In this episode I am joined by Har-Prakash Khalsa, artist, meditation teacher, and founder of the Expand Contract Youtube Channel, which hosts the video teachings of Shinzen Young.

Har-Prakash discusses his early life, including ten years of heavy drug use, near death experiences in the Andes and India, and a life changing encounter with Yogi Bhajan’s Kundalini Yoga.

We learn of Har-Prakash’s research into Yogi Bhajan’s questionable historical claims, and how Har-Prakash reconciled his own practice and teaching with the many allegations of abuse made against his once guru.

Har-Prakash discusses his decades of study with Shinzen Young, and shares more thoughts on spiritual scandals when recounting his own time with Joshu Sasaki Roshi.

Then, an accomplished interviewer himself, Har-Prakash gives me a set of 12 questions to ask him.

Har-Prakash reveals that these are the questions he has often wished I would ask my guests, and gamely submits to answering them himself.

They cover topics such as stream entry, enlightenment, suffering, the self, and more.

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Video version available at: https://www.guruviking.com/ep88-har-prakash-khalsa-saints-and-psychopaths/

This podcast is also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics Include:

0:00 - Intro

1:10 - Early interest in meditation

03:04 - Childhood altered experiences

05:10 - Near death experience in India

08:11 - Lost in the Andes jungle and coming to a realisation

13:20 - 10 years of heavy drug use and finding kundalini yoga

20:24 - Teaching kundalini yoga in jail after 3 months practice

26:50 - Meeting Yogi Bhajan

27:48 - Allegations against Yogi Bhajan

32:10 - Criticisms of kundalini yoga’s origin story

35:14 - Reconciling with the allegations against and criticisms of Yogi Bhajan

40:57 - Why did Yogi Bhajan fabricate so much of his history and system?

45:40 - Saints and Psychopaths

48:04 - Meeting Shinzen Young

52:03 - Studying with Shinzen for 20 years and founding a Youtube channel

59:29 - Personal experiences of Shinzen

1:04:50 - Powerful experiences with Joshu Sasaki Roshi

1:07:34 - The prevalence of spiritual scandals among masters

1:10:46 - Har-Prakash’s spiritual curriculum

1:13:57 - Har-Prakash gives Steve a set of questions to ask

1:17:23 - Har-Prakash’s dramatic awakening experience

1:26:20 - Surprises and disappointments after awakening

1:33:10 - Integration of awakening

1:36:09 - How much does Har-Prakash suffer post-awakening?

1:40:13 - Har-Prakash’s current sensory experience

1:42:49 - Current sense of ‘self’

1:48:58 - Changes to craving and aversion

1:56:25 - Har-Prakash’s ‘Fabrication Cycle’

2:02:10 - Qualities and behaviours to improve

2:05:04 - Common misunderstandings about enlightenment

2:06:36 - Har-Prakash’s art

2:09:10 - Har-Prakash on service and legacy

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To find our more about Har-Prakash Khalsa, visit:

- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC86n5crGjoZK_z0LBhCWUIQ

- https://vimeo.com/hpkmindfulnesstraining

- https://www.facebook.com/groups/shinzenyoungmindfulnesscommunity

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James