where she has lived for over 25 years. Sue is recognized for her deep contentment with life in Fairfield, preferring her peaceful and fulfilling routine to travel or seeking excitement elsewhere. Artistic Career: Sue holds an MFA in filmmaking and sculpture, expressing herself primarily through sculpture—her first artistic love—but also through film, painting, and drawing. Locally, she is known for her unique outdoor installation art, such as the hay bale stars displayed near the reservoir, which have attracted online attention. Yoga and Healing Work: A pioneer in her community, Sue was Fairfield’s first full-time Hatha yoga teacher, with over 15 years of teaching experience. Her style involves guiding students to challenge their comfort zones, emphasizing inner growth through sustained poses and deep self-exploration. In addition to yoga, Sue is a “rebirther,” facilitating a specific form of pranayama (breath

Rev. Winn’s experience is that the Kingdom of Heaven is a state of higher consciousness.  He focuses on understanding and experiencing the Christian mystical tradition in terms of the clearly defined states of consciousness found in the Vedic tradition.  He was the senior pastor of Unity Church of Fairfield IA for 12 years and for six years has been the senior pastor of the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit. He has worked extensively on the subtle process of overcoming the Three Temptations of Jesus Christ and has been practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique for close to 48 years. He is a successful businessman, married with two children. Website: healingtheheartofamerica.org Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded 12/23/2009. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:46 - The Experience of Feeling Free 00:09:10 - A Cone of Silence 00:11:46 - Awakening of the Being 00:14:43 - The Importance of Bedtime Sync 00:17:33 - The P

Fax and Sharon Gilbert met on a Transcendental Meditation teachers' course in 1972 in Santa Barbara California and have been teaching together ever since. They’ve administered meditation centers and retreat facilities and inspired and taught thousands of people to meditate throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. They became involved in the Waking Down work in 2002. Several awakenings and dark nights of the soul later they became mentors and then teachers of this work in 2007. They both enjoy the freedom to express this teaching in their own way and marvel at the unique unfolding of each person in this mysterious process of awakening. Fax is also an artist/educator and uses the performance skills of mime, magic, masks and comedy to teach and inspire students of all grade levels. Since 1990 he has presented over 5,000 school assembly programs, residencies, and community concerts, and keynoted many regional educational events. He now splits his time between his Waking Down work and deli

We feel like we live a pretty ordinary life, yet in our 54-year marriage and in our working lives (Steve's a retired electrical contractor and Winifred is an artist and poet) grace, challenge and transformation play themselves out in endless variety. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 12/9/2009. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Definition of Spiritual Awakening 00:05:21 - Commissioned Paintings and Intuitive Portraits 00:09:56 - The Awakening Experience 00:15:16 - The Universal Experience of Enlightenment 00:19:02 - A Journey of Spiritual Seeking 00:24:38 - Discovering Limitless Consciousness 00:30:22 - The Nature of Awakening 00:35:50 - Housecleaning: Waking Down, Shake Down 00:39:27 - Spontaneous Awakening and Personal Growth 00:42:26 - The Spiral of Personalized Wounds 00:44:59 - The Healing of the Core Wound 00:48:01 - Awakening in the Midst of Crisis 00:50:27 - The Perfect Silence of Life 00:52:52 - The Embodied Awakening 00

Stan Kendz (Sta) is a popular experiential, motivational, and business coach/mentor who has been guiding advanced personal-achievement seminars at the corporate and individual levels for more than 35 years. He is a published author of numerous audiobooks that enliven intuitive self-development, professional success, and personal fulfillment. In 1994, after a timeless and transformative experience of pure ‘Being’, which he refers to as “our true immortal Nature”, he co-authored a book on consciousness-based natural health care titled: Forever Healthy – An Introduction to Maharishi Ayur Veda. In 2005 Stan enrolled at Maharishi University of Management as a Ph.D. student and has become subjectively and objectively knowledgeable in Vedic Science. He is currently concluding his thesis research on the effects that higher states of consciousness have on an individual’s ability to effortlessly and spontaneously fulfill his/her desires. Website: stankendz.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 12/2/20

I was born in Germany in 1940 and have lived in France, Greece, India, China, and seven states within the U.S. When I was fifteen, I taught my first class of ESL and, eight years later, began to develop my own approach. I’ve taught Literature, Writing, Creative Writing (publishing a couple of chapbooks of poetry) and have teaching experience at every level of instruction from pre-school to grad school. I’ve also taught History, Linguistics, German, French, and Russian. Two Ph.D.s—one in English, one in Comparative Studies—didn’t turn out to be a career advantage.  They made men with only one of them too nervous, but I hear that too much education is no longer a problem for women. Is it true?  Spending 28 years in an inter-racial marriage and raising a family was as valuable an education as my stint in academe. I’m still teaching, taking care of teenage boys in my home, and enjoy art in my spare time. Summary and Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 11/18/2009. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:0

When I recorded this first interview, my intention was to produce a radio show, so this is the pilot for that. I started this interview by reading a prepared introduction to the series, which at the time I was calling "Awakenings". George Foster: George Foster is a retired book cover designer who spent much of his life in Fairfield, Iowa, both immersed in the local spiritual community and professionally designing covers for authors. Deeply committed to spiritual practice, George experienced a lasting shift in consciousness—what he describes as the realization of infinite, unchanging silence as his fundamental identity. Alongside his involvement in the Transcendental Meditation movement (including belonging to an informal support group, the "Dome Dogs"), George has also played in local bands for many years. Now retired from design work, George enjoys a vibrant second career as a musician, performing bass in "Commotion", a popular Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band. Mary Foster: Mary Foster began he