Deep Transformation: Daily Summaries Delivered

Exploring God, Soul & Reality: A. H. Almaas' Mystical Theology

Ep. 235 | In the 18th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali delves into the fascinating subject of how the physical world is related to the absolute. From a nondual perspective, reality includes the physical world, he explains; the world cannot be reduced to an illusion. Material reality is every bit as compelling as the spiritual perspective, he continues. How we perceive it depends on where we find our stance, what we are immersed in—in the formless or the world of form. Hameed recognizes and honors physical reality, while describing material objects as expressions, or glimmerings, of the ground of being—the physical and the ground of being inseparable, whether pure presence or pure emptiness.And how does the relationship between creator and creation relate to the individual? Hameed presents his mystical theology: a triadic reality formed by God, the individual, and the physical world, where each maintains its own truth. Because the absolute is inherently not self-aware, it needs an individual to become aware of itself, he explains. We are its “knowing instruments.” Hameed’s mystical theology, establishing the relationship between the human being, the world, and God, or true nature, is both elevating and grounding, enlightening and somehow comforting. The essential puzzle pieces of reality fitted together, creating unity. From atoms and quarks to what happens after death and how all dimensions can possibly exist in exquisite harmony when there is so much disharmony in the world, this conversation is far ranging, stimulating, and punctuated with laughter, as Hameed, Roger, and John continue to explore The Inner Journey Home. Recorded May 14, 2026.“When we experience the absolute, we see it as the truth of everything, the nature of everything—all are glimmerings of the absolute.”Topics & Time StampsIntroducing dialogue #18 in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, an exploration of the chapter titled “Reality” in Hameed’s magnum opus, The Inner Journey Home Hameed explains how the Path of Love Series relates to the The Inner Journey Home/Wisdom Series Seeing the physical world from the perspective of the absolute Why do we experience the world as so very solid? From the absolute perspective, material objects are glimmerings of the ground of being From the scientific perspective, the physical world is “rock-level real” The physical world should not be reduced to an illusion; it has properties that cannot be denied In the physical world, death means no longer alive; spiritually, death is a transformation Does the individual soul continue after death? Why isn’t everyone awakened if we’re all part of the absolute? Standing in the absolute, all dimensions are inseparable, existing in exquisite harmony, but this does not negate people’s experience of disharmony The absolute is inherently not self-aware, that’s why it needs an individual to become aware of itself The divine coma is the entry to the absolute The relationship between the human being, the world, and God Is there a personal God? You can be an individual without being separate God fulfillment & soul fulfillment are one and the same The concept of service has many stages Hameed’s mystical theology: a triadic reality, each with its own truth The dimension of energy Reality appears differently from different perspectives; this teaching is from the nondual perspective Dzogchen & Hameed both give an inherent meaning to life; traditions espousing illusion do not Individual creativity gives voice to the creativity of the universe Resources & ReferencesA. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of <a href="https://online.diamondapproach.org/catalog/

When One Sex Loses, Everyone Loses: Warren Farrell on the Boy Crisis, Dad-Deprivation & Healing the Gender Divide

Ep. 234 | Renowned thought leader, speaker, and prolific author Warren Farrell has a passion for getting the truth out about issues that matter deeply—issues with enormous human consequences that might begin to heal if people better understood the forces driving these trends: the boy crisis, fatherlessness, the cultural tendency to vilify men, and the lack of healthy and effective communication between men and women. Warren has authored several data-driven bestselling books that go right to the heart of these matters, and in this conversation his expertise is clearly evident, right alongside his dedication to do everything he can to shift the evolution of the harmful idea that women are good but men are bad.Warren has put himself on the line time and again to stand up for fatherless boys. He puts out a clarion call to couples to communicate with care, so that a father can be involved with the raising of a child, and in his books and workshops, Warren offers concrete steps to minimize children’s trauma, such as his four must-do’s after a divorce and the caring and sharing practices he teaches couples around accepting criticism without getting defensive. Immensely insightful, immensely practical, Warren points the way forward through a territory that has become murky, difficult, and hateful. Guaranteed, you will learn things about our contemporary culture you didn’t know before, and be inspired to do what you can to heal the disastrous divide between the sexes. Recorded September 25, 2025.“We’re all in this together. We’re all in the same family boat.”Topics & Time StampsIntroducing Warren Farrell, outstanding feminist, intellectual father of the men’s movement, champion of gender role innovations & prolific author How did Warren come to champion the women’s movement? The opposite of power & privilege: what men are giving up Toxic masculinity Why do men commonly trade put-downs? Misinterpreting male behavior & the need for dialogue between men & women Sexual harassment and the “believe women letter” After a divorce, the child’s needs need to come first Speaking up about the importance of father involvement in raising boys changed Warren’s professional trajectory Death from overwork, called kuroshi in Japan Fatherless children have issues in 55 different areas, and the biggest predictor of male suicide is lack of father involvement The idea that women are good, men are bad Biological effects of lack of father involvement 4 must-do’s after divorce to minimize children’s trauma Rough-housing is a gift A father’s unconditional love incorporates conditions Teasing, one of the 7 important contributions that fathers make Couples counseling: why is criticism so hard to handle? Teaching couples to communicate effectively is the most important way to prevent the boy crisis The relation between dad-deprived youth, gang membership, prison & being a victim of sexual molestation The worst thing you can do after a divorce The biggest hole in my heart and the best decision of my life: John Lennon The ramifications of dad-deprivation in 1965 and currently A closer look at gender differences in income The feminist argument against Warren When only one sex wins, both sexes lose What can men do to help boys? We need to work toward equality while recognizing our evolutionary differences Our bias about men being full-time dads Important skills Warren teaches in his Role Mate to Soul Mate book & his online course Warren’s current book-in-progress, The Man Crisis Roger’s summary of the extraordinary impact Warren has had on our culture Resources & ReferencesWarren Farrell’s website, https://warrenfar

Bedazzled Mind, Boundless Heart: Living as the Love We Always Longed For

Ep. 233 | In the last episode of the Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas, Hameed explores the themes he introduced in the later chapters of his new book, The Inner Beloved. Hameed clarifies the role of mind on the path of heart (the mind is bedazzled and awed; the heart open), and details what happens when we reach the beloved, like “falling in love with everything” and experiencing the absolute as a “coming home” (even though there’s no one there!). We learn that, on the path of love, no matter what we do or don’t do, a heart-driven force beyond the mind is pulling us onward. Once we arrive, we realize the beloved has always been there—which is why our heart has been longing for the beloved all along.Hameed explains that on the path of love, nonduality becomes intimacy—reality itself is pure intimacy, he says—and in fact, the nonbeingness of the beloved is the ultimate truth of reality. In a state of mystical poverty, we discover that all we are and have ever been has been borrowed from the beloved. The culmination of this Path of Love Series ends very beautifully, the love and intimacy of the beloved pervading Hameed’s words and the images he conjures for us. “The world is simply the luminosity of the beloved,” Hameed says. In listening to him, we share in some of the wonderful sense of coming home he experienced, a little of the radiant luminosity, too, and his own ongoing excitement over the ever unfolding mystery of the divine. Recorded April 9, 2026.“We can be in the lap of the beloved and still enjoy life—loving everything from that place.”Topics & Time StampsIntroducing the 4th dialogue in the Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas, focusing on the role of mind and the culmination of the path On the path of love you are heart-driven by forces that mind cannot fathom Hameed’s experience of falling in love with everything and experiencing the absolute as if “coming home” The mind is bedazzled by the Mystery and recognizes its limitation in relation to the heart When you get there, you realize the beloved has always been there Emptiness beyond normal emptiness: Hameed calls this “absence” The great liberation: where there’s nothing more to dissolve As we are pulled, the love deepens & intensifies; we drown in the passion Mystical poverty: the soul recognizes all of its qualities are borrowed from the beloved What is right relationship between the realized heart and a healthy mind? Krishnamurti would talk about no mind—but he was always using mind Cutting through illusion & Hameed’s transmission from Manjushri True mind: knowing in the moment Dissolving dichotomies into wholeness: the world is simply the luminosity of the beloved The ultimate truth of reality: the nonbeingness of the beloved When tantra is enhanced by real love, then you can dissolve into the vastness Stabilizing the realization is the second stage, actualizing the realization and not going back to the “doer” is the third stage The dissolution of self doesn’t necessarily last: humility is an important step towards making the realization more constant Nonbeing is the essence of intimacy: being completely one with the inner beloved On the path of love, nonduality becomes intimacy; reality itself is pure intimacy For fans of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, the Wisdom Series, based on Hameed’s book The Inner Journey Home, will be continued in June 2026.Resources & ReferencesA. H. Almaas, The Inner Beloved: The Heart’s Journey to Divine UnityPrevious Deep Transformation Path of Love dialogues: Entering the Path of Heart, Emptying the Heart of All that Obscures the Inn

Zen for a World on Fire: How Zen Helps Us to Wake Up, Grow Up & Rise to the Challenges of Our Time

Ep. 232 | In this potent and profound conversation, Zen teachers, Integral Facilitators, and conflict mediators, Diane Musho Hamilton and her student and co-author Gabriel Wilson, eloquently reveal the practical benefits of a life founded on contemplative practice. What they bring home so effectively—both in this conversation and in their new book, Waking Up and Growing Up—is how much we have to gain from an interface of traditional Zen and contemporary knowledge. “Buddhist practice is the most genius way to work with human suffering,” Diane says, and grounded in awareness of the fundamental oneness is where we want to be when engaging in social or political activism, or when facing any kind of conflict. “It’s the evolution of consciousness and the attendant set of skills to support that,” she continues. We can awaken to an awareness of our true nature, and then take up the gauntlet of growing up—“straight up maturation, straight-up ego development.”In fact, what Gabe calls Diane’s “experiment” is nothing less than evolving the 2,500-year-old tradition of Zen, preserving and innovating, holding on to the wisdom, power, and grace of the tradition while bringing in the contributions of the West: psychology, shadow work, neuroscience, emotional development, and stage-appropriate interpersonal skills. Also, how to make sense of power dynamics, work with authority, and allow being pushed out of our comfort zone. A testament to Diane and Gabe’s own inner work, this groundbreaking conversation is inspiring and impactful, punctuated with deep, personal, experiential wisdom from both guests that speaks directly to how we can best wake up, grow up, and show up in this challenging world of ours. Recorded July 24, 2025.“There’s nothing like sitting with what is to prepare you to be with what is.”Topics & Time StampsIntroducing Zen teachers, authors, and Integral Facilitators, Diane Musho Hamilton & Gabriel Wilson What drew Gabe to Zen, and what lack did he feel Waking Up and Growing Up would fill? Evolving the Zen tradition: what do we need, particularly in western Buddhism, that we’re not finding? Using Ken Wilber’s framework of waking up and growing up What does “waking up” really mean? Practice IS enlightenment: the awakened mind is only found in the here and now There’s nothing like sitting with what is to prepare you to be with what will come The realization that there’s no big opening to be had What does “growing up” mean? Providing students with interpersonal skills to accommodate their evolving levels of development Writing for the younger generations: how to make sense of power dynamics, work with authority & allow being pushed out of your comfort zone The wisdom of learning from those who have gone before us Growing the capacity to deal with intensity in the moment The example of John Lewis: being inclusive of the ego but not limited by it How do we respond to what’s happening without imagining it shouldn’t be happening? Holding the vision that we are fundamentally one when we engage in social activism Be wary of using aggression in the name of love Within the container of conventional religious traditions, developmental tasks are different for each stage The teacher/student relationship cuts both ways Preserving and evolving the Zen tradition for today’s world Buddhist practice is the most genius way to work with human suffering Looking to the future: are we innovating too much? A lot of technology is racing us to the bottom of our brainstem; where we put our attention is important Resources & ReferencesDiane Musho Hamilton, co-founder of Two Arrows Zen CenterGabriel Wilson, founder of <a href="https://www.freedomandfairness.co/" rel="n

At Our Essence, We Are Love: Becoming Intimate with Everything

Ep. 231 (Part 2 of 2) | In Part 2 of Deep Transformation’s third dialogue in the Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas, Hameed Ali relates what happens on the path of return, after we have experienced dissolving into the radiance of the absolute. In following the path of heart (as opposed to the path of mind), we discover that in addition to pure emptiness, the absolute has (in its beingness aspect) a quality of consciousness that is pure intimacy. “The beloved is intimate with all things in the universe: intimate with people, with the rocks, with the stars… because its nature pervades everything.” Upon returning to the world, we find the universe has become the radiance of the beloved and ordinary life becomes full of love. That said, we may experience a great fear of losing our awakened realization, Hameed adds, which can further stir up old woundings which still need to be faced.Back in the world, as the embodied beloved, do you feel compassion for other people’s suffering? co-host John Dupuy wonders. The extent of the compassion is almost unimaginable, Hameed answers. There is vast empathy for all the suffering in the world, and especially for the deep suffering underlying it all that is caused by people not knowing their inner truth. It is by giving the beloved the opportunity to appear and know itself as we live our lives that we love and serve the inner beloved, Hameed continues. He explains that awareness is the beloved witnessing its creation, and that the emptiness aspect of the beloved, emphasized in Buddhism and on the path of mind, brings a searing clarity to our experience. A beautiful conversation, in which co-host Roger Walsh remarks that the presence of the inner beloved seems to be increasingly reflected in these dialogues as they unfold. Perhaps you will feel it too. Recorded January 29, 2026. “Regardless of what we think and feel, at our essence we are love.”​Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2The path of return: the fear of losing the beloved Old wounds come up bringing more fear; you have to welcome all the wounding Upon return, ordinary life becomes full of love—can this be translated into a scientific or mathematical theory? Service is giving the inner beloved the opportunity to appear & know itself The depth of compassion felt for the suffering of the world is almost unimaginable If you don’t work things out, you can’t live in this world as the deity The beloved is intimate with all things in the universe because its nature pervades everything The primal cavity: the deep wish to go into dark, black emptiness What is the relation between love and compassion? The heart is just there for the beloved—the throne of the beloved The more hatred and aggression, the more the disconnection Witnessing: awareness is the beloved witnessing its creation Realizing the emptiness: the radiance of the darkness is the essence of awareness The feeling tone of these dialogues increasingly reflects the presence of the inner beloved There is a lot more in the book The Inner Beloved, including conversations with Hameed’s students & exercises, that hasn’t been discussed At our essence we are love: moving towards heart is the inherent potential of humanity Resources & References – Part 2A. H. Almaas, The Inner Beloved: The Heart’s Journey to Divine UnityPrevious Deep Transformation Path of Love dialogues: Entering the Path of Heart, Emptying the Heart of All that Obscures the Inner Beloved & Dissolving into Bliss<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramakrishna" rel="noopener noreferrer" t

Dissolving into Bliss: The Ecstasy of Ego Death

Ep. 230 (Part 1 of 2) | The third dialogue in the Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas opens with co-host Roger Walsh commenting that in reading Hameed’s most recent book, The Inner Beloved, he is struck by how different the Diamond Approach’s path of love is from those in other traditions. Hameed explains that, indeed, his path is different in that it addresses the sequence of events on the path of love systematically, using contemporary psychological language to describe the difficulties and barriers that arise, and further, that he includes not only obstacles that come up in the mind (concepts and beliefs), but emotional pain and woundings, abandonments and betrayals, which is something other traditions don’t often talk about. Why are our hearts not open? Because opening to such painful emotions is scary; our fear blocks us from opening to the vastness of divine love. The secret to moving forward on the path of love, Hameed says, is to love more intensely, more deeply. Love itself is the fuel that gets us through the obstacles to union with the inner beloved.Hameed speaks of the “death wish” that happens along the path, referring to our desire to dissolve completely into the beloved. “The deep heart loves the prospect of melting away and being nothing, being annihilated, completely absorbed into the beloved,” he explains. The death wish is a common reference in other paths of love, too—the Buddha calls this annihilation of self “emptiness”—and interestingly, Freud recognized it as a universal human characteristic, calling it the nirvana principle. “A deep intuition resides in every human heart,” Hameed continues, “a need for unification with what we love.” This can be small things—chocolate ice cream, our cell phone—which are legitimate objects of love, but in the end, only the inner beloved calls. Once again, Hameed gifts us with an illuminating teaching about the path of love, our desire for nonbeing, the hidden essence of love, and the integration of all we have let go of that happens after we awaken—all coming directly from his own lived experience. Recorded January 29, 2026.“It is inherent to the human being… the movement to dissolve into bliss, into the beloved.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing the 3rd dialogue in the Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas, where we continue to explore Hameed’s latest book, The Inner Beloved How Hameed’s path of love differs from other traditions One difference is Hameed addresses the sequence of events on the path of love systematically, using psychological language to describe the difficulties & barriers that arise On this path, obstacles are not just in the mind but include woundings that occur in relationships After union with the beloved comes integration; here is where the nondual connection between the beloved and the world comes in The state of desirelessness The death wish: the yearning to be completely absorbed into the beloved Freud called this deep, universal death wish in humans the nirvana principle Buddha called this annihilation of self “emptiness” The secret to moving the process along is to intensify our love A deep intuition resides in every human heart: a need for unification with what you love There is a kind of love where the yearning and wanting is just as ecstatic as loving itself—this is the hidden essence of love Why are some called to the path of love yet others keep grasping for more substitute gratification? There are 4 paths of yoga but the end is the same; the 4 suits of the tarot tell the stages of each yoga path Coming out of the divine “coma,” the whole world is ablaze with love The descent is not a loss of the realization, it is a further integration of what we have let go of Resources & References – Part 1A. H. Almaas, The Inner Beloved: The Heart’s Journey to Divine UnityPrevious Deep Transformation Path of Love dialogues: <a href="https://deeptransformation.io/a-h-almaas-path-of-love-series-entering-the-path-of-heart-1-1/" rel="noopener norefer

The Practice of Equanimity: Cultivating a Heart Big Enough to Hold Everything

Ep. 229 (Part 2 of 2) | In part 2 of our What is Real Greatness Series podcast with Margaret Cullen, author of Quiet Strength, Margaret continues to enlighten us about equanimity: its power, its wisdom, and its practice. She relates some of the history of equanimity—first considered a supreme virtue in Stoicism, then passed on to Sufism and Judaism—and explains that throughout time, equanimity (and humility) have always been an integral part of people who have made a true difference in the world. Margaret talks about how humor can break the spell of our trance (“when we lose equanimity, we get caught in a trance, believing in something that has us prisoner—humor breaks the spell”), and, in the spirit of “The Serenity Prayer” (“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference”), she encourages us to make peace with what we can realistically do and let the rest go.While Part 1 of this dialogue focuses on the power of equanimity in relation to the big picture and what is going on now politically, in Part 2 Margaret looks at practicing equanimity in personal relationships and in our individual lives. She marvels at Thoreau’s equanimous approach to his own death, and shares that she has found forgiveness to be the most important equanimity tool in relationships. “We reclaim our wisdom when we say ‘I’m sorry,’” Margaret explains. Margaret’s deep and nuanced understanding of the power and practice of equanimity is inspiring and illuminating, and bringing this virtue to our attention as a pragmatic tool we can use is also incredibly timely, leaving us with a sense of hope and empowerment. Recorded January 14, 2026.“What aids in my equanimity more than anything else is self-forgiveness.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Welcome teacher, what am I supposed to be learning? How humor can break the spell that holds us prisoner The relationship between equanimity and peace The praise and blame algorithm has exponentially increased our reactivity Equanimity was a supreme virtue in Stoicism; the Stoics passed it on to the Sufis, who passed it on to Judaism Thoreau’s equanimous approach to death Nature’s effect on one’s equanimity Equanimity is an integral part of true change makers, also humility What practice would Margaret most recommend to cultivate equanimity? Making peace with what you can do and letting the rest go Practicing equanimity in relationships Using self-forgiveness as an equanimity tool In relationships, softening where we’re most triggered helps more than imposing ideals of how we should be One key flavor of equanimity is non-defensiveness Resources & References – Part 2Margaret Cullen, Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of EquanimitySwami Beyondanda on the Deep Transformation podcast: Laugh Yourself Sane, Enlighten Up & Awaken to Cosmic Comic ConsciousnessMaimonides introduced the concept of equanimity to JudaismStoicism, a philosophical movement & practical guide to living originating in ancient GreeceWhen asked about facing death, Thoreau said, “One world at a time.” Henrietta Christian Wright, American Men of LettersSri Aurobindo, <a href="https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/the-synthesis-of-yoga-9780941524650?shipto=US&curcode=USD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pMax-New-USA&utm_content=&utm_term=&creative=&device=c&placement=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16611271138&gbraid=0AAAAADMQnG9EhuM_24WuNYcl

The Power & Wisdom of Equanimity: Getting Beyond Reactivity to Inner Calm & Clarity