Worries in the Oneness

Adi Shankara 788CE-820CE)

"Advaita," is a Sanskrit word which means, "non-dual," or more literally, "not two."  Advaita is a spiritual philosophical school that maintains that there is but One consciousness that pervades, underlies and contains all of creation, and, that the world, our lives, our minds with all of its thoughts, wishes hopes, feelings and emotions, and our bodies, are all but a projection, a mere superimposition, like a motion picture projected upon the screen of that consciousness! The appearance that there seems to be separate objects and even sentient beings with individual identities,  is said to be an illusion of the mind, or "Maya."  This philosophy is an ancient one and had its origins in the Vedas and other ancient Holy Scriptures of India.  Great sages like the Adi Shankara (788-820 CE) taught this philosophy and the practices that were part and parcel of it.  These teachings have been handed down from teacher to disciple for thousands of years with many adherents achieving the state of Self Realization, or Enlightenment, where one has the visceral experience of this non-duality, and becomes then liberated from the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation.  Advaita or non-dualism is also an integral part of Buddhism, especiallyin the Chan and Zen sects.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

The more contemporary Indian teachers of Advaita, like the great sage Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), left writings that became published books which found their way into  esoteric bookstores in the West. Pratitioners of Eastern spirituality and yoga found the ideas contained within to be revolutionary in regard to the customary Western way of seeing reality. They endeavored to practice what was taught, especially the Maharshi's teachings on the practice of "Atma Vichara," or "Self Inquiry," where one continuously ponders and investigates the question, "Who Am I?"  Sri Ramana says that by this practice, done with earnestness and intensity,  one can achieve Self Realization.

In the 1990's,  a new phenomena began to appear on the Western scene...Non-Asian, self-appointed and self-endorsed teachers of Advaita, who claimed to be "awakened," or even to be "fully enlightened!" Many of these "teachers" were former students of Sri Poonaji (a.k.a. Papaji), who was a student of Ramana Maharshhi. or of the controversial Bhagavan Rajneesh,  later known simply as "Osho."  These new teachers offered teachings in the West, tailored just for the Western mind, which is always looking for instant results and gratification.  More and more of these teachers sprouted like mushrooms after a morning rain.  It seems like anyone who has had any sort of awakening experience launched a career as a teacher of highest truth!   In non-dualist traditions like Zen Buddhism, a single satori (enlightenment experience or glimpse) does not a teacher make.  Continued practice and study are required, and not until the aspirant's enlightenment is a permanent state of affairs is one allowed to even consider teaching anyone. Here these self-endorsed "gurus" are each opening a web site, making videos for You Tube, writing books and having public satsangs.

On Satsang 
The traditional meaning of Satsang is, "company of truth."  Satsang is what followers, devotees or disciples of a spiritual teacher or teaching do when the teacher is not available.  That is, to spend time, chant prayers or sing kirtan, discuss teachings, etc., with like-minded people.  The idea is to protect the "young sprouts" of spirituality from outside influences that may interfere or distract from their practices and progress.

"Satsang" with a neo-advaita teacher

Today Satsang has become an event where an entrance fee is charged, and a "teacher" discourses and fields questions from those attending. Too often this turns into a show of the teacher's ability to "one-up" each questioner, often to the delight to all those who have gathered. The teacher will give absolute-plane answers to pertinent questions that should have been addressed on the relative plane to foster understanding, as in the East where stories and parables bring home the higher truths.  The idea here is to "shock" the person into a numinous experience of the no-dual state.  This is practiced in Zen, but only with students who have done Zen practice for years. In this case this is being thrust upon unpracticed and uncontrolled minds that are not ready to grasp and hold such exalted truths. A typical answer is, "Who is it that is asking the question," or, "who would you be if you dropped the question altogether," all pointing to  a philosophical pinnacle that supposedly answers all questions and doubts.  Watching the faces of the questioners, you can often see confusion and disappointment in these answers, but, the answers often draw "oohs" and "ahhs" and sometimes even applause from those watching this "spiritual circus" This requires just some skill in this manner of reparte on the part of the teacher, but no depth of real knowledge or experience. Actually nothing is answered and nothing is taught in this that a person can take with them into their daily life. It all sounds good, and I have heard much of this line of retort parroted in posts on facebook pages.   The goal is for the teacher to look and sound "awakened." contrasting the "ignorance" of the questioner.

Being a long time student of Advaita Vedanta (in the Indian tradition), I had no idea that there even was a Western Advaita movement, much less an absolute fad (no pun intended).  The movement came to my attention in 2010, after I did  some exploring in my first experiences on facebook.  There were many facebook "groups" and pages on the subject!   I was elated! "Look at all these people into Advaita," I exclaimed incredulously! I had thought that I was part of just a small group of spiritual aspirants carrying on this sacred tradition in the West.  But, lo and behold, here were hundreds of interested participants from  the USA, South America, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, and even the Nordic and Slavic countries, coming together and participating in these groups on facebook!  I was not alone, so I thought! I was beside myself in joy on this accord!  But, after just a short involvement with these groups, some of which were run by popular neo-advaita teachers,  I sensed that something was "Missing in Mumbai," and "Tainted in Tiruvanamalai!"  Something was really  off.

What first surprised me were the various teachers who people quoted or who's videos they posted on the facebook non-duality sites. I had never heard of any of them, except perhaps Eckart Tolle, who's touting by Opra Winfrey catapulted him to great popularity (and wealth).  Of course traditional Advaita Vedanta teachers like Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi or Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, who are the best known and most venerated advocates of non-dualism  in the East in recent times (the Maharshi died in 1950 and Nisargadatta in 2001), were occasionally mentioned in the current dogma,  but all too often they were mentioned in a derogatory manner, citing them as "dinosaurs of dead traditions!"  The Western teachers, who's videos I took the time to watch, all claimed to be "awakened," or "enlightened," meaning they had realized the highest truth of existence.  Now, I have been very fortunate in this lifetime to have met several truly enlightened Eastern teachers and adepts from Hindu, Buddhist, and Sufi traditions.  I will tell you, that each of them radiated an amazing presence of love, and joy, as well as a wonderful uplifting spiritual energy, that was so tangible that you could seemingly cut it with a knife!  In contrast I found these Western teachers, though intellectually astute,  on a whole, to be vibrationally vacant, if not dull.  This was surprising and unexpected. It certainlt was not due to some sort of projected prejudice on  my part, as I entered into watching these videos with true curiosity and openness.  But I was disappointed to say the least.  Not only was I not impressed  by their spiritual energy (or lack thereof), but their teachings had some very serious flaws, at least from the standpoint of the Advaita Vedanta tradition.

 Basically, what was missing from the teachings were the very foundations upon which spiritual discovery rests.  This includes certain prerequisites of character, including virtues of love, truthfulness, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, as well as control of the endless stream of thoughts in the mind and control of the five senses of perception.  A  certain level of renunciation of the things of the world is also required for spiritual growth and enlightenment.   I found no emphasis on study of the world's rich treasure trove of scripture on non-dualism, the works of enlightened sages,  nor are there any practices, such as meditation prescribed.  Students are encouraged to "just do nothing," and, they are told,  enlightenment will "just happen!"  In fact, teachers have told their students that spiritual practices have either no effect, or, they actually set you back!  Many a teacher tells how after decades of practices, it was when he or she finally gave up the practices that they had their "enlightenment" experience.  What they fail to relate is that those years of study and practice are what "prepared the field" for the seeds of enlightenment to germinate and grow into that experience.  You have to have practiced in order to give up practice. You can't give it up if you never have done any practices! Telling the untrained not to do any practices or disciplines while throwing the highest esoteric truths at them has created a strange breed of spiritual aspirants.

What amazes me to this day is the crass demeanor of the people involved in these facebook groups about  the subject of non-duality.  In my 40 years on  the spiritual path, the people involved were generally loving, kind and mutually supportive. What I saw here was the antithesis of what I experienced and expect from spiritual aspirants!  This was so different. It was like a spiritual locker room mentality, replete with obscenities, sexual innuendo, and all sorts of behaviors that would never fly with the various groups, teachers and Gurus I had spent time in and with. I found people attacking each other, not just attacking ideas or concepts, but viciously attacking each others's personalities! People were even being singled out for group abuse in an attempt to "break the person's ego."  This came from the idea that one teacher put forth that one should feel no "charge" in response to personal attacks, showing that they are not attached to their "ego-self."  Unfortunately, and more times than not, and to the contrary. a person would *build* their ego so large that nothing anyone could say could bother them, the total opposite of the goal of this misguided exercise!

I often tell a story about a man who builds a house for his family.  He levels the ground, digs a foundation, pours a strong cement foundation, and brick by brick builds up the walls so each brick supports the next.  When he is finished the house is a model of beauty and function.  Another man sees the house and decides to build one like it, but he neglects many steps.  Instead of leveling the ground and digging a foundation, he starts on the uneven earth.  He builds up the house using only those materiuals and labor that will allow its fast completion.  The houses seem alike from the outside.  But then a fierce storm hits the area.  The first man's house weathers the storm with minimal damage, while the second man's house is toppled.  In this story the first man's house is traditional Advaita, as practiced in Vedanta,  Zen, Chan and Vajrayana Buddhism.  The second house is this neo or as some are calling it "pseudo" advaita, skipping all the traditional steps and leaving its aspirants without a domicile.  The question is, to what end is this neo-advaita movement coming forth?  The answer is old and simple.  The Almighty......(Dollar)!

Its not cheap to study neo-advaita.  There are books and DVDs to buy, and "satsangs" to attend, and then there are those trips to South India, to the ashram of Ramana Maharshi in Tiruvanamalai at the foot of the sacred Arunachala mountain, where it is in vogue for these no-advaita teachers to hold their satsangs.  Holding these meetings at this holy site is done to  somehow lend credence to their teacher status.  The problem is that Ramana Maharshi appointed no successor at his passing in 1950.  He endorsed no teacher to carry on his work.  Though Sri Ramana's photo often graces the altar at these Satsangs, there is no real connection between these teachers and the great Sage.

Satsang in Tiruvanamalai

Each of these events held at the Ramanashram in Tiruvanamalai, hosted by neo-advaita teachers, can cost the aspirant lots of money.  First there is the trip to India which from America can cost close to $1800 for airfare alone!  Then there is ground travel, accommodation, and finally the retreat or workshop fee!  The teachers sometimes charge exorbitant amounts so as to lend further credibility to the event. They have found that the more they charge, the more the people regard their teachings as essential.  So a new profession has been crafted: The neo-advaita teacher!  Not only do many of these teachers support a modest lifestyle by this work, but some actually support an affluent one, all on the backs of the aspirants, many of whom are not in such lofty financial straits!

So who is the real loser in all of this?  For one, the true study of Advaita is the first victim, as it is being trivialized by this ersatz teaching.  The next immediate victims are the aspirants who wind up without a foundation of study and practice, waiting for enlightenment to happen spontaneously, without any effort on their part.  Godot would arrive sooner!  Leave it to the West to take something spiritually pure and beautiful and make it into a commodity where quality is sacrificed for  profit.  But that is our way.  That is why we are in the mess we are in.  Offering ersatz liberation to the unsuspecting, the neo-advaota movement is just more of that which hurts us, profit over truth, gold over love.