BELOW THE INTRODUCTION

FROM A PAPER BY


AZIZ KRISTOF



INTRODUCTION





Although not always thought so as such, Advaita actually falls under the auspices of the three main branches of VEDANTA:


Dvaita Vedanta - the dualistic approach

Advaita Vedanta - the non-dualistic approach

Kevala Advaita Vedanta - the pure non-dualistic school. <
The main exponent of Vedanta was the great sage Adi Sankara who was an adept of the Kevala Advaita Vedanta path. In western circles it is not unusual to blend the last two together as well as interposing the words Advaita and Vedanta as having the same meaning, becoming in a sense euphemisms of themselves ("satsang" is often included as well). Generally speaking it works OK, but when fine tuning the specifics then a more indepth process is usually required. (source).


Jerry Katz, in a further clarification, in his Nonduality FAQ website, presents the following as well:


Advaita means nonduality. Vedanta means "end of the Veda." The Vedas, the most ancient texts of Indian literature, are books on mythology and sacrifice. Their origins are superhuman, their authority divine, the Orthodox believe. The end of the Veda marked the coming of the Upanishads, which are books on the nondual nature of reality, but which offer different levels of nondual understanding, and have even given rise dualism, which says that God and the human body are eternally separate.








The Dangers of Pseudo Advaita now proceeds:



We would like to express our concern regarding the recent phenomenon of 'satsang-culture' which in our opinion has impoverished seriously the Orignial Spirit of Advaita. These days many individuals, who have very little or no knowledge at all about the Process of Awakening, feel qualified to give satsang and lead other souls on the Path. Enlightenment has become very cheap these days. Nobody actually really knows what is the meaning of this term as it virtually means everything and nothing. Nowadays, it is sufficient to say 'I am Awakened' in order to give satsang.


Because of the unverifiable nature of Enlightenment, this term has been much manipulated. Satsang has been Americanized. In an average satsang-gathering everybody is laughing, showing signs of euphoric and unauthentic joy, while the teacher tries to look like he or she is in a bliss. Just like a TV show. Very few actually meditate. Why to meditate if we are already all Awakened?


But Is this really Advaita? Is Advaita a poor repetition of a several slogans like 'There is nobody there,' 'You are That,' You are already Awakened' or 'There is no Path', etc.? Has this anything to do with teaching of great masters like N. Maharaj or Sri Ramana Maharishi? Ramana sat in caves for 20 years before he could be really complete. In his presence disciples had to meditate for months and years before they could receive from him the glimpse of the Self.


It is true that New Millennium is a time of global awakening. But this awakening is mostly partial and relative to the level of most people's unconsciousness. It was Jesus who said that there would be a time when many false teachers will teach in the name of Light. It seems to be happening now. Many of these teachers are not necessarily 'bad people' but simply unqualified and lost, in truth. They have believed too quickly in the thought 'I am now ready to teach!'


It seems that the pauper-isation of satsang culture began after the death of Poonjaji. Many of his followers started to claim that Poonjaji approved their 'Awakening.' It seems that they just took him too literally. It is an Advaita custom to say 'you are already Awakened.' This is however more a teaching device than a reflection of reality. And even if some of his disciples had a glimpse of Awakening, Poonjaji knew very well that in most cases neither it was permanent nor the final state.




An example was Andrew Cohen who was sent to give satsang in the west. He was meant to represent Poonjaji and attract more westerners to Lucknow. But he and others thought that Poonjaji actually conformed his Enlightenment. For that reason, Cohen became very hurt when Poonjaji started to criticize him when he began to act as a master. From this wound came later the magazine 'What is Enlightenment?' which more represents Cohen's own insecurity and an unsuccessful attempt to heal himself than a genuine search for clarity. By the endless investigation into states of all possible masters, and not being able to come to any true conclusion, he has been just confusing his students. The only thing which at the end remains clear from his seemingly 'sincere' efforts to find clarity is that nobody has the least idea 'What Enlightenment Is!'




It is not our intention to suggest that nobody reaches Enlightenment. We just wish to make it clear (similar as to what is found to be said in ENLIGHTENMENT: CAN YOU DO IT?) that Complete Enlightenment and Understanding of its nature is still an extremely rare phenomenon on the planet earth, which a plane of low evolution. And equally important, we wish to emphasize that a partial or pre-mature experience of awakening does not qualify one at all to take a role of a Self-realised being.


Enlightenment is not as cheap. Many seekers seem to be unaware of a very simple fact that there are actually many levels of Self-realization as exemplified in the Eight Jhana States, the Wu Keng Chuan (Five Degrees of Tozan) and the Five Varieties of Zen. There is an enormous difference between initial Awakening such as say Kensho and the actual State of Enlightenment. But who cares? Most seekers would not bother to study these matters, for in their case there is really 'nobody there' ­ just a collective seeker's mind. And most teachers would refuse to enquire into the true nature of Enlightenment because they already have a hidden doubt and deep fear concerning the validity of their own attainment.


We would like to suggest not to rush too fast with announcing oneself 'Awakened,' and to rush even less with the idea of giving satsang. In Zen tradition one had to wait 10 to 20 years after Enlightenment before one could guide others. These days we hear about individuals who give satsang the next day after their uncertain Awakening!


We would like to clarify, for the sake of general knowledge, that there are actually several levels of expansion beyond the mind. There are three basic types of Inner Expansion:



1) Awakening to Pure Awareness (the State of Presence behind the mind).

2) Awakening to the Absolute State (unity with the unmanifested).

3) Awakening of the Heart (expansion into the Divine).




In each of these levels there are three stages: Shift into a state, Stabilisation and Integration. For instance, many satsang-teachers do not experience the same state outside of teaching. This is because they are not established permanently in the state they have attained. For that reason, they can have a deep state during satasng, but when they leave the satsang-room, they return back to ordinary consciousness. In such a case only conscious cultivation of the particular state can allow one to establish it permanently. However, if one does not believe in actual process of Awakening, how can one consciously cultivate anything? One does not even know that one is in a State. Here we see the importance of correct understanding. If one just follows in a dogmatic and unimaginative way the Advaita idea that 'I am already That,' how can one cultivate anything?


We recommend to all students and teachers of Advaita to be more critical. Follow Advaita, if you wish but know that Reality is simply much more rich than any linear philosophy, with Advaita included. The Practical Advaita and the Theoretical Advaita are very different. In the Theoretical Advaita, the Self is the only reality, there is no Path and we are all already awakened. But Practical Advaita knows that there is a long way to go before the truth of these statements can become our living truth.


We would like also to create a few practical anti-pseudo-advaita statements: 'You are not Awakened unless you Awaken!' 'You are not That, unless you reach unity with Universal I AM!' 'There is no Path but only for those who Completed it!' 'There is nobody here, but only when somebody has dissolved! Until that time you are simply a suffering somebody who only tries to believe in being no one or entertains oneself by giving 'satsang.'


We have request to all those who experience any type of awakening: PLEASE, THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO GIVE SATSANG and HONESTLY COMTEMPLATE WHAT ARE YOUR TRUE MOTIVES BEHIND THE DESIRE TO TEACH. Perhaps giving Satsang is not really necessary?


Blessings to Seekers of Truth and Clarity who have the courage to renounce the False.




SEE:

ALL IS ILLUSION?
A Chinese-Indian Dichotomy In Advaita and Zen






Fundamentally, our experience as experienced is not different from the Zen master's. Where
we differ is that we place a fog, a particular kind of conceptual overlay onto that experience
and then make an emotional investment in that overlay, taking it to be "real" in and of itself.

Aziz Kristof