Saturday, May 27, 2006

To all so-called spiritual seekers and so-called guides

The present spiritual environment and particularly the neo-advaita craze is somewhat troubling to me. Let's sum it up in one short sentence for simplicity's sake: No matter what, shut up and return return return to That which is the Eternal Undying True Witness - and Poof...If you haven't already realized it - You Are That!
 
OK OK OK. BUT WAIT A SECOND PLEASE
 
If we take a look at the picture from a spiritual evolutionary perspective - which resembles (but not mirrors) Nature's evolutionary development, we can intuit rather easily that the whole process (however mysterious it may appear to be) is COMPLETELY IMPERSONAL, COMPLETELY RANDOM (as far as the individual ego should be concerned anyway) and COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR HANDS!
 
Aha - the truth can set you free, but did you feel it - yah it really stings the ego doesn't it. That's right everyone - nothing to do with you, your apparent efforts and beliefs, or your so-called teachers. Imagine for a moment we humans (actually all sentient beings) are caterpillars. OK, I'm a slippery hairy ugly mofo. The evolutionary objective is butterflies and possibly Pure Light or Consciousness at some point down the line. And there are of course various stages from mini-caterpillar to butterfly and perhaps on.
 
So here we are people! We're in it - part of a really long game - and we're not at all important to the BIG PICTURE! So let's go on a retreat. Hi teacher, oh you're a butterfly and I'm a caterpillar - boo hoo. My friends and husband are mini-caterpillars at best - boo hoo. The teacher repeats like a broken record - hogwash - you are Pure Light or whatever the formula is these days.
 
My favorite is meditate on I Am Thatness and the like. Funny how they don't say I don't really...can't really know what this is all about. It's all random and beyond me or you. There is no practice, mantra, so-called satsang or darshan, or other devices that can or will change that fact. No no. That doesn't create popular inspiring communities and sell books does it. That doesn't leave much place for a teacher does it. OK OK OK ... Back to the point
 
The whole thing is one big very mysterious evolutionary process - and we are all a part of it, but that's where the personal ends. Actually it's entirely impersonal and beyond our limited perception (even so-called enlightened perception I would suggest) So if it helps you to think that you are now a caterpillar headed for butterflydom, so be it. If it's comforting to think your teacher is now a butterfly, so be it.
 
Truth is though, no Guru, Saint, Yogi, Sage every did anything. They were simply naturally selected to participate in the next evolutionary step - like a field of yellow flowers that for some reason is starting to reveal some yellow and purple in a few cases.
 
Do you freak out about that? No, it's nature right. Same thing here - impersonal natural evolution. Teachers realize (at least authentic ones) that they are the future if you will, and they really really want to help the caterpillars discover the same. But truth be told, they can't do (and have never done) a single darn thing!
 
Nature is doing that and no teacher (or very very few) can predict which caterpillar is next and why...forget the why completely. So please please please... a message to all teachers and seekers, sober up out there. Come back to earth. Come down from your exciting, sexy, fantastic ego-induced trips and just sit with the idea that you are a yellow flower in a field of yellow flowers. In some spots there are yellow and purple flowers. So what right?
 
OK - now stay with that image. Not fun right. Not exciting right. Not stimulating? Perfect - that's closer to the truth than you've ever been so live with it.
 
Take care all you caterpillars, butterflies, yellow flowers and yellow-purple flowers.
 
Sincerely,
 
Hanumanji

Nondual Highlights no. 2481