In this interview with Mark Matousek for The Seekers Forum, Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian discusses how the ego's view of perfection is opposed to the truth of the perfection of our true nature--and the implications of that for practice and for living our lives.
The Seekers Forum is an online community founded by author and teacher Mark Matousek, known for his Writing to Awaken method of self-inquiry as well as his two award-winning memoirs and other books. At The Seekers Forum, topics related to creativity, spiritual practice, and ethical well-being are explored through writing and discussion. Find out more at theseekersforum.com
About Ellen Grace O’Brian
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian is the Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (CSE) with headquarters in San Jose, California, serving seeking souls since 1981. CSE is a meditation center in the spiritual tradition of Kriya Yoga that serves people from all faith backgrounds who are seeking Self- and God-realization. Yogacharya O’Brian was ordained to teach in 1982 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda who brought the teachings of Kriya Yoga from India to the West. She is the author of several books on meditation and spiritual practice including Living the Eternal Way: Spiritual Meaning and Practice in Daily Life, and is the Founding Editor of Enlightenment Journal, a quarterly yoga magazine as well as author of CD lessons on the classic spiritual works: The Gospel of Thomas, The Bhagavad Gitaand The Upanishads. A published author of devotional poems, she is also the lead singer of Gitanjali, a kirtan band that offers devotional chanting. Yogacharya O’Brian received the Human Relations Award from the Santa Clara County Office of Human Relations in 2008 recognizing her contribution to positive human relations and peace in Santa Clara County. She is the founder and President of Carry the Vision (CTV), a community nonprofit organization dedicated to nonviolence education, helping people discover the potential of ahimsa in all walks of life. She is the Vice Chair emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions. She is the host of The Yoga Hour, a weekly radio program on the Unity.fm network reaching over 122 countries with inspiration and practices from the yoga tradition.