Teaching Interview

Edited Video Transcript:

How are you doing today, Eli?

Good, thank you.

Good. I want to ask you a few questions if that’s okay?

Sure.

Would you describe what you teach, how you teach, and why you are teaching?

Good questions. What I teach is Self-realization. I teach, essentially, how to help people come to the realization of who and what they really are. That might include spiritual awakening, or a number of aspects of Self-realization. There are so many different definitions of Self-realization out there, so I want to be clear that the “Self-realization” I focus on is the Awareness of Being, which is the ground of reality, the ground of existence. It’s the knowing that we are consciousness, and that we are not the body, and we are not the mind, and we are not our emotions. That those things are always passing and changing, and they’re ultimately temporary. Knowing who we really are is knowing that we are That which never changes. We are the Source of existence itself. We are Life.

The second question was how I teach. You know, it’s different for every person that I sit with. I can teach in a number of different formats. I can teach individually, one-on-one. I can teach in groups. Sometimes it’s more of a flowing dialogue or a Q&A session, sometimes it’s more of a lecture or a speech. Sometimes it’s meditation, a little guided meditation or something like that, or a workshop, whatever it may be. I’m pretty flexible in terms of the formatting. But the most important thing about how I teach is that I really do my best to tune into who it is that’s sitting with me, and I tailor my approach to the person or the people that I’m with. So, the way I teach really changes from moment to moment, from person to person. When I’m sitting with someone, what I really enjoy doing is we deepen together. You know, we just drop in. After a little bit of time that we’re spending together, we attune to one another’s energies, and little by little, we deepen below the surface of life. We dive into the realm of what I call Flow, where we can really become One with each other in energy and in spirit. And whatever arises in that moment is what comes out. So, there’s really no “teacher,” there’s no “person” here who’s teaching. It’s that there’s a body and a mind and a heart and a spirit that are in flow with the moment, and whatever emerges is the teaching.

Regarding the third question, there are several answers that I could give to this one because it feels like a big question. But maybe the first and most important reason why I teach is because that’s what the energy is calling for. I’ve always had a natural inclination to serve and to help people, but since the awakening, since the shedding of ego-identity, there’s been an even stronger impulse that arises within this form to serve. I’ve dedicated my life to the service of others, and I teach because that’s what is called for, that’s what I’m naturally driven to do. It’s hard to explain, but that’s what arises. If, however, we want to talk on an intellectual or emotional level of why I teach, then look around at the world. You can see how much suffering there is, and it’s horrible to watch. It’s incredibly painful, especially when you feel that you are One with these people who are suffering. What else can you do but try to help? On that level, I do what I do because I see how much pain people are in, and how confused they are, and I want to help them understand Reality – understand what’s really going on, and get in touch with their true nature – because that is, as far as I can tell, the only permanent cure to suffering.

And why are you donating all of your teaching proceeds to charity?

I thought about this for a while, about whether I wanted to do that, but ultimately, it just felt like the right thing to do. I have enough money through my therapy practice to support me in my lifestyle. I like to think that I’m a pretty simple guy; I don’t need much, and what I have is enough. And this teaching service really comes from my heart, and for whatever reason – I don’t judge or knock people who charge for a spiritual service, I think that’s perfectly fine – but for me personally, there’s just a feeling that this is part of the service that I do, and I want to donate the proceeds to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society for the animals. I feel like the animals are one of those populations in our world that don’t really have a voice. It just feels like the right thing to do. Animals are inherently valuable. There is no real separation between an animal and a human. We have different levels of consciousness, different ways of interacting with the world, but ultimately, animals are Life just like we are. I don’t see them to be any lesser. If anything, they are more in need because they don’t have the ability to advocate for themselves like humans do.

You’re a spiritual teacher, or at least that’s what you’re doing. Is that correct?

I teach about spirituality, if that’s something that can even be done.

Great, then my next question is, what is spirituality for you?

Great question. Spirituality, for me personally, is really about feeling connected, feeling united with life. And that can be with the present moment, it can be with others, it can be with nature, it can be with a higher power, or with divine intelligence, what some people would call God… For many people, it might include religion or a certain practice or a particular group, and I absolutely accept and embrace all of those, whatever they may be. But true spirituality, I feel, is independent of all of that. It is really about a stance towards life, a perception, a communion with life.

Now you’re a psychotherapist as well, how do you blend spirituality with psychology?

I feel like that’s one of the unique things I have to offer. There are so many spiritual teachers out there, and so many great ones, and I’m not interested in giving more of the same. One of the things that I feel I am able to offer that is different is this blending of spirituality and psychology. I see them really as two sides of the same coin, where spirituality is beyond the mental dimension and psychology is within the mental dimension. I think true and total Self-realization encompasses both of those aspects. You know, it’s one thing to awaken to your true nature as Spirit or as Being, but once you awaken, how do you engage with the world? It’s not enough to just know what you are. You have to live it. You have to embody it. And that’s where the psychology comes in. There’s that human element as well, in addition to the divine element, that we have to learn how to live with and merge with. When you bring the two aspects together, the spirituality and the psychology, you get a complete embodied fulfillment where you can know what you are and also live it.

Could you tell us a little bit about your spiritual journey and how it led you to become a teacher?

Yeah, I would start my spiritual journey in seventh grade when my history teacher somehow noticed a propensity in me for Eastern thought, and she gifted me this beautiful Tao Te Ching, which I have on my bookshelf and used to carry with me everywhere I went. I read it, and it was the first time I came in contact with the concept of “enlightenment” or with spirituality in general. And it really made me thirsty for more. It showed me that there was another realm beyond this physical realm. I was raised Jewish, so that, of course, has played a role and has influenced and shaped my life, but it was when I came in touch with the Tao Te Ching that it took on a different dimension.

And ever since then, I was sort of interested in spirituality. I was interested in meditation. I would dabble in it, but it wasn’t until I was 22 that I fell into a depression and had to reevaluate everything about my life. I had to kind of change my whole lifestyle. I started feeling that there was something deeper to life again. I started getting into music and that opened up a whole new realm as well. It was at that time that I found the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. I read it, it blew my mind, and the rest is history. I signed up for the SRF Lessons, I was initiated into the Kriya Yoga meditation technique, and I practiced very devoutly every day. From that point on, it just kind of took on a life of its own. It helped me discover myself. It revealed the inner guide, so I started listening to my inner guide, what I would call my intuition, and I just followed the breadcrumbs. I followed my intuition one step at a time until it led me to here.

And what teachers or teachings recently in the last few years have been the greatest influence?

Well, I’d say my greatest teacher was Paramahansa Yogananda. I still consider him my Guru. But recently, someone who has influenced me a lot is Rupert Spira. He’s a British non-dual teacher. What I like about Rupert is that he is one of the clearest speakers of non-duality and awakening. The vocabulary that he uses is so precise, and I think it helps. It helps me not only understand my own experience, but also find more accurate ways of explaining it to others. Michael Singer was also a recent inspiration. I feel like he was really big on the later leg of my journey. He’s someone that I like to use a lot with students because he has a way of explaining things for a lot of people that is very clear. He’s really down to earth. He breaks up things into the mind, the body, the heart, and the spirit. I find that categorization of things to be very easy to work with. Other recent teachers… Adyashanti, who is a great example of someone with a beautiful balance of love and wisdom. Meher Baba has been a big influence too. His book, God Speaks, where he talks about the journey of the soul and how we evolve into higher stages, is really impressive and vast in its approach.

Shifting gears a little, what qualities are you looking for in your students?

I really enjoy working with people who are curious, who are interested in knowing more, in getting in touch with Truth within, who are sincere. I’m not interested in working with people who are wanting a quick fix. I resonate best with those who are willing to go deep and who are genuine. Ultimately, I will accept someone as they are. If they’re interested in what I have to say and they think that I can help them, then I’m willing to give it a shot. However, I think the best results come when a student is curious, willing to learn, sincere, and honest.

To sum it up, what is the essence of your message to those who are considering working with you?

The essence of my message is this: there is a way out of suffering and that way is within. When we go inside and we see things as they really are, and not through a distorted filter, which I would call the ego, we realize that everything is the way it is – that everything is full of life, everything is love, ultimately, and everything is One. When we come to that realization, the separateness that the ego experiences falls away, and there’s no more suffering, there’s no more psychological fear. It’s a freedom, it’s a liberation. And I want people to know that it’s possible, that it’s available always because it’s what we really are, and that it’s very simple. I don’t want to complicate things. I want to make things very simple. So the essence is: we are not separate from life. The ego believes that it is separate, but we are not the ego. The ego – while it’s a very real experience and it’s a useful organizing principle that helps us navigate the world – it is not who we are. If we can learn, little by little, to transcend the ego, then we come to see the perfection and the unity in and as all things.

Is there anything else you’d like to share that I haven’t asked?

Yeah, I’m not out to get fame or money or followers. I’m here to help. If you’re interested in receiving my assistance – which, in turn, will transform and enhance your ability to give to others – then I am open. I am here. I’m not perfect, but ultimately, what I share comes from love. It comes from a sincere experience and expression of Oneness. The more we can drop into that deeper flow of life where love is, the better our world becomes. So, if this resonates with you at all, if this calls to you, or if you have any other questions or anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Fantastic. Thank you very much, Eli.

Thank you so much. Bye.