I was curious when I saw this book in Koh Phangan. I am half way through and have decided that I don’t enjoy it, especially the way the author writes, but want to continue reading it for conversational purposes and perspective on the topic. The "author" depicts his life as owning a convent/monastery/retreat in the U.S. It’s a fictional house for those who wish to seek enlightenment. You cannot just go here, there is an interview process. And while you are here, you socialize with the other guests, do chores, and occasionally get to speak with "Jed" himself. Other than that, he stays in his own area and keeps to his ‘enlightened’ self. Here is an excerpt that caught my eye:
“The critical distinction (b/n those enlightened and the average being) is that one is in a dream and the other is not. One is within consciousness and one is independent of consciousness. The enlightened have awakened from the dream and no longer mistake it for reality.”
Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid practitioner of yoga, studied religion at University, consider my mind in a spiritual state much of the time and would like to learn about different forms of meditation – but way does the world need to be this place that is a dream, a place that people feel they need to strive to escape from? There are many ways to live your life and enlightenment may be your calling, but you are here now – living and breathing air in real time. Why would you spend your time here sitting, eyes closed, not interacting with others, dedicated to your escape, rather than finding a way to actively participate and contribute in your world? In my eyes, succeeding in becoming an elightened one, as "McKenna" describes it, is a lack of consciousness.
Of course, as the commenter below has stated, my entry here is a very simple response to only one of his ideas. The ideas/theories/predictions of Adyashanti are endless, much deeper and far too difficult for me to delve into in this entry. Check out variuos interpretations of Adyashanti theories online for yourself.
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You might want to finish the book - and maybe learn the correct title before blogging about it.
ReplyDeleteThe name of the book is Spiritual Enlightenment, The Damnedest Thing.
The author does not own a convent/monastery/retreat in the U.S.
There is no Jed McKenna.
Yes, I did finish the book. And going by everything that I have read, this is my reaction to a large thought that he puts out there and one among many that I have taken much time to question and think about.
ReplyDeleteI have now done more research into the fictional charater and life of Jed McKenna. This exploration into Spiritual Enlightenment is endless and one that people should question as one reads more and more into the subject.