Outliving the Limitation of Our Personal Stories with Gangji

Program Description

The stories we tell ourselves about who we are, our childhood, our memories of the past, our life in the present, are like clothing we put on. These narratives provide us with endless hours of entertainment. Sometimes they’re horror stories and sometime comedies. But do these tales tell us who we truly are? Our guest today, Gangaji says, “For better and worse, our stories become the reference points for defining who we are, who we are with, and what it all means.” So, then how do we separate ourselves from this narrative and uncover the truth of our lives? To help us discover ways to do this is our guest, spiritual teacher, Gangaji. (Hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

Born in Texas and raised in Mississippi, Gangaji’s search for fulfillment ended in India in 1990 when she met her spiritual teacher, the late Sri. H.W.L. Poonja, himself a student of the renowned Sri Ramana Maharshi. Now Gangaji teaches throughout the United States and in Europe, holding retreats and gatherings for spiritual seekers of all faiths. Her books include The Diamond in Your Pocket: Discovering Your True Radiance (Sounds True 2007), You Are That (Sounds True 2007), and Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story (Tarcher/Penguin 2011). To learn more about the work of Gangaji go to www.gangaji.org

Topics Explored in this Dialogue:

• How we can grow beyond the cocoon of our personal stories
• How suffering requires a personal narrative of heroes and villains
• Why telling a better story is not the end of the spiritual search
• What is the teaching story “Papaji” uses to convey the richness of the truth of who we are
• What is the true nature of inquiry
• Why we must retreat from asking why, in order to find the deeper truth of who we are
• How disruption and harmony are part of the same whole
• What she learned from her guru, the late Sri. H.W.L. Poonja, known as “Papaji”

Program Number: 3415                  Host: Justine Willis Toms               Interview Date: 10/25/2011