Did Our Gurus Lie, Reconsidered
Two days ago, I put out this question: if our Gurus mislead us about enlightenment, were they intentionally lying? When they promised neon lights and an easy perfection, were they pulling the silk over our eyes intentionally?
What I answered, basically, was that they were speaking about the shift in abstract or metaphysical ways, but we heard them from our culture in terms of our own individual desires.
In continuing to ponder this, I think I was ducking what seems true to me. I didn't say it because it is more controversial and aggressive. Frankly, I chickened out. So here goes.
One wise friend wrote: "India is full of hyperbole. The outrageous claims of yogi's seem to be accepted in India as natural, and are not criticized. I don't actually know how many people believe them, but I suspect the average people are very gullible; or have been until recently. But I think the gurus are as simpleminded and naive as the Americans who listen to them. They HOPE what they say is true somehow."
This is true as far as it goes. But what neither of us wanted to say is that there is money, fame and power involved. The guru that promises an easy perfection may be more likely to gather adherents, and all that comes with those increasing numbers, than one who describes a longer, more complex path.
Again, I am not saying that there is nothing to enlightenment. I believe that there is; a lot in fact. But it does not bring in magically an effortless life, a life without ego, or anything else as automatic. To address our pain takes the work of discerning where it came from and curing that. To resolve our marriages takes interpersonal work, schlogging through the guff that comes up. To improve our workdays takes building the skill sets that are involved with that.
Spiritual advancement helps these efforts, I think. But it does not magically solve our issues.
The choice between easy promises and hard is alas easy. Would the typical 22 year old in pain for years, be more likely to go to the Guru who promises "gain enlightenment and you'll have joy, joy, joy" or the one who says, "gain enlightenment and then, if you work steadily at it over years, you'll have joy, joy, joy." The first, the easier, is far more attractive. False, probably, but appealing!
And the promise that enlightenment produces all the goodies effortlessly may be something that a teacher hopes is true somehow, for its what his / her teacher told them. I can't tell you how many people have responded as one commenter did here, that "I'm not enlightened but it is my guess that our gurus were right after all. The personality will live its life as just a play or lila.The personality too will be in bliss…" This is a statement of a hope, held sincerely and with certainty. But it's a faith statement. I wonder how many of our teachers were also offering faith statements?
What may be hard here, and I know it was hard for me, is to accept the fact, which the book Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be tries to make clear, that despite their charisma, despite their wisdom, and especially despite their wonderful Babu accents, our gurus may have been regular old dudes and dudettes, flawed and creaky and imperfect, wanting to teach what they knew (believed?) to as many people as possible. Any misleading us about enlightenment, consciously intended or not, may have been a piece of that. Expedient means anyone?
November 07, 2011 at 3:55 pm, G.W. said:
Who said it was easy, effortless, and full of joy, joy, joy. To become enlightened is for the few. To pursue enlightenment by doing our spiritual practices, healing the wounds of our egos which is our lesson here on playground earth, mitigating fear, and getting closer to being nothing in the quantum field is the deal.
Buddhists say that it the mitigation of suffering that we must eradicate. Their word for suffering means not be in one's truth in terms of one's "inherent nature." To be out of sink with ones essence is suffering. Therefore "they" use the word bliss not joy is not the way Westerners would define it. Bliss is being in ones empowered essence without the unconscious pull of core wounding and ego. This does not mean we do not walk in the world and sh_t does not happen. It means we witness more of what happens to us without attachment of ruination and abandonment. Thus walking in life has as the Hindu's might say, an illusion capacity to it that we see, and learn from but do not get all into the human drama of. Now some of us may see this as joy and it is certainly an easier way to walk through life, but walking it is still apart of the journey. In this capacity it just does not bother or trigger us as much.
I do not think the true gurus lied to us, It may be we who misinterpreted them.
March 12, 2012 at 10:27 am, Cruz said:
Hi Antonia,You gave us quite a list of blissful tgnihs! I like all on your list with traveling and massage being my top two favorites.I think it is important for us to identify what happiness means to us, change the habits that make us unhappy, conquer any emotions that stop us from being truly happy. and make an effort to live happier every day. If we keep these tips in mind each and every day, we will be able to achieve a noticeable increase in our own level of happiness. All it takes is practice! Yes?
November 07, 2011 at 5:08 pm, Robert Forman said:
Now this is closer to what you'll find in Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be. Thanks.
But I have a feeling that, if we were clearer on what enlightenment actually is, many, many more people have undergone this than “just the few”. It is probably more common that we know.
Yet also, that some of our Gurus touted the glories of that state, and that some even still do, is the case. Perhaps you want to say they weren't true gurus, but who could say who was true?
But I’d also add this: there really is a shift in the structure of awareness that the word “enlightenment” marks. Its more than just striving, more than just growing. I don’t want to devalue that.
March 12, 2012 at 3:46 pm, Justin said:
Hi, Antonia, This is the kind of list one can go back to again and again for reminders or new relpoxations! You articulate these kinds of activities so well. Thank you! One I would add, which some might find incongruous, is to clean house. I find that if my house is in order, shining, I feel SO much better. Fresh flowers in vases. Clean sinks, fresh linens. Being in that environment always lifts my spirits! (Maybe not as much fun getting there, though!) Love, Mom xoxo
November 11, 2011 at 10:10 am, Tom Evans said:
Maybe they weren’t lying so much but listening and believing their ego mind (which is sometimes louder and more vociferous) as opposed to speaking from their heart and trusting their gut … this then infects others accordingly and the wrong dogma is proliferated accordingly