Awakin Call with Lam Nguyen Phuong
Questions that came in during the call and couldn't be answered live were responded to by Lam afterwards. His responses are shared here.
Marc Hermanns
You mentioned that at Gandhi 3.0 you realized that the ego had been doing much of the work — even meditation, philanthropy, and service. When we carry a tender vision for healing, compassion, and collective transformation, how can we discern whether it is being moved by love, or quietly being shaped by ego — even when it looks like service? And how can we stay grounded in the reality of suffering while also remembering the deeper truth beyond the material world?
The spiritual journey is sometimes the best place for the ego to hide from the Inner Light. At that same Gandhi 3.0 gathering, we asked a 97-year-old Swami how we might serve better. He replied: "Prem and Pavitra" — Love and Purity. At first, this felt redundant. Isn't Love the final state? Upon reflection, I understood: we perform good deeds and convince ourselves our actions are loving — but Purity cannot be faked. Deep in our hearts, we know whether an action is truly selfless or carries a hidden agenda. Without Purity, love remains transactional.
At lower consciousness levels, the true Self is blinded by the ego and cannot comprehend unconditional love. We must keep purifying ourselves, raising our consciousness and shrinking the ego, until we draw closer to the Inner Light that is our true teacher. Jesus, the Buddha, and other Masters lived unconditional love because they knew the outer world was an illusion.
How do we tell the Inner Voice from the ego? Check the motive, then the body. Does the guidance arise from a dualistic mindset, which constantly judges others? Does it protect or flatter the self? The ego speaks in gain and self-interest. Notice also how it lands physically: ego contracts; deeper guidance opens — even when it asks something hard. Earth is a school. The only purpose of life on earth is to grow in consciousness. When this truth finally moves from the mind into the body, the grip of suffering begins to loosen.
Erik
What is the minimum percentage of our consciousness we ought to try to reserve for our survival in the current financial systems as they exist today?
Flow with the River of Life. The branches you cling to are only illusions of safety — they keep you from your destiny. The Universe does not bring you to the water to let you down. Let go. Be carried. There are two masters within you — one whispers of enough, of depth; the other screams for more. You must choose which voice you answer to, for you cannot kneel to both.
Jeremy
Practice is often associated with meditation or methods that require retreating to oneself. But isn't true growth done through experiencing what the world is offering? How do you balance that? How do you know when the mind is navigating the spiritual journey and not the heart?
Inner transformation and outer engagement are not two paths but one. This is where the Taoist principle of Wu Wei reveals itself: not "doing nothing," but acting without ego-driven effort — becoming so fully aligned with the Universe that we become a conduit through which the Tao moves.
Rajat Mishra
Why is non-judgement a prime requirement for non-dual experience? Why is it so difficult to practice when one has so many grievances with others?
Non-judgement — as a state of being, not merely a concept — arises in the moment when the ego is completely silent, when we experience that all is One. Practice so that we may inhabit such moments as often as possible.
On Seva
You said seva makes you come alive. What forms of service feel most meaningful to your heart, not just your mind?
Any form of service — small or large — that reminds me that I am only a part of something far greater. And any activity that helps others remember who they truly are makes me come especially alive.
Arav SarDev
How do you become addicted to learning rather than to social media? What is the difference between philosophy and philanthropy? And how does one become more spiritual in life?
All addictions are harmful because they erode our freedom — especially addiction to social media, which traps us into living according to others' expectations. Philo literally means "love": philosophy is mainly about seeking wisdom; philanthropy is mainly about expressing compassion through action. As for how to become more spiritual: by remembering who we truly are. You can only do that after sustained purification — lifting the veil of illusion.
Shyamal
I too am a Vipassana meditator and had the same takeaway — that I am much beyond this body, mind, thoughts, and emotions. How do you manage not to miss a single day of meditation, and do you always experience the free flow?
I don't miss a day of meditation — through prioritisation and determination. The "free flow" experience is not always there; it depends on how silent we are at the time.
Mochi-san: The Dalai Lama has said: "The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your action will be." I now understand why Lam is so fearless and free — he lives love.
Abby's closing: Your how is your what. You are your message. And we all benefit in your presence.
Michaele Rosen: Deepest gratitude to the Universe for bringing the two of you together here to share your wisdom. How lucky we all are.