
Spiritual Reality Plainly Seen
By Frank Kaufmann
Contact: kaufmann.nyc@gmail.com

Spiritual Reality Plainly SeenMar 12, 2021

2022 and 2023: Thoughts from Twelve Gates Foundation
Each end of year a great many people reflect on the year past, and look for signs about the year to come. Was 2022 a good year, or a bad one? Will 2023 be better? Or are we heading toward more difficult times?
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Twelve Gates President Offers Brief Thoughts on the Future of the Metaverse
On September 15, 2022, Dr. Frank Kaufmann, President of the Twelve Gates Foundation, offered brief thoughts on the future of the Metaverse at an online event sponsored by the Pew Research Center and Elon University. Dr. Kaufmann was one of six experts invited to speak at the Twitter Spaces audio program, “Hype, Hope or Hell?: The Metaverse in 2040”, hosted by Lee Rainie and Janna Anderson.
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Watch the video here
Transcription available here

Twelve Gates President's Speech at the World Peace Festival 2022
This is a brief speech offered by Frank Kaufmann of the Twelve Gates Foundation to the 33rd Annual Peace Festival of the World Yoga Community.
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Watch the speech here
Transcription available here

Scholars Interview with Dr. Bruce Tallman, Author of God's Ecstatic Love
Dr. Bruce Tallman is an author, spiritual director, and marriage coach. As a full-time spiritual director since 2002, Dr. Tallman has worked with laity and clergy from every Christian denomination. He has published two books for spiritual directors (one of them, Finding Seekers: How to Develop a Spiritual Direction Practice from Beginning to Full-Time Employment, is a bestseller in the field). He is passionate about his mission, which is to help people grow in wisdom and love. In this interview, we discuss his latest publication, God's Ecstatic Love.

Twelve Gates Foundation Offers Closing Remarks at the World Yoga Festival
Dr. Frank Kaufmann, President of the Twelve Gates Foundation, offers a brief message and prayer at the closing ceremony of the World Yoga Festival.
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Friends and Political Difference in Polarized Times
How does political polarization affect friendship?
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Aging and Productive Life
This episode examines the relationship between physical prowess and growing experience and wisdom

Comments to the Interfaith Prayer Service in Celebration of Women's History Month
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Our Times Our Life
This episode describes positioning ourselves in time, and filling that time with ways that create ease of life
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On Speech
This episode has been published and can be heard everywhere your podcast is available.
This episode reflects related the social and political affirmation of human freedom and the God-given right to free speech, with the concept of "the Word," as found in various sacred Scripture
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Transcript to follow soon

Interview on "People of the Book" with Professor Craig Considine
The Christians that lived around the Arabian Peninsula during Muhammad's lifetime are shrouded in mystery. Some of the stories of the Prophet's interactions with them are based on legends and myths, while others are more authentic and plausible. But who exactly were these Christians? Why did Muhammad interact with them as he reportedly did? And what lessons can today's Christians and Muslims learn from these encounters?
Scholar Craig Considine, one of the most powerful global voices speaking in admiration of the prophet of Islam, provides answers to these questions. Through a careful study of works by historians and theologians, he highlights an idea central to Muhammad's vision: an inclusive Ummah, or Muslim nation, rooted in citizenship rights, interfaith dialogue, and freedom of conscience, religion and speech. In this unprecedented sociological analysis of one of history's most influential human beings, Considine offers groundbreaking insight that could redefine Christian and Muslim relations.
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Transcript available here

New York State Assemblyman, Nader Sayegh hosts 37th Annual World Interfaith Month Celebration
Here are brief remarks from Twelve Gates President, Dr. Frank Kaufmann at the 37th Annual World Interfaith Month Celebration hosted by New York State Assemblyman, Nader Sayegh

On Patience and Forgiveness: A message for World Interfaith Harmony Week
Dr. Frank Kaufmann speaks at the opening ceremony for World Interfaith Harmony Week, (established at the United Nations in 2010)
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Transcript soon to follow

Urgent Action to Rescue Afghanis from Taliban Genocide
An interview with Congressman Mark Siljander about his international efforts to rescue vulnerable Afghanis from terror and extermination under Taliban rule.

Evil and Harm: In me, and in society at large
This episode looks into the nature of evil and temptation, how it is resisted and overcome, and how I should relate to others in society, including those who might be involved in harm and hurting others.

9/11, the Psalms, and Peace: An Interview with Professor Luonne Rouse
Professor Luonne Rouse offers thoughts and hope on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US homeland.

Freedom and Environments
This episode looks at better and more effective ways to improve ourselves and to help others. Ways that encourage and support, rather than force and demand.

Love, Power, Addiction
This episode shows how Love and power are mutually exclusive, and how addiction to power is the ultimate self defeating paradox.

Being, Doing, Dying
This episode looks at what happens to us when we die. How our lives are assessed.

Skills, Goodness, and Spiritual Practice
This episode explains important distinctions between two separate areas of self-improvement, skills, and goodness, with special emphasis on opportunities and even dangers if this is not considered in the arena of spiritual practice.

Contend, Reconcile, Bequeath
This episode looks at 3 life tasks, and our unique ways to succeed.

Dreams and Reforms, Refining my Life
This episode looks at the challenging work of organizing our passions and talents as part of succeeding in life and realizing our dreams

On Relationships
This episode walks through the reality that everything from our first breath to our last, and every last wonder in between are relationships. In the end Love is all.

The relationship between Spiritual and Practical pursuits
This episode looks at what elements are similar, and what elements are different when trying to accomplish our life goals in these two distinct arenas of our lives

Voces 2, What is the promise of a good or religious life
This episode responds to the questions raised in Voces 1 yesterday that asking about God's omnipotence. What are benefits from choosing good and sacrificial lives?

Voces de Fe, Is God All Powerful
This episode looks into the question of if life really goes better for good or religious people.

On Being and Becoming
This episode looks at purpose, Being, and becoming. Can they exist harmoniously in our lives? Or do they work against each other?

On Love and Truth
This episode introduces three things: 1. Love and Truth are not as separated as most people think, 2. Truth seeking (like love) requires action. It is not attained from afar, and 3. Truth carries Love, it is the face of Love. Read the full transcript here.

On Aging
This episode examines the benefits and contributions unique to getting older.

Expanding goodness: Balancing family and professional life
This episode examines efforts and challenges to balance family life and public, professional life.
Click here to listen with the written, rough transcript.

Balancing Optimism and Criticism
This episode reflections on the contemporary fear of honest self reflection, and its impact of public, social life.

Simple Honor
This episode looks into timeless goodness. Can some of it be bred into the digital age?

What do you want to love
This episode examines ways to transcend important differences between tribes and cultures

Extremes, Longing, Cancel Culture
This episode looks at the role of difference in making life exciting

Building Memories
This episode examines the role of memory in creating better selves

Before Change
This episode examines how to set the conditions and environments that help us realize the good and the change we hope to effect

The ideal, our judgement, our accomplishment
Managing the fine line between humility, confidence, and success

Patterns and Inspiration: We can play a role
This episode offers thoughts on stepping out of a passive posture vis a vis the all important role that inspiration plays in our lives and pursuits

Love Code
This podcast looks at Love (and Marriage) from what I believe is a unique, and very helpful angle. The key lies in the concept of offering

Real Virtue
This episode describes a unique concept that has potential to help us succeed at creating the good for all we naturally desire

The Weave: Word and substance
This episode introduces vying impulses in religion and spiritual life that has to do with teachings, and masters

The Pull
This episode examines benefits from having towering life goals, and relating to them honorably

Seeing Through
This episode looks at aspects of human relationships; time, direction, and seeing people more deeply

How Constantly Difficult the Path
This episode examines why striving to be good often is met by struggles and challenges

My Best
This episode looks at what I call a temporal map, in relation to being grounded and invested in a reasonable and effective pursuit of our ideals

Two Selves, two energies, a better world
This episode looks at harmonizing oneself toward the Good

Boundary lines and goodness
This podcast identifies three important boundary lines that require people of goodness to pay close attention to

Good with me in the middle
This episode looks at the structure of good actions and the relationship between the object of your service, and the object of your devotions

Tradition in a Grain of Sand
This episode considers a starting point for goodness, and the advantages we inherit

The Shortest Distance
This episode examines how religious life (the love of God) and earthly, loving relationships are related and similar

The Class Obstacle
This episode looks at ways to help dissolve the conflict and struggles that arise from class difference

Types of Knowledge and Intergenerational Relationships
This episode discusses how elder and younger people can work more harmoniously to improve society

Incrementalism, Familiarity, and the Fantastic
This episode introduces ways you can reliably increase your perception of spiritual reality, and increase your spiritual powers

From Invisible to Visible - Natural Manifestation
This episode looks at the invisible dimensions of bearing and having children, augmenting our natural and more common sense of the physical dimensions.

The Decline of Institutional Religion
This episode that reflects on the loss of two key elements needed for true and rigorous spiritual growth, that happens with the decline of institutional religion

The Cure for Things like 9/11
This episode describes structures of being human, and dimensions of our relationship with ourselves and the world that could provide paths toward diminishing vengeance, violence, and destruction

Who is beside you?
This episode looks at the different types of people who surround us, even in life and death situations

Get Out There First - Thoughts on How to Pray
This short episode takes up a single point of major significance for matters related to prayer and spiritual growth

Ideals for Muslim - Christian Relations: Twelve Gates Interview with Mr. Safi Kaskas
This interview with Safi Kaskas goes deeply into Christian - Muslim relations, with an especial focus on scripture, theology, and doctrine. The conversation is rich and constructive

Ideals for Muslim - Christian Relations: PWPA Interview with Mr. Safi Kaskas
This interview with Safi Kaskas goes deeply into Christian - Muslim relations, with an especial focus on scripture, theology, and doctrine. The conversation is rich and constructive

Two Gifts of Conscience for Those Who Strive
This episode examines inner gifts that make it possible for us to become better people, and better able to realize the good we hope to achieve

Strangely, the Task that Lies before Us
This episode looks at the basic sub-demographics in world affairs, issues of conflict and purpose, and our own responsibility in it all

On Being Human
This episode examines what precisely distinguished being human from all other animals and sentient creatures

Love and Paradox
This episode looks at what makes love blossom, and weaves these things from "shoulds" to the natural flow of life

Commitment and Perseverance
Thoughts on when and how to start big things, challenging projects. When it's scary to move ahead. How can we decide when to act?

On Race, Justice, and Violence in America. Thoughts from a Hindu Perspective, with Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami
America faces severe challenges from violent insurgents claiming to act in relation to race inequities in America, This conversation sheds light on the use of violence to pursue justice from a Hindu perspective the preeminent Hindu scholar, Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami

We Cannot Solve Problems by Halves
This episode examines why problems remain despite remarkable advances in science

A Life of Goodness
This episode looks at questions like parental expectations, the professions we choose, and ultimately the preference for a meaningful life

Love, Death, the End of Selfishness
This podcast looks at the basis, and the tough questions for living a loving life

Creativity, Simplicity, Balance
This episode describes the path to attaining balance in life, balance through which we can discover divine light

Direction not Rules: The Close Walk of Spiritual Life
This episode challenges the unexamined assumption that self improvement succeeds by adhering to rules for life

Geometry, Mind, and Identity
This episode examines the path to realizing a clear and constant identity and purpose

Peace and Lineage part 2
This continues the inquiry into our conflict within, the path and way out, and the unique place this achievement holds, even among many other blessed qualities

Peace and Lineage part 1
This is the first of a two part comment that examines war and peace, internal struggle, the path to resolution, and how and why resolution is possible

Expertise and Sacrifice
What does it mean to be ready to die for what we believe in

Christ and Ego
This episode introduces a secret inherent in spiritual systems that inhibit the arising of ego

Love, Conflict, and Competition
What is the difference between conflict and competition? Does competitiveness lead to conflict?

The Liberation of Conscience
What would the conscience teach us were it not opposed?

Ambition and Love
This episode looks at the relationship between ambition and desire, and love

The Paradox of Self Value
Thoughts based on how appreciation can lead to self value

Attaining Our Desires
Our efforts to improve involve a three part relationship. Most people see improvement efforts as involving only two parts of ourselves

Equilibrium, Peace, and Tranquility
How to find peace among people set against you

The Degree to Which We Are Loved
An brief inquiry on knowing we are loved

Reflections on Conscience
Do all people have a conscience? Why are some people able to do bad things?

Structure and Dynamics of Love
This episode looks into efforts to examine and explain the all important reality of love in more clear and specific ways

Good and Bad in our Current Political Environment
A look at the question of Good and Evil

Time Measures Value
An examination of the pursuit of money, power, and knowledge

Directions and Techniques for Reconciliation
A brief pair of thoughts about structures of conflict, and ways toward harmony

Get Grounded 5 - Community and final thought

Get Grounded 4 - Living among different religions
This introduces a metaphor between self improvement, and religious and spiritual improvement

Get Grounded 3 - on Fanaticism

Get Grounded 1 - Spiritual and Physical Life

Get Grounded 2 - A meaningful relationship with God
Transcendence and Immanence. Within and without.

Surprising good can come from respect and openness to other's religions
Imam Aquil was in an elevator on Shabbat in Israel. What he learned there, led to him writing a book for Islam!

Expanding and Integrating Virtues to Seek Greater Peace
Thus episode looks to see if the classical Asian virtue of Filial Piety can be augmented to produce peace at levels larger than merely creating good families

On the El Paso and Dayton Shootings published originally on the morning of August 4

Trouble in Jerusalem during Muslim and Jewish Holy Days

Reflections on Psalms 85:10
This first effort to experiment with creating a podcast, in ways has more to do with coming to terms with the tech, but hopefully has content valuable to the listener.
I speak of paradoxical affirmations in a Biblical verse, thoughts on which could improve social relations in our current, tense, political environment