At Our Essence, We Are Love: Becoming Intimate with Everything

Ep. 231 (Part 2 of 2) | In Part 2 of Deep Transformation’s third dialogue in the Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas, Hameed Ali relates what happens on the path of return, after we have experienced dissolving into the radiance of the absolute. In following the path of heart (as opposed to the path of mind), we discover that in addition to pure emptiness, the absolute has (in its beingness aspect) a quality of consciousness that is pure intimacy. “The beloved is intimate with all things in the universe: intimate with people, with the rocks, with the stars… because its nature pervades everything.” Upon returning to the world, we find the universe has become the radiance of the beloved and ordinary life becomes full of love. That said, we may experience a great fear of losing our awakened realization, Hameed adds, which can further stir up old woundings which still need to be faced.

Back in the world, as the embodied beloved, do you feel compassion for other people’s suffering? co-host John Dupuy wonders. The extent of the compassion is almost unimaginable, Hameed answers. There is vast empathy for all the suffering in the world, and especially for the deep suffering underlying it all that is caused by people not knowing their inner truth. It is by giving the beloved the opportunity to appear and know itself as we live our lives that we love and serve the inner beloved, Hameed continues. He explains that awareness is the beloved witnessing its creation, and that the emptiness aspect of the beloved, emphasized in Buddhism and on the path of mind, brings a searing clarity to our experience. A beautiful conversation, in which co-host Roger Walsh remarks that the presence of the inner beloved seems to be increasingly reflected in these dialogues as they unfold. Perhaps you will feel it too. Recorded January 29, 2026.

“Regardless of what we think and feel, at our essence we are love.”

​Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2

• The path of return: the fear of losing the beloved (00:34)
• Old wounds come up bringing more fear; you have to welcome all the wounding (01:24)
• Upon return, ordinary life becomes full of love—can this be translated into a scientific or mathematical theory? (02:26)
• Service is giving the inner beloved the opportunity to appear & know itself (04:47)
• The depth of compassion felt for the suffering of the world is almost unimaginable (06:50)
• If you don’t work things out, you can’t live in this world as the deity (10:47)
• The beloved is intimate with all things in the universe because its nature pervades everything (11:49)
• The primal cavity: the deep wish to go into dark, black emptiness (15:39)
• What is the relation between love and compassion? (19:36)
• The heart is just there for the beloved—the throne of the beloved (22:15)
• The more hatred and aggression, the more the disconnection (25:05)
• Witnessing: awareness is the beloved witnessing its creation (26:48)
• Realizing the emptiness: the radiance of the darkness is the essence of awareness (28:07)
• The feeling tone of these dialogues increasingly reflects the presence of the inner beloved (29:50)
• There is a lot more in the book The Inner Beloved, including conversations with Hameed’s students & exercises, that hasn’t been discussed (31:07)
• At our essence we are love: moving towards heart is the inherent potential of humanity (32:23)

Resources & References – Part 2

• A. H. Almaas, The Inner Beloved: The Heart’s Journey to Divine Unity
• Previous Deep Transformation Path of Love dialogues: Entering the Path of Heart, Emptying the Heart of All that Obscures the Inner Beloved & Dissolving into Bliss
• Ramakrishna, Hindu mystic
• “I was a hidden treasure and wanted to be known” is the beginning of probably the most famous hadith qudsi or extra-Qur’anic Word of God
• Longchenpa: A Guide For Readers (Shambhala)

Deep Transformation’s Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas

Deep Transformation’s Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas begins with an overview of Hameed Ali’s Love Trilogy — Love Unveiled, Nondual Love, and The Inner Beloved — to orient us on the spiritual path of love unique to Hameed Ali and the Diamond Approach, then delves into the profound and deeply touching topics Hameed addresses in his most recent book, The Inner Beloved, published in February 2026. Listeners may want to get a copy of this book, to study and follow along on this extraordinary path of awakening. Also, if you are interested in taking a course on The Inner Beloved in the fall of 2026, you can register your interest here: https://da.pages.ontraport.net/inner-beloved-interest.

Special Diamond Approach Course Discount for Deep Transformation Listeners

If you are interested in taking a course offered by Diamond Approach Online, Hameed’s team at the Ridhwan School have offered a special 20% discount for Deep Transformation listeners. You can access the Course Catalog here: https://online.diamondapproach.org/catalog/. And enter the code DTP20 to receive your discount when you sign up.

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Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general.

Hameed’s process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence, and more.

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Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell