Catherine Ingram is an international dharma teacher with communities in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Since 1992 she has led Dharma Dialogues, which are public events that focus on directing awareness toward greater wellbeing in an ethical and happy life. Catherine also leads numerous silent retreats each year in conjunction with Dharma Dialogues. She is president of Living Dharma, an educational non-profit organization founded in 1995. A former journalist specializing in issues of consciousness and activism, Catherine Ingram is the author of two books of nonfiction, which are published in numerous languages: In the Footsteps of Gandhi: Conversations with Spiritual Social Activists (Parallax Press, 1990) and Passionate Presence: Seven Qualities of Awakened Awareness (Penguin Putnam, 2003); and one novel, A Crack in Everything (Diamond Books, 2006). Over a fifteen-year period beginning in 1982, Catherine published approximately 100 articles on issues of consciousness and activism and served on the editorial staffs of New Age Journal, East West Journal, and Yoga Journal. For four years she wrote the Life Advice column for Alternatives Magazine based in Oregon. For the past thirty five years, Catherine has helped organize and direct institutions dedicated to meditation and self-inquiry and, more recently, human and animal rights. She is a co-founder of Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts (1976). She also co-founded the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in The Hague, Netherlands (1991) and is a member of the Committee of 100 for Tibet. For six years (1988-1994), Catherine also served as a board director for The Burma Project, dedicated to raising international awareness about the struggle for democracy in Burma. She is currently serving on the board of Global Animal Foundation, which works on behalf of the world’s animals. catherineingram.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and Transcript of this interview Interview Recorded 9/7/2013 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Catherine Ingram's Journey 00:04:07 - Finding Meaning in Life 00:08:16 - Mind Exploration and Drug Use 00:11:13 - The Embodiment and the Physical System 00:14:33 - Knowing When to Move On 00:17:23 - Qualities that Emerge in the Simplicity of Being 00:20:05 - Holy Yearning and the Relaxation of Seeking 00:23:06 - The Inner Awakening in His Presence 00:25:55 - The Role of the Spiritual Community in the Coming Years 00:29:27 - Inner Qualities: Contentment and Empathy 00:32:30 - The Suffering of Animals and Spiritual Hypocrisy 00:35:23 - Finding Solutions to Global Problems 00:38:18 - The Complexity of Moral Certainty 00:40:39 - The Commitment to Goodness and Letting Go 00:43:35 - Letting Go and the Power of a Broken Heart 00:46:16 - The Fluidity of Emotions 00:48:48 - The Journey Back to the Marketplace 00:51:09 - The Falling Away of Beliefs 00:53:17 - Dwelling in Eternity and Transitoriness 00:56:07 - Recognizing the Shift to Being That Silence and Eternity 00:58:34 - The Importance of Participating and Caring 01:00:28 - The Depth of Inner Reality 01:02:46 - Being Like an Ocean 01:05:08 - The Emergence of Qualities in People 01:08:22 - Being Like an Awake Animal 01:12:07 - The Deluge of Information in Modern Life 01:15:41 - The Power of Simplifying and Finding Elegant Solutions 01:19:10 - The Tipping Point and Survival 01:21:43 - The Importance of Taking Action and Staying Steady 01:24:50 - Embracing Change and Potential Disruptions 01:29:23 - End of Interview and Invitation to Subscribe