“In the present moment stories don’t arise and this gives space in you for enormous amounts of Love and Peace.”
Click here to get to an Overview of all of John David’s Interviews with Spiritual Masters
Here John David is interviewed by Indira, his main assistant since many years, for the project: Meetings with Remarkable People.
John David loves to encourage people to follow their inner longing for Truth and Freedom. The Open Sky House Community, which developed around him in Central Europe, is a fascinating and rare experiment that shows a different life possibility from the one society suggests. A way of living in love, peace and silence, where we support each other to focus, in every-day life, always on the Self.
Tara and Mahima from the Open Sky House Satsang and Arts Community, challenged John David to answer the same questions he had put to fifty masters.
They were long-term residents and friends and were part of our community for over 10 years. The interview was recorded in 2010, when John David carried his previous name “Premananda”, which means “Unconditional Love”. He changed his name to John David in 2015.
John David is the interviewer and editor of this book. He loves encouraging people to follow their inner longing for truth and freedom. He also loves speaking with spiritually inspiring people around the world about their lives and teachings, so that their journeys may encourage many others.
The Open Sky House community, which has grown around him near Cologne, is a fascinating and rare experiment that points to a different way of living from the one prescribed by society: a life of love, peace and silence, in which we support one another in continually returning our attention to the Self in everyday life.
In the following interview, John David is interviewed by Indira, his long-standing assistant.
What about vasanas, the tendencies of the mind? Must these be removed before Self-realisation can become permanent? Is it enough to achieve a sattvic (calm and peaceful) state of mind and to know one’s vasanas so that they no longer bind? How to remove the vasanas?
It has been suggested that the mind must be destroyed for liberation to occur, Do you have a mind? Sri Ramana used the term manonasha to describe the state of liberation, meaning destroyed mind. How to destroy the mind?
When Sri Ramana was asked, ‘When will the realisation of the Self be gained?’ he replied, ‘When the world which is what-is-seen has been removed, there will be realisation of the Self which is the seer.” What is the true understanding of the world? How to remove the world?
Sri Ramana said that Self-enquiry is the most direct route to realising the Self. What do you say about Self-enquiry? How to conduct Self-enquiry?
Are there any qualifications for enlightenment? Is sadhana (spiritual practice) necessary? If yes, what form do you advise?
Many Western seekers come to India looking for enlightenment as if it is an experience, What is enlightenment?
Sri Ramana proposed the fundamental question, ‘Who am I?’- Who are you?
What about Destiny? Do you expect things to simply happen or are you expressing your free will and choosing?
It appears essential to meet a guru and stay with that guru. Who is the guru? What is the guru’s role? How to recognise a true guru?
Sri Ramana’s devotees had tremendous devotion to him, and he to Arunachala. Please say something about bhakti, devotion, in the pursuit of awakening.
A Multi-facetted Approach to Freedom
John David’s multi-faceted approach to freedom has helped countless people discover true liberation. With over 40 years of experience, John David combines a deep understanding of the spiritual path with a practical and down-to-earth teaching style that resonates with people from all walks of life.
Drawing from various spiritual traditions, John David’s teachings encompass meditation, self-inquiry, and embodied practices that help individuals tap into their inner wisdom and transform their lives. His approach is not limited to any particular belief system or religion, making it accessible and inclusive to everyone.
John David’s teachings are unique in their emphasis on the importance of community and connection. He believes that spiritual growth cannot be achieved in isolation and encourages his students to support one another in their journey towards freedom. This emphasis on community has created a vibrant and supportive ashram in germany and spain – an international community of earnest seekers.
Whether you are just starting on your spiritual path or are a seasoned practitioner, John David’s multi-faceted approach to freedom can help you discover the peace and liberation that you seek. Join the thousands of individuals who have been transformed by his teachings and discover your true potential with John David as your guide.
Fascinating life stories from Remarkable People inspiring the lives of many trough their Clarity and Radiance. Each of them a spiritual magnet.
In John David’s penetrating interviews they intimately share what has not been heard before about their life story and the time spend with their spiritual master.
Beautifully designed, with various color fotos of each teacher.
Fascinating dialogues and stories of Ramana Maharshi recorded by Sri Gajapathi Aiyyer in the summer 1936, at Ramana Ashram.
Vichara offers a fresh and focused exploration of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s most profound teaching: Self-enquiry.
Sharanagathi explores Bhagavan’s direct and powerful path of dissolving the ego through surrender.
Biography
John David is a spiritual teacher, author, painter, and filmmaker born in UK. He spent 15 years with Osho and then five years with Papaji (H.W.L. Poonja), where he experienced a profound awakening.
His quest for spiritual truth led him across continents, interviewing Indian, European, Australian, and American spiritual masters, capturing their wisdom in films and books.
In 1997, he began sharing in Satsang meetings, and in 2004, the spiritual community Open Sky House formed around him — a vibrant, strong and loving energy field fostering inner freedom and spiritual and personal growth.
John David emphasizes the power of community on the spiritual path, offering personalized guidance to his students. A passionate artist, he encourages creativity in all forms.
For more information, visit John David’s biography page.
“We come to really know ourselves, to know our structural patterns, the patterns of our mind. We come to know our emotional responses to certain situations. We become very familiar with the workings of the mind and we also become more and more aware of the body, the body-mind connection and our relationship with the body- mind connection.
All of this is the beginning of Self-enquiry.”
– John David
– John David
