Some 10 years ago I happened upon what was then a new periodical: What Is Enlightenment? (since retitled Enlightenment Next). I found the title intriguing but the content uncompelling, as it suggested that a new phase in the evolution of humankind would bring about a new form of evolutionary spirituality (as one reviewer describes the most recent publication, Evolutionary Enlightenment: A New Path to Spiritual Awakening , by the founder of that same periodical, as well). Since then I have periodically recalled that seemingly innocuous event, prompted on occasion by what seems to be an ever-increasing tendency of spiritual teachers to sell their spiritual wares in "new and improved" form.
Of course, selling the old in "new and improved" form is a common sales practice – witness the packaging strategies of the many toothpaste and soda manufacturers in this country! Indeed, a spiritual teacher for whom I have the utmost respect is even given to this practice, selling us a "new earth," made new by a "new emerging consciousness" of humankind. Already I risk overplaying my hand at being the curmudgeonly critic, so I'll limit my examples to these. However, anyone who peruses the spirituality section of the Internet or bookstores (remember those?) is well aware of the trend of which I speak.
In a nutshell, here's the problem I have with this tendency to sell spirituality in "new and improved" forms. It plays to an egoic expectation that what comes next is better, more advanced… closer to perfection. It sends the implicit message that spirituality as experienced and taught by history’s great spiritual teachers was incomplete and must be transcended. But the fact of the matter, I believe, is that while many things in this world do evolve into new forms (let’s leave aside the question of “improved” for now), spirituality does not change. Let's use the Buddha as our example…
The Buddha was so named because he experienced the awakening of buddhi. Buddhi is the higher aspect of human consciousness (as opposed to the lower aspect, namely manas, by which we think through and negotiate our daily lives) by which a direct perception of one’s true nature and reality in toto (what is called “nirvana”) is possible. Once awakened, a profound personal transformation occurs within one, which this short synopsis of a Buddha story illustrates:
When the Buddha started to wander around India, shortly after his enlightenment, he encountered several people who recognized him to be a very extraordinary being. They asked him: "Are you a god?" "No," he replied. "Are you a reincarnation of god?" "No," he replied. "Are you a wizard, then?" "No," he replied. "Well, are you a man?" "No," he replied. "So what are you?" they asked, being very perplexed. The Buddha simply replied: "I am awake."
It remains the task of all serious Buddhist practitioners to realize this experience themselves, thus realizing their own "Buddha nature" and the true nature of reality.
Every tradition has a version of self-realization and direct perception of reality. Another example would be Jesus’ realization of his own true nature (what the Christian tradition refers to as “Christ consciousness”) and his consequent perception of the sacred dimension of all existence (what the Christian tradition refers to as the “kingdom of heaven”).
Thinking about spirituality in these terms, there is no spiritual evolution either necessary or possible, despite what today’s spiritual teachers tell us. The task remains the same as ever; to seek to awaken the higher dimension of human consciousness within us and to realize the sacred dimension of all existence. Subsequent to this experience, we will achieve personal transformation, the summum bonum of the spiritual life. Until we get this far down the path, let us not speak of “new and improved” forms of spirituality. Managing the ego is work enough as it is, eh, without feeding it this hubris…
Of course, selling the old in "new and improved" form is a common sales practice – witness the packaging strategies of the many toothpaste and soda manufacturers in this country! Indeed, a spiritual teacher for whom I have the utmost respect is even given to this practice, selling us a "new earth," made new by a "new emerging consciousness" of humankind. Already I risk overplaying my hand at being the curmudgeonly critic, so I'll limit my examples to these. However, anyone who peruses the spirituality section of the Internet or bookstores (remember those?) is well aware of the trend of which I speak.
In a nutshell, here's the problem I have with this tendency to sell spirituality in "new and improved" forms. It plays to an egoic expectation that what comes next is better, more advanced… closer to perfection. It sends the implicit message that spirituality as experienced and taught by history’s great spiritual teachers was incomplete and must be transcended. But the fact of the matter, I believe, is that while many things in this world do evolve into new forms (let’s leave aside the question of “improved” for now), spirituality does not change. Let's use the Buddha as our example…
The Buddha was so named because he experienced the awakening of buddhi. Buddhi is the higher aspect of human consciousness (as opposed to the lower aspect, namely manas, by which we think through and negotiate our daily lives) by which a direct perception of one’s true nature and reality in toto (what is called “nirvana”) is possible. Once awakened, a profound personal transformation occurs within one, which this short synopsis of a Buddha story illustrates:
When the Buddha started to wander around India, shortly after his enlightenment, he encountered several people who recognized him to be a very extraordinary being. They asked him: "Are you a god?" "No," he replied. "Are you a reincarnation of god?" "No," he replied. "Are you a wizard, then?" "No," he replied. "Well, are you a man?" "No," he replied. "So what are you?" they asked, being very perplexed. The Buddha simply replied: "I am awake."
It remains the task of all serious Buddhist practitioners to realize this experience themselves, thus realizing their own "Buddha nature" and the true nature of reality.
Every tradition has a version of self-realization and direct perception of reality. Another example would be Jesus’ realization of his own true nature (what the Christian tradition refers to as “Christ consciousness”) and his consequent perception of the sacred dimension of all existence (what the Christian tradition refers to as the “kingdom of heaven”).
Thinking about spirituality in these terms, there is no spiritual evolution either necessary or possible, despite what today’s spiritual teachers tell us. The task remains the same as ever; to seek to awaken the higher dimension of human consciousness within us and to realize the sacred dimension of all existence. Subsequent to this experience, we will achieve personal transformation, the summum bonum of the spiritual life. Until we get this far down the path, let us not speak of “new and improved” forms of spirituality. Managing the ego is work enough as it is, eh, without feeding it this hubris…
Namaste!
Alex
Alex
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