Don Oakley and Artem Boytsov: Myths and Truths of Awakening

In this video, we sit down with Don Oakley, an accomplished spiritual teacher and author, as he shares his journey into spirituality, from the initial glimpse into non-duality to the process of deep embodiment of insight. Don studied extensively with both Eckhart Tolle and Adyashanti, serves on the board of directors of Open Gate Sangha and is the President of Well Being Foundation, a non-profit which runs the Well Being Retreat Center on 160 acres in Tazewell, Tennessee. The conversation explores the nature and the process of the spiritual awakening - the insights, breakthroughs and challenges it uncovers. Don points to how spiritual awakening marks the end of seeking but at the same time it is only the beginning of deep self-exploration. We speak about the importance of recognizing our conditioning, facing our pain without forcing change, and understanding how unexamined beliefs and karma shape our lives. The discussion also covers often overlooked topics in spirituality and common myths & misconceptions about awakening itself and what happens afterwards. Finally, Don and Artem reflect on society’s role in reinforcing the illusion of happiness, the transformative power of awareness, and the profound insights that emerge from fully embracing the present moment. To follow Don on social media, buy his books or learn more about his retreats, please use the links below: Website: https://www.donoakley.com Youtube: ‪@donoakley‬ Instagram:   / donoakleynondualteachings   TikTok:   / donoakleynondualteaching   Well Being Retreat Center: https://www.wellbeingretreatcenter.org Don's books: https://www.donoakley.com/books Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 2:28 How Don's spiritual journey began 5:28 Don’s path from the initial insight to embodiment 10:06 Spiritual awakening marks the end of seeking but it is only the beginning of the journey of self-exploration 11:53 Life always tries to teach you a lesson 13:05 Self-deceit is always painful 14:06 Spiritual awakening is a profound relief 15:05 Spiritual awakening brings both beauty and difficulty 15:32 The most overlooked topics in spirituality 16:26 Awakening does not automatically eliminate our conditioning 18:37 Nothing can be changed before it is recognized 19:00 If we don’t examine our suffering, we remain bound by it 19:26 Karma is unexamined belief 20:32 Spiritual awakening transforms the human 22:10 The more people are aware of their true nature, the better the society will be 24:27 Don Oakley’s approach to teaching 26:54 Not being judged has a transformative power on its own 27:26 We don’t choose our conditioning 28:29 Polar opposite beliefs are part of the same paradigm (e.g. unworthiness and entitlement) 29:38 The belief in unworthiness is passed down from generation to generation 33:31 Don’t cling to the consciousness shifts 35:10 Most common myths and misconceptions about awakening 36:14 Ideas about enlightenment become road blocks to awakening 38:24 We awaken to what is already present in our experience 38:32 By grasping for spiritual experiences we miss the opportunity to encounter our beingness 39:55 We fail to see our true nature because we are looking in the wrong direction 40:28 The path to enlightenment will never be how we imagine it to be 41:48 Our longing for extraordinary spiritual experiences reflects our dissatisfaction with the present moment 43:45 People often come to spirituality out of painful life 44:56 The notion of “I need something other than what is happening now in order to be happy” 47:09 Fundamentally almost everything that people do is to try to become happy 48:55 Our society reinforces the illusion that happiness lies in the external circumstances 49:34 The challenges that arise when we start looking within and becoming aware of our patterns 51:06 Awareness is not diminished by our psychology nor enhanced by it 52:15 Our psychology was created as a defense/coping mechanism Book a private session with Artem: https://calendly.com/true-freedom-tea... Support our work: https://true-freedom.org/donate Join our Discord Community:   / discord   Subscribe to our Youtube channel and social media platforms for weekly content. In addition we host retreats, in-person Satsangs and meditation classes - if you would like to be notified, send us an email at [email protected] to sign up to our mailing list. Website: https://www.true-freedom.org Discord Community:   / discord   Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Artem-B... Instagram:   / true_freedom_org   TikTok:   / truefreedomteachings   Patreon:   / truefreedom   #enlightenment #spiritualawakening #spiritualawarness #awakeningprocess #nonduality #enlightenmentjourney #truenature #unconsciousmind #spiritualinsights