Enlightenment, Part 3

I have often been pondering for why people are looking up to gurus. As the Mystic Cab film clearly has illustrated, I have been experiencing these troubles myself! As I have pointed out in my previous posting, gurus are not better than or "above" anyone else, yet they are constantly being put up on the pedestals. Why is this?

Recently I am finding the answer to this perplexing puzzle, revealing also interesting insights about many enlightenment practices. It is coming from a most surprising place - that of brain science. Jeff Hawkins, a high technology entrepreneur, has founded a brain studies institute in 2002 and from this research he has published a fascinating book, On Intelligence. This book is explaining that the brain is a "hierarchy discovery machine." It is so because the manifested world is nothing but an infinite set of hierarchies! For example, vision: at the low level we are having colors and shapes; these are combining to create objects one level above; then motion above that and so on and so forth. You can be taking any aspect of the world and seeing this. Indeed, our brains are being evolved to gain mastery over the manifested world, so it is no accident that this is so. NOTE: please be reading Jeff's book as my articulation of it is totally that of novice! Similarly, another great thinker, Douglas Hofstadter is making this same point in his weighty book, Godel Escher Bach. On page 319, he is telling of an anteater's perspective of an ant hill, explaining that in order to understand the ant hill, one must stop seeing the ants! In other words, progressing up the hierarchy. In essence, any person who is being excellent at a particular skill - driving a car, writing a song, being a leader, raising family - has traveled UP the hierarchy, making greater and greater connections within their brain!

Now we can be seeing how this is relating to enlightenment and how we are getting confused. The entire "goal" of such practices such as yoga, meditation, etc., is for the seeker to see the entire system non-hierarchically! In other words, to be stepping OUT of the hierarchy and orienting our mind to see the world with this part of our brain being turned off.

This is also the source of confusion. If you have not viewing it from this perspective, (let us call this "pre-enlightenment" state), you are thinking that you are having to travel UPWARDS! This will be a never-ending journey precisely not resulting in enlightenment state. And of course, this is explaining why gurus are mistakenly being installed at the top of social hierarchies.

Enlightenment, Part 2

I had a mystical conversation with a friend today, which reminded me of two stories. I will be relating the first here and leave the second for another time.

The first is coming from Consciousness Speaks, by Ramesh Balsekar, on page 360, in the section, When the disciple becomes enlightened. Here is the brief, and illuminating passage:

There is no difference at all between the disciple and the guru. They're both in the same state. In India, the relationship continues to a certain extent because of tradition. But I've heard and read that in China, when enlightenment happens in the disciple, the guru looks into his eyes, sees the situation, and they both start laughing. They embrace, they laugh, sometimes they roll on the ground. Both have realized the absurdity of all the efforts that have been made to reach or to achieve something that is already there.

It is being very easy to miss the sheer simplicity of the passage and in particular, the last line. Please be going back, reading it, pondering it, and sitting with it for the week. You are already possessing the truth, but your efforts, meditations and practices (and gurus!) are precisely what are distancing you from it.

Of course, it is great fun to be pretending that we do not have it, for then we can be engaging in all of the wonderful games that keep humanity occupied. Little do we realize that this pretense is totally unnecessary! The game is continuing, regardless of our state of enlightenment! And indeed, it is offering greater pleasures and enjoyment from the other side.

The futile search for enlightenment

Traditional path to enlightenment:

1. Decide there's "something missing" in your life.
   
2. Seek out various books, gurus, paths and practices.
   
3. Realize that enlightenment is knowing there is no such thing, other than the ceaseless Leela of duality and integration. Put another way: the meaning of life is there is no meaning. Some find this too hard to accept and either continue the search (making that their meaning) or choosing a particular answer.
   
4. Give up the search.
   
5. Decide your response to the truth.
   
6. Take responsibility to create your own meaning.
   
7. Decide what game interests you and play it.
   

Seemingly Quicker Path: omit steps 1 and 2.

Unfortunately, as easy as it seems, one must come to these truths through one's own explorations. Therefore, there is no quick path. Darn!

Steps 6 & 7 are the "real work" of life, but can be exceedingly challenging for every individual. The Matrix exerts a powerful force!

An Alternative Approach:

know yourself + know the universe = ?!

abbreviated: you plus U

Before enlightenment, chop wood...

...after enlightenment, do what you want!

I seem to be twisting koans and turning them toward my own purposes. The original koan in this case is, "...after enlightenment, chop wood."

I suppose I should just stop there, so as not to defeat the purpose of the koan. I shall only add that The Vinegar Tasters is a depiction of 3 enlightened masters. I align with :)