We interviewed Diamond Approach teacher Greg Knight about his journey with the Diamond Approach as well as an open groups that he's co-leading in Philadelphia.
How did you first find the Diamond Approach?
At that time, I was a bodyworker doing Rolfing, a specialized form of body therapy, and a mentor and friend of mine was a student of the Diamond Approach. I was looking for something like this. I had explored different spiritual teachings. My college work, both academically and on my own, were focused on exploring inner nature.My friend gave me the name of a book and a local teacher, and I checked it out.
When you were starting out, what were some of the challenges that came up for you?
I loved the work from the very first day, and at the same time I found so much of it challenging: the practices were hard, attending small group was hard, sitting in inquiries was hard, listening to others’ inquiries was hard. I had a strong flame for inner knowing, and I was also fragile, defensive, guarded. It was frequently a challenge, but also very rewarding. I never questioned that I would continue. I didn’t think a lot about it at the time, but I figured it was challenging for everyone.
What has kept you engaged with the teaching over the years?
At the first weekend I went to, the lead teacher seemed to really be in his own seat, relaxed in himself, present, engaged, and without airs about the whole thing. He wasn’t putting on a show or trying to speak in some sort of special way; he was just explaining things and telling us a bit about stuff with the expertise he had: he happened to know things about consciousness and inner development. Compared to other events I’d attended, where there was always a sense of appearing a certain way or transcending—that was appealing, but I wasn’t attracted to staying in those places.
Something else that has kept me engaged is how remarkable the intricacy of the map is—how precise the arc of the teaching is. Joining a group, you go through a whole arc of teaching over several years. It’s not rigid or fixed, but there’s a kind of developmental journey that you follow. I didn’t know that you could be so specific about parts of the personality, or that deliberate about specific emotions or beliefs, or that you could be with them in a such a way that they would open up to such clear and impactful states of presence.
What aspect of the teaching is most alive for you right now?
It has a lot to do with the phenomenology of presence itself. What it actually is like, on its own terms, whether there is a sense of self, individual, no self, or boundlessness. The exploration of that has to do with really engaging the practices – sensing, looking, and listening (SLL) particularly as an ongoing practice. To be engaged in that practice as much as one can all day long, to live from that place, and feel the primacy of presence as what is living over the content of the familiar mind, the habitual thinking, self-images that arise, and self-talk. That is quite alive for me as a question and a practice.
What advice would you share with someone who is thinking of attending an introductory event?
I’d say, when you’re there, you’ll get your experience–whatever will happen. You’ll be exposed to some part of the teaching. And I’d encourage you to ask questions or meet with a teacher after the meeting to talk about it. Sometimes people feel like “I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk to the teacher.” Teachers are very open to meeting with people, answering questions, dealing with challenges, but they may not solicit that from you.
Introductory events are good, and if you’re still not sure, do something over a couple of days, because getting a good night’s sleep between the two days of a weekend gives you time to digest the material a bit and feel the impact on you. Sometimes things are hard, sometimes things are exciting, and you want to have at least two days to go through a cycle of the teaching.
Tell us a little bit about the group you’re co-leading in Philadelphia.
The group is a new group, open to new students. It is a committed group already, and it feels very rich and exciting to continue to be growing. The group meets four times per year currently. When we can meet in person, we’re at a lovely retreat center outside Philadelphia, where some people commute and many stay on site. It’s nice to have that experience together, to share meals together, and be on the journey for those days together.
In terms of what we’re working with, we’re working through the teachings on the lataif right now—these fundamental teachings—and we’re turning toward some teachings on the yellow essence, which is joy, delight, happiness, curiosity, and playfulness.
There’s something about this particular group that in addition to being sincere, they know the value of engaging with inner work, and working with others who share that same kind of love and focus. To do real inner development isn’t something that happens over one workshop. It’s over a long period of time. Having people you can do that with, that you like, and trust, is so essential. It feels like that kind of group.
And Gina Crago, the other lead teacher, is a terrific, very seasoned teacher in the school, and we very much enjoy working together, as a team.
(Editor's note: Greg is also one of the teachers of a second group, New York Area Diamond Approach, that is also accepting new students.)
How do you see the Diamond Approach helping humanity and the planet?
The DA brings out in people qualities that enrich their life and the lives of people around them. Over time, we naturally become more joyful, kinder, more solid in ourselves. We naturally have more for empathy other, and at the same time better boundaries. We tend to not churn on things in ways we might have in the past. So, we don’t to create messes that are unnecessary. It’s like you’re no longer a big powerboat on a small lake.
I was the kind of person who got into this teaching and path because there was something in me that felt there was so much more to know about who I was which wasn’t going to be answered through psychology or hard sciences. A spiritual journey that could be disciplined in the way modern science was, but also heart-full, relational, and dynamic—I just couldn’t believe there was something out there like that. The fact that it is like that is incredible.
Read more about the upcoming event Greg is leading on Lightness of Being.