Course Summary
This course was designed with your needs in mind
and contains all of the following:
Six Video Talks, Each 60–90 Minutes in Length
Downloadable Transcripts and MP3s
Selected Readings from The Alchemy of Freedom by A. H. Almaas
Recommended Inquiry Practices
PLUS
50% off selected books by A.H. Almaas
2 Live Q&A calls with A. H. Almaas
Facilitated Discussion Boards
The Power of Divine Eros
The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life
By A. H. Almaas and Karen Johnson
An unabridged MP3 audiobook read by the authors, normally $39.95
Unlimited Access
Few teachers have expressed the heart of spiritual experience as powerfully as A. H. Almaas. In this course, he presents the highest, most sublime (and previously secret) teachings of the Diamond Approach. These teachings are about freedom—the freedom to experience the totality of the world and the many forms of spiritual awakening directly.
But what is this totality, and what is this freedom?
As Almaas says, “There are many degrees of awakening. And there’s freedom to move from one to another. Spiritual life is a whole universe of states and stations and different kinds of realizations, different ways of perceiving, different ways of knowing, different ways of acting. What’s the content of that freedom? It has content. And the content is infinite and it’s dynamic and it’s magical.”
In this transformational course, Almaas guides us to a realization of this freedom and the View of Totality that makes this freedom possible.
The result is a new understanding of liberation and spiritual practice. It is a view of what’s possible when seeking ceases and life becomes a process of continual discovery. And it is the realization that real transformation can happen, our consciousness can become liberated, and we can open to all the possibilities of reality.
Spirituality—Its Types & Levels
Almaas offers a new framework for understanding what is meant by “spirituality”
IN THIS COURSE, YOU WILL EXPLORE:
True Nature
Learn about this core concept in the Diamond Approach and explore the qualities of true nature as they manifest in your daily life
COURSE CURRICULUM:
2 Live Q&A Sessions with A. H. Almaas
Join A. H. Almaas for two live Zoom calls in which he will take questions from participants (Sunday, December 17, 2023 and Sunday, January 21, 2024, both at 2:00 p.m. EST). A recording will be available after each call for those not able to attend.
Lesson 1: Searching for Truth and Liberation
True nature, the fundamental nature of what we are—and of everything—is what matters most when it comes to spiritual transformation. It is the single most important element for liberation. True nature, when we experientially and sufficiently understand it, is every single thing—every event, every place, all and everything. And all and everything does not have to be sublime; it can be ordinary, and still, it is true nature.
However, it seems that to be able to accept this simplicity and live a normal life with this kind of freedom, we most often have to go through a spiritual journey. We have to go through various stages, the deaths and rebirths, the discoveries and awakenings, the enlightenments and illuminations. We have to experience all the subtleties and mysteries of reality.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Explore the concept of the “philosophers’ stone” as it pertains to the Diamond Approach
• Explore the meaning of spirituality and its relationship to true nature
• Understand the importance of inquiry in discovering true nature
• Discover how embodiment and awareness of sensations is a support for spiritual practice
- Limited Time Only -
$297
$249
Or 3 monthly payments of $83
Special Offer!
Sign up now and explore
Awakening to the Secrets of Existence!
Fellowships for people of color are available for this course. Apply here.
WATCH
Six Video Talks by A. H. Almaas, each 60-90 minutes in length, that you download and watch at your own pace
HOW THE COURSE WORKS:
READ
Guided Readings PDF from The Alchemy of Freedom by A. H. Almaas
Downloadable Transcripts of all video sessions
PRACTICE
Inquiry Practices to help you integrate the course material into your own daily life
50% Off Books
Total Value: $122
You save $61!
UNLIMITED ACCESS
Unlimited Access on your computer, mobile device, or tablet—learn at your own pace wherever and whenever works best for you
BONUS
FACILITATED DISCUSSION BOARDS
Connect with other course participants and receive guidance to deepen your practice
“A. H. Almaas eloquently describes the indescribable ‘true nature’ of reality as the ‘philosophers’ stone,’ the key to the secret of existence, as enlightened, extraordinary ordinariness. He seems intriguingly to speak as if enlightened, yet, most importantly and blessedly, he does not claim ‘enlightenment’ as his possession. In fact, he manifests himself as open-minded, open-hearted, and ever curious. The inconceivable voidness’s compassionate, clearlight way seems to unfold him as its oracular mirror.”
—Tenzin Robert A. F. Thurman, founder and president of Tibet House US and author of Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet
- Limited Time Only -
$297
$249
Or 3 monthly payments of $83
Special Offer!
Sign up today and experience the profound effect of these teachings on your own life!
Fellowships for people of color are available for this course. Apply here.
30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, please e-mail us within 30 days of registering for the course, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.
Understand this key concept from the “secret” teachings of the Diamond Approach and how realizing the View of Totality helps us live more openly
The View of Totality
Freedom
Central to these teachings is the idea of freedom—the ability to experience and pass between many different spiritual states
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Lesson 2: Elements of Essential Activation, Part 1
Recognizing true nature in its purity means directly seeing that it is not constructed. Reality is not a construction of the mind. It is not an emotion or reaction of the heart. It is not a sensation of the body. Even though true nature is independent of all mind, heart, and body, it expresses itself through them, maturing them by utilizing them. An encounter of the third kind is the experiential recognition of spirit as spirit—experientially knowing that spirit is and knowing that spirit in its purity.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Understand the progression of the four turnings of the Diamond Approach
• Define “vajra body”
• Explore the concept of essential activation, including the elements of necessary and primary awakening
“Beyond duality and nonduality, the realizations voiced in Runaway Realization are like the immediacy and laughter of Zen, expressions of untethered freedom beyond fixed view, the joy of letting go, embracing paradox, liberating wisdom, a gift of grace.” —Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart
“Almaas’s strong, true voice reminds us that beyond the endless self-improvement projects and idealized mystical states with which the spiritual path is strewn lies the simple but exquisite taste of our own being.” —Cynthia Bourgeault, author of The Heart of Centering Prayer
PLUS
Praise for A. H. Almaas
The Power of Divine Eros
The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life
By A. H. Almaas and Karen Johnson
An unabridged MP3 audiobook read by the authors, normally $39.95
What do passion and desire have to do with spirituality? By becoming open to the energy, aliveness, spontaneity, and zest of erotic love, we can liberate ourselves from self-centeredness and embrace the fullness of our humanity.
IN THIS COURSE, YOU WILL EXPLORE:
Spirituality—Its Types & Levels
Almaas offers a new framework for understanding what is meant by “spirituality”
The View of Totality
True Nature
Learn about this core concept in the Diamond Approach and explore the qualities of true nature as they manifest in your daily life
Understand this key concept from the “secret” teachings of the Diamond Approach and how realizing the View of Totality helps us live more openly
Discovery
& Transformation
Reverence
Discover a sense of reverence for the true nature of everything
Inquiry
Understand and practice the technique of Inquiry, the main practice of the Diamond Approach
Freedom
Distinguish between a discovery of true nature and a transformation of consciousness
Central to these teachings is the idea of freedom—the ability to experience and pass between many different spiritual states
Discovery
& Transformation
Distinguish between a discovery of true nature and a transformation of consciousness
Reverence
Discover a sense of reverence for the true nature of everything
Understand and practice the technique of Inquiry, the main practice of the Diamond Approach
Inquiry
Join A. H. Almaas for two live Zoom calls in which he will take questions from participants (Sunday, December 17, 2023 and Sunday, January 21, 2024, both at 2:00 p.m. EST). A recording will be available after each call for those not able to attend.
A recording will be available after each call for those not able to attend.
2 Live Q&A Sessions with A.H. Almas
COURSE CURRICULUM:
Lesson 1: Searching for Truth and Liberation
True nature, the fundamental nature of what we are—and of everything—is what matters most when it comes to spiritual transformation. It is the single most important element for liberation. True nature, when we experientially and sufficiently understand it, is every single thing—every event, every place, all and everything. And all and everything does not have to be sublime; it can be ordinary, and still, it is true nature.
However, it seems that to be able to accept this simplicity and live a normal life with this kind of freedom, we most often have to go through a spiritual journey. We have to go through various stages, the deaths and rebirths, the discoveries and awakenings, the enlightenments and illuminations. We have to experience all the subtleties and mysteries of reality.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Explore the concept of the “philosophers’ stone” as it pertains to the Diamond Approach
• Explore the meaning of spirituality and its relationship to true nature
• Understand the importance of inquiry in discovering true nature
• Discover how embodiment and awareness of sensations is a support for spiritual practice
Lesson 4: Total Being & the View of Totality
When we recognize the self-illumination of reality, we see that as we practice—inquire, meditate, understand—it is Total Being that is practicing. So when you are practicing, it is true nature with all its faces, with all its displays, that is practicing, which means that all of reality, the whole universe, is practicing when you are practicing. This is the dynamic of realization, the relationship between practice and awakening. From the beginning, it is always true nature that is practicing and awakening through us as individuals.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Define “total being”
• Explore the transformation that takes place after the fourth turning of the Diamond Approach
• Distinguish between a discovery of true nature and a transformation of consciousness
Inner activation means that realization is alive and that the philosophers’ stone can keep revealing new ways of experiencing and understanding true nature. One of these is the wisdom of nonhierarchy, which generates different kinds of realization not possible without it. This shows us that another element needed for activation is the experience and recognition that each form of true nature—every spiritual experience—is a manifestation of one truth and that each of them is all of them and contains all of them.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Discover a sense of reverence for the true nature of everything
• Define and distinguish between the concepts of awakening, realization, and enlightenment
• Explore the nonhierarchical view of the fourth turning of the Diamond Approach
Lesson 5: The Nature of True Nature
True nature can be both existence and nonexistence at once. Many teachings agree that it is inseparably both being and nonbeing, both presence and absence. And more than simple presence or absence, we can experience true nature as boundless love or awareness or dynamism. It can be all of these and also empty. So even though true nature is what makes everything exist, we cannot say it exists. And although true nature does not exist as an object, we can nevertheless experience it more palpably than any of the forms of the material or spiritual world.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Explore the qualities of true nature as they manifest in your daily life
• Distinguish between Total Being and true nature
• Understand the transitions between all four turnings of the Diamond Approach
• Deepen in the practice of inquiry
Lesson 2: Elements of Essential Activation, Part 1
Recognizing true nature in its purity means directly seeing that it is not constructed. Reality is not a construction of the mind. It is not an emotion or reaction of the heart. It is not a sensation of the body. Even though true nature is independent of all mind, heart, and body, it expresses itself through them, maturing them by utilizing them. An encounter of the third kind is the experiential recognition of spirit as spirit—experientially knowing that spirit is and knowing that spirit in its purity.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Understand the progression of the four turnings of the Diamond Approach
• Define “vajra body”
• Explore the concept of essential activation, including the elements of necessary and primary awakening
Lesson 6: Finding the Philosophers’ Stone
Enlightenment is a dynamic flow moving from one thing to another. Living enlightenment is an expression of being where we are, and seeing where we are, and allowing where we are to move. So being where we are, fully experiencing it, and fully understanding it allows experience to dynamically move through all the possibilities reality has to offer. . . . When the heart is this free, when the love of truth is this total, enlightenment is the dynamic and open-ended unfoldment of true nature and of reality.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Understand how the view of totality helps us live more openly
• Explore the concept of nonconditional freedom
• Recognize the importance of working with a teacher
Lesson 3: Elements of Essential Activation, Part 2
Inner activation means that realization is alive and that the philosophers’ stone can keep revealing new ways of experiencing and understanding true nature. One of these is the wisdom of nonhierarchy, which generates different kinds of realization not possible without it. This shows us that another element needed for activation is the experience and recognition that each form of true nature—every spiritual experience—is a manifestation of one truth and that each of them is all of them and contains all of them.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Discover a sense of reverence for the true nature of everything
• Define and distinguish between the concepts of awakening, realization, and enlightenment
• Explore the nonhierarchical view of the fourth turning of the Diamond Approach
Lesson 3: Elements of Essential Activation, Part 2
When we recognize the self-illumination of reality, we see that as we practice—inquire, meditate, understand—it is Total Being that is practicing. So when you are practicing, it is true nature with all its faces, with all its displays, that is practicing, which means that all of reality, the whole universe, is practicing when you are practicing. This is the dynamic of realization, the relationship between practice and awakening. From the beginning, it is always true nature that is practicing and awakening through us as individuals.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Define “total being”
• Explore the transformation that takes place after the fourth turning of the Diamond Approach
• Distinguish between a discovery of true nature and a transformation of consciousness
Lesson 4: Total Being & the View of Totality
True nature can be both existence and nonexistence at once. Many teachings agree that it is inseparably both being and nonbeing, both presence and absence. And more than simple presence or absence, we can experience true nature as boundless love or awareness or dynamism. It can be all of these and also empty. So even though true nature is what makes everything exist, we cannot say it exists. And although true nature does not exist as an object, we can nevertheless experience it more palpably than any of the forms of the material or spiritual world.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Explore the qualities of true nature as they manifest in your daily life
• Distinguish between Total Being and true nature
• Understand the transitions between all four turnings of the Diamond Approach
• Deepen in the practice of inquiry
Lesson 5: The Nature of True Nature
Enlightenment is a dynamic flow moving from one thing to another. Living enlightenment is an expression of being where we are, and seeing where we are, and allowing where we are to move. So being where we are, fully experiencing it, and fully understanding it allows experience to dynamically move through all the possibilities reality has to offer. . . . When the heart is this free, when the love of truth is this total, enlightenment is the dynamic and open-ended unfoldment of true nature and of reality.
This lesson will help you . . .
• Understand how the view of totality helps us live more openly
• Explore the concept of nonconditional freedom
• Recognize the importance of working with a teacher
Lesson 6: Finding the Philosophers’ Stone
Course Summary
This course was designed with your needs in mind
and contains all of the following:
Six Video Talks, Each 60–90 Minutes in Length
Downloadable Transcripts and MP3s
Selected Readings from The Alchemy of Freedom by A. H. Almaas
Recommended Inquiry Practices
Facilitated Discussion Boards
PLUS
2 Live Q&A calls with A. H. Almaas
The Power of Divine Eros
The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life
By A. H. Almaas and Karen Johnson
An unabridged MP3 audiobook read by the authors, normally $39.95
50% off selected books by A.H. Almaas
Unlimited Access
FACILITATED DISCUSSION BOARDS
Connect with other course participants and receive guidance to deepen your practice