Previous Episode: 511. Brian Longhurst
Next Episode: 513. Shyamji Bhatnagar

Over his lifetime Tom has dived deeply into inner work while simultaneously living a householder life. Through an ongoing revelation of living in the moment, he integrates the insights of the most sophisticated western-developed psychologies with the ongoing unitive consciousness with which he has been blessed since the year 2000. Tom uses these skills and this wisdom to guide those dedicated and willing to go courageously inward, often finding and releasing blocks to spiritual awakening which originated in earliest, often pre-verbal, childhood.

After being asked to teach, Tom has been sharing this work for over 19 years. His sessions give attendees a taste of what he exudes, a patient tender Love that is our true interconnected nature. His focus on connection to the immediacy of felt sensation enables potent transformations to readily manifest. His work and presence is an acknowledgment that our beautiful imperfect human condition is completely embraced by the wide openness of Life itself, even when the most uncomfortable aspects of ourselves appear.

Tom is known for his humility and a profound acceptance of what is. Throughout his life, he has worked in numerous jobs in multiple disciplines — from basic minimum wage to corporate executive, from grade school teacher to construction contractor, from graphic designer to writer. He has been married to his wife, Dawn, for almost 40 years and they have one daughter.

Website: tomkurzka.org

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded August 3, 2019
YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:05:44 - Childhood Moments of Connection
00:10:47 - Unity consciousness and celestial perception
00:15:41 - Feeling Yourself as the Space
00:19:46 - A Trip Down Memory Lane
00:24:14 - The Fractured World
00:27:57 - Losing My Mind
00:31:53 - Meditation Experiences
00:36:04 - The Mystical Element in All Traditions
00:39:49 - Integrating Fear in Meditation Practice
00:43:45 - Fear of Annihilation
00:48:03 - The Fractured Mind
00:52:11 - Physiological Transformation and Unraveling
00:56:03 - Transition to Awakening
01:00:22 - Recognition of Oneness
01:04:20 - Seeing Perspectives from God's Point of View
01:08:14 - Imperfect Human Beings and the Beauty of Being Human
01:12:30 - Reliving Early Trauma and Connecting with Loved Ones
01:16:48 - The Purpose of Life and Continuing Evolution
01:20:48 - Finding Aliveness Beneath the Bleakness
01:25:06 - The Gut Awakening
01:29:18 - The Personal Essence and the Vastness
01:33:09 - The Zone and Spontaneous Flow
01:37:23 - The Connection Between Divine Intelligence and Human Behavior
01:41:38 - The Sun's Expansion and Earth's Destruction
01:45:34 - Higher Standards in the Spiritual Community
01:49:26 - Transitioning to Full-Time Teaching
01:53:40 - The Body's Subtle Bracing
01:57:51 - Receiving and Listening
02:01:55 - Building Connections in Local Communities
02:05:43 - Goodbye Rick