Background

Pavitr Anand (Patrick Connor) grew up in England, in a world of privilege and opportunity. Since the earliest age his longing was for Freedom. He did not know really what this meant.

His early career was in business. As he went, he discovered he could make whatever money he needed to live. He lived in a world of privilege, socially and materially. He travelled widely, lived in various countries, and met many wonderful people on every continent. He dined ‘with kings and peasants’. He worked on interesting projects, gaining very diverse experiences. He co-founded a business. But there was always something missing. Certain unavoidable questions persisted, ‘what is worth doing between now and death?’ ‘What happens after death anyway?’ ‘What is really worth giving my life energy, my passion, all my capacity to in this life?’ ‘What is really worth striving for?’ ‘What does it mean to make my life truly successful?’ ‘What is the ultimate possibility of a human lifetime?’ No answer came. The world of his upbringing had nothing profound to say to these questions. Indeed, modern western culture does not encourage even reflecting on these kinds of questions too deeply. Chasing purely material goals seemed empty and ultimately meaningless.

It was obvious that “there must be more to life than all this”, and the point came where he felt compelled to leave his career to pursue these questions. Until he found answers to these questions, he could not commit all his life energy to any one thing. He began a research project to investigate the branches of knowledge that seemed to deal with the mysteries of human existence, perennial questions of life and death, health and illness, and how to make the most out of life’s journey. His search led him through cellular biology and quantum physics, into spiritual enquiry and mystical teachings, via psychology and psychoanalysis, through the healing traditions of alternative medicine and shamanism, and eventually to consciousness as the foundation of all knowledge and the basis of all experience.

Universal Principles

He discovered that there are certain universal principles that had been understood throughout history, but which were only knowable by inner experience, by the intention to evolve and by letting go of self-limiting beliefs and conditioning. So he began the work of unlearning. As he did so, his life changed quickly and dramatically, and he began to experience extraordinary states which he realized were everyone’s true nature, and therefore within anyone’s grasp. He also noticed that these truths have mostly been presented in an abstract or specialist language to advanced spiritual seekers throughout history, and often in closed communities away from the demands of mainstream society. This has made the teachings seem confusing and remote from real life. For example, many spiritual teachings seemed to emphasise monastic existence, solitude and bareness of life. As such they seemed to have little to do with life in the world. Not to mention striking fear into the hearts of those who were not ready to give up the excitement of the world. Upon deeper investigation, he realized that it was not the world that had to be given up, or indeed anything in it. It was one’s RELATIONSHIP to the world that determined one’s degree of Freedom or suffering. Only one’s fears and desires – the sum of one’s own conditioning - needed to be resolved. This of course had nothing to do with external forms and appearances, only with the mind. The great Indian saint Kabir was once questioned as to why he had not shaved his head, as was the tradition in the order of monks in which he had been initiated. He replied, “I don’t need to shave my head, I have shaved my mind.”

Only the inner world needed to be changed. Inner growth and understanding was the only answer to life. Patrick saw that the highest Truths actually belong to everyone, they are simple to grasp, and that they could be applied in the most practical way to transforming any person’s world. It was clear that true wisdom was by its very nature universal. Nothing had to be taken on faith. Indeed, it was up to each person to test these universal principles and prove their underlying truth for themselves.

Simple Answers

As his own awareness increased, life became simpler and clearer, and answers began to emerge to the obvious earlier question: “Why had these principles been so difficult to find?” It now made more sense. The principles were easy to find, but their power could not be realized until they were applied to one’s life by intention and dedication. As a great Master once said, ‘talking about horses does not make you a good rider.’

Without putting the teachings to the test, and striving to live this path in their everyday life, knowledge would remain conceptual, and would never come alive inside a person. It would therefore not be accessible as their own inner wisdom. At this stage of their evolution, it was now seen as inevitable that people would be skeptical about mystical teachings or the highest truths of Reality. He noticed how clever the mind can be at avoiding the Truth. He began to discover and uncover all the subtle and ingenious ways in which the ego hides and perpetuates itself, resisting the light of Truth.

He noticed that a certain pivotal moment would arrive for each person, often only at the moment of hitting bottom. Via inspiration or desperation, and usually some of both, humility would awaken in a person, and there would be curiosity and interest in how to reach spiritual goals and transcend limiting circumstances or experiences. Without some intensity of aspiration for inner growth, the door to progress would remain forever closed.

It was also clear that the principles of higher Truth ran counter to most of what we learn growing up about what brings happiness and fulfillment. This also explained why so few people were actually willing to apply the required dedication to this journey. The collective culture leads one to search for Freedom and happiness in all the wrong places. Hence the need for ‘unlearning.’ This work led to a releasing of old energy patterns in the form of beliefs and stories that he had told himself or simply believed and never questioned. With each round of release, a new level of freedom and joy arose. The willingness to question his own beliefs seemed to open up extraordinary new possibilities in his own experience of life. It was like gradually waking up from a dream.

During this process, he realized how the fierce intent to understand and evolve, to dedicate himself to the ideal of Universal Love and service, was always the driving factor in the unfolding of new awareness. It was a revelation to discover that there really was no luck, no randomness, and no coincidences in life, that nothing in the Universe is arbitrary or subject to chance. That by strong intention, devotion and application, this ultimate goal of human life could be reached by anyone. Again and again, he would see how his own circumstances matched up perfectly with the energy patterns he was holding within him, in the form of unconscious beliefs. When these beliefs were released, the life experiences and limitations associated with them would begin to change immediately. This was always the case with others too. The more people he worked with, the more striking and obvious this correlation was.

Transcending the Barriers to Progress

It seemed that in each case one of the greatest barriers to transcend was the belief that the negativity a person was experiencing was evidence of an essential unworthiness at their core. This would bring up a secret shame and self-recrimination, and usually an unwillingness to explore their own blockages, let alone share them with others. The fear of finding more negative personal qualities that might disturb the already fragile balance of their self-image would make many reluctant to begin this work. Self-judgment would hold many prisoner, and guard the gate to progress. Some would hide behind the need to project a confident exterior, or to show others that their lives were great, or hide behind the intellectually prideful position, ‘prove it to me’. At one point he realized that the identity of “being spiritual” also had to be let go of, and that spiritual pride was just another block to the ultimate Realization, which is beyond all identities and limitations. Without a commitment to radical inner honesty, and the willingness to take a constant and ongoing inner inventory of the mind and its patterns, he could see that there was no possibility of transformation. Understanding that all negativity is just mind, and in fact not at all personal, combined with hearing from Patrick about his own limiting programming, even while his life was “OK”, seemed to inspire others to begin this magical journey for themselves.

Awakening to Certainty

As the intent to serve others and to be an expression of the love of the Self became stronger, willingness would mature into faith and quickly into direct experiences which were undeniable. This was more ‘real’ than anything he had ever known. Spiritual energies which may not even have been believed in before would now begin to flow through one’s being, recontextualising all of life. Everything would now look and seem different. Eventually, the power of these experiences would spill over into a quality of unshakable certainty and joy. As he acquired the tools of transformation, he no longer had to repress or escape from his negative feelings. Now he knew how to release them by himself, without seeking to change anything or anyone else around him. He couldn’t believe that this most precious of all knowledge – the knowledge for any human being to go Free, to go beyond all limitations - that this had been completely unknown to him for thirty years. The journey became exhilarating, like he was watching his whole life change before his eyes. Situations and possibilities would arise that were literally inconceivable in their prior reality.

The Power of Purity

Finally, he noticed that his ability to help others was directly related to the level of his own awareness, and the purity of his intention – in other words, the degree to which he had surrendered to the power of Grace, to be used as an instrument for the good of others. He began to see that devotion – purity of heart (unselfishness of motive, dedication to Universal Love) – was THE ‘magic ingredient’. As he sought to help others, a further question arose – why do so few people seem to reach the goal? Or put another way, what is it that makes the difference between reaching the goal and not? If he could answer this in a universal way, he could surely help any others to release the obstacles to Freedom for themselves, regardless of their prior experience. He came across many spiritual pathways and traditions, many of them defining themselves by specific techniques, tools and methods, in which practitioners would seem to spend years or decades without dramatic transformation. He noticed so many people who seemed to have read every spiritual self-help book, and spent years attending seminars, without much evidence of real transformation in their lives. He had always wondered why.

He began to understand that the key ingredient was actually this purity of intention. When the intention is to serve and to love, to offer oneself completely to the power of Grace, to be an instrument of the Divine, the mystical door opens, and one begins to witness the miraculous – in one’s own life, and in the lives of others too. Now all spiritual tools and techniques would be seen to work. One would become inspired, and in the raging flames of this inner Fire, one’s very existence would be offered up for use by Grace. One’s entire purpose, the purpose of all actions, would become to serve and to BE the energy of Love itself. This sincerity would inevitably include the courage to be radically honest with oneself, and the persistence to look deeply within. He observed that when this sincerity and purity of intention was not in place, that people would become stuck in the world of the mundane - a golden cage defined by their own selfish goals, which would only perpetuate the experience of wanting, lack and emptiness. They might go to one course after another, to many spiritual seminars and teachers, but no tools or techniques would ultimately work so well. They were still trying to finesse and control the universe, rather than transforming their life energy and being into harmony with it. In other words, they were operating in the wrong paradigm. They were trying to co-opt the teachings to get what the ego wanted from the world, which would only perpetuate the consciousness of wanting, the ‘little me’ consciousness, rather than elevating themselves into the state of Loving and Being that is the Divine consciousness. The promise of enlightenment, and the greatest beings who have ever given testament to the highest Truth, say it clearly. The ultimate goal is not merely to communicate with the Supreme Being (whatever name you would like to give It), but to BECOME that. And its essence is Love. It is too simple for the intellectual mind. All you have to do is remove all that is not Love within you, until only the Divine is left.

As a deep and all pervading surrender to the power of Love and Service seized his whole being, a great devotion awakened in him, bringing with it unimagined joy and successive realizations. The speed with which others’ awakening would be activated increased dramatically, until the point where merely directing one’s intent towards the highest good of the seeker would seem to catalyse some direct ‘transfer of awareness’, and activate their own ‘knowingness’ of who they were, like a mirror, provided their own intention, devotion and openness (‘karmic ripeness’) was strong.

Along the way, Grace appeared in the form of many great Masters, some of them in body, some not. They appeared on his path to teach him and to guide him. They showed him how to serve his fellow beings and how to bring others into contact with the highest Grace, the inspiring, uplifting and transforming power of the Divine. Under the guidance of the Divine hand, he also came across many spiritual traditions, and was able to discern those qualities within diverse teachings which had universal value for the awakening of others, while leaving behind those qualities within each tradition that were rooted in time and culture, rituals and dogma that were potentially limiting. In this way, he became interested in anything and everything that was useful for the goal of helping any person to become Free. He set about finding every possible pathway that leads to Freedom.

Life Mission

Since this time, he has devoted his life to teaching others how to walk this path to Freedom for themselves. This has involved helping them to attune to the realm of inspiration and Grace, by every conceivable means, and to identify and release all the obstacles in their own consciousness that stand in the way, by every conceivable means. He has witnessed countless remarkable turnaround stories of people whose lives have been completely transformed by the fire of the heart’s devotion, and the all pervading wisdom and Grace that inevitably responds to it. He has worked with billionaires, single mothers, celebrities, homeless people, artists, children, business leaders and many others. For any who are open to reaching their full potential in this lifetime, this is a thrilling journey of self-discovery, the greatest of all adventures. It is THE goal of human life, and the greatest of all possible gifts to one’s fellow beings.

Patrick was born in London to a Latin American mother and a Canadian father. He grew up in England and was educated at Eton.  He has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Durham University, and a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) degree from Cambridge University. He has traveled extensively throughout the world and speaks several languages. He has lived at various times in London, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Bombay, New Delhi & Hong Kong.

His life is dedicated to the liberation of the human spirit.