After writing about Steven Harrison's book in my previous post, "Doing Nothing — a book about ending the spiritual search," below are additional passages that appealed to me.
Which doesn't mean that I resonate with everything in Doing Nothing. Some parts are a bit overly New Age'y for me, and I came across a mention of divinity that seems at odds with Harrison's message. But on the whole, I enjoy his blunt assessment of the problem with spiritual searching.
Basically, it boils down to a simple assertion that is in line with both neuroscience and Zen: whenever we're seeking salvation, enlightenment, mystical experience, or whatever for ourself, this ends up strengthening our sense of self — and that sense is what keeps us from feeling at ease in this messy, confusing, changeable world, our only true home.
To give an example from my life, and my sense of self, whenever I use the circuit training weight room at our athletic club, I get annoyed when someone is sitting at a machine I want to use for longer than I think they need to.
But my view of what the proper time is comes from the way I use the machines, which is pretty quickly, usually just 20 repetitions, aside from 48 repetitions on the abdominal machine. And certainly at times I will be using a machine that prevents someone else from using it.
So recently I've been silently saying, Hope you're having a good workout, when I find myself getting annoyed at a person who, in my irritated frame of mind, seems to be camping out on a machine I want to use. This relaxes me. I no longer feel like I'm in a battle with the other person. They're just doing what I'm doing, exercising in the circuit training weight room in their own way.
In these passages Harrison speaks of how we confer authority upon a guru or spiritual teacher because we wrongly believe that this will benefit ourself, a self-centered point of view.
This teacher is our projection, the reflection of our fear, anxiety, and laziness. We project a father figure who is certain, authoritative, and disciplined. We project a mother figure who is nurturing, forgiving, and uncritical.
…This guru game is like the enlightenment game, we play it because we do not want to face our emptiness.
We have misunderstood our confusion when we think there is an answer to it. The confusion is not a result of questions that are too hard, but rather a questioner who is disintegrating. Confusion is the introduction to true intelligence. This is an intelligence without a center and without the dominance of thought.
If we sacrifice that intelligence in the name of the guru, if we put aside our spiritual responsibility for the authority of another, we have entered the realm of lost souls. Beware all those who enter here. The souls are lost. The guru is lost.
Power is corruption. There is abundant evidence in the sex and money scandals of a multitude of gurus that this is the case. How many insightful and charismatic teachers have become mired in intrigue and deception as their followers rationalize their leader's behavior?
The movement to increasing stupidity is the very nature of this structure, because the first step, the abdication of responsibility, is a misstep.
Harrison also warns against the lure of seeking experiences through meditation. This is another trap, often linked to the guru trap, since sometimes a guru is a person's meditation teacher.
It should not be surprising then that meditation becomes the hunt for experiences. The mind that is dissatisfied with its life is dissatisfied with itself and looks for this other.
There is a state of bliss, a state of peace, a state of love that it hunts for, a state that will be different, better, more complete than the mind which is hunting.
And yet, the field in which the mind hunts for this other, is the mind itself.
Finding nothing but itself, the mind, the meditator, looks for significance in what it finds. It finds experiences, states, gods and demons. From this it creates descriptions, explanations, and instructions. From this are created philosophy and religion.
…The mind has folded into itself. It has discovered a self-created truth and yet is still contained within itself.
If we are told to sit, close our eyes and look for the white light, we will create that white light. Or Buddha. Or Shiva. Or Jesus.
This is interesting in its own way. We can be educated or conditioned to experience particular phenomena in our meditation.
It can appear to be a joyful experience to find our god in meditation. But where did our god come from? Is this not a projection of the same mind that is in profound conflict? Isn't our god, the serene and compassionate one, an expression of this conflict? By creating this being of light, do we not imply that we exist in the shadows, that we are not that? Are we not still in conflict?
…The question is often asked, "How do we go beyond our minds?" The question presumes that we will still be there observing it all when "beyond" is reached. Beyond the mind means beyond the questioner, so who will be there to observe?
…We do not live lives of originality and discovery, but rather lives echoing the perspectives we have inherited.
The most fundamental conditioning is that of "I am," the basic sense of self-centeredness. This is the sense that there is a thinker who thinks thoughts and who somehow lives in our bodies. This is the illusion that we have location.
…Any approach to ourselves is from ourselves and is consequently part of the conditioning. It is a hopeless dilemma, and there is nothing we can do about it.
So, can we do nothing? A simple thing: nothing. There is a fundamental quiet in nothing.
…Doing nothing outlines the doer in an unmistakable way. If we wish to approach our mind, the most direct way is to do nothing. If we want to go beyond our mind, do nothing.
Perhaps what becomes most clear when we do nothing is that thought keeps on going, as though we were doing something. There is great humor in this. There is no on/off switch to thought. We are sure that we are the thinker of these thoughts, but they seem to have a mind of their own.
But if these thoughts do have a mind of their own, then who is the thinker? And more important, where is this thinker, this "me"?
The most fascinating thing is that we cannot find the thinker anywhere. Thoughts are coming and going, feelings, images, plans, dreams, fears and even commentaries on these thoughts are occurring. But, we cannot find the thinker in the nothingness anywhere. Just thought.
…Our entire reality is built upon a premise of a "me" located in our body. Perhaps it is time to look again.
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All souls here are lost. We are in the process of liberation as we attempt to free ourselves of the layers of our blindness and misunderstanding.
For that guidance and help are critical.
If that help helps you grow, become more aware of your blindspots, take more responsibility to use the tools to free yourself, then that’s progress.
If you are becoming attached to a personality, a philosophical argument, or any other mental or emotional barrier then that’s not good.
It is natural to love what is good. So long as it is actually helping you.
Here is a hint. Any negative judgments of others you have no relationship with nor interest nor capacity to help is a waste of your time. It’s not about them.
That’s not a public service. It’s a waste of your own precious time. And like all forms of distraction, a weapon of the mind against you.
“Beyond the mind means beyond the questioner, so who will be there to observe?”
The observer who can observe their own thoughts has a level of objective distance from those thoughts. That happens all the time. Not just in meditation. It’s called reflection.
Just finished Believe, by Ross Douthat.
Douthat starts his overall argument for belief with the teleological argument. That is, that science tells us the universe had a known beginning, and the conditions for life are statistically inexplicable. From that, Douthat’s surmises that some kind of creative intelligence started, or perhaps imbues, the cosmos.
From that, Douthat naturally argues for belief in God. But which God, which religion? Here Douthat makes a very broad-minded case, suggesting that any kind of belief in God, of whatever name, perhaps the Dharma, perhaps Krishna, even perhaps Roman deities, is perfectly OK.
Along the way, Douthat recognizes that it’s fair for people to demand proof of the transcendent before they belief. And here he offers that all of us have had times in our lives when strange things apparently occurred. Douthat tells us that any strange event or perception or dream we’ve had is our evidence for miracles. It seems we’ve been experiencing miracles all along and didn’t know it, and that’s because naysayers told us that our sense can sometimes trick us.
While I sensed that Douthat was really pushing the limits of his considerable intellect and persuasive powers to make these points, I still felt so far so good. That’s because I’ve had extraordinary events in my life that don’t boil down to easy explanation. So yes, Douthat, so far so good. I think you would have done well to also argue for the personal, psychological and societal benefits of belief, which I think are considerable. But I’m impressed with the novelty of some of the points you make, and especially impressed with your inclusive attitude toward virtually all religions.
And yet, halfway through the book, I wondered: Douthat is a Catholic. How is he going to end this thing? It seems like his argument is leaning toward a Vatican II, Pope Francisesqe take on every religion, even every moral life having merit in the eyes of our Creator.
But Douthat doesn’t go there. In the final chapter, in what is an extremely strange turn, Douthat mirrors not Pope Francis but Pope Pius X. He suddenly declares there’s only one authentic religion, and it’s Catholicism. He also hand waves away all historical criticism of the Bible, just as Pius did in the 19th century. For every word in all the 4 gospels is pristinely perfect and accurate. He recommends books on demonology as the best polemics for believing in Jesus. And he ends with an impassioned plea to the reader to become Catholic now if they want to escape eternity in flames.
I haven’t read a book in a long time that has disappointed me more.
@ Sant64 , and Spence
>> …. “He suddenly declares there’s only one ….etc…<< He is free to believe that there is no need to argue with him about the contents truth or not ..what has proven for me to be ENOUGH .... is .. That power you speak of has never appeared before me and told me to heed your words. and unless that moment what we have is jus your word about something that is not yours even.
Gurinder singh dhillon and his apprentice definitely take souls to their realms, which are in effect a hell for these lost souls. The satanic gurus initiate using a satanic mantra – the first word of the mantra is jot niranjan which means light of the devil. This leads souls down a path to hell which is gurinders paradise. These souls would be made to do more seva and freedoms taken away as they sit to meditation in submission to light demonic entities. They will be forced to worship kaal, satan. Gurinder your satanic evil cult has been.exposed.
Eh, reading this blog title I thought it said Gurus lead us into the realm of hungry ghosts, no idea why it’s not even close!
But thinking of which, if anyone’s looking for a creepy rabbit hole to wander down this weekend, how about the book The Siren Call of Hungry Ghosts by Joe Fisher…..but be warned, it is a creepy rabbit hole indeed. Perhaps best to approach via an interlocutor?;
“Essentially, this book pulls back the veil on the channeling and spirit guide phenomena, and compels you to look, through a glass darkly, at evil in one of its more beautiful, complex, seductive, ingeniously manipulative forms. While it is dangerous to be unaware of such dark possibilities and manipulative entities, it may also be dangerous to cast your attention in their direction. Attention is not just internal, it is also a beacon visible to others, and not all of those others are visible to us. That’s one of several reasons I am providing a fairly extensive review of this book. I will also announce a bail out point for those of you who are actually prepared to hunt down this book and read it in the immediate future.”
https://zaporacle.com/the-siren-call-of-hungry-ghosts/
When I read something like this, I immediately seek out the book and read it. But beware and be aware, whether you believe in the phenomenona described or not, the author certainly experienced something and sadly committed suicide in 2001.
Whatever the real nature of the phenomenona they encountered, reading their book and going down this rabbit hole is certainly of a very disturbing psychological nature. Reader discretion is advised.
With my past history of posts here it’s easy to understand people interpreting my criticisms of RS and it’s gurus as grounded in delusion, vindictiveness, ego etc, rather than the well informed, balanced, objective and detached observations they seem to me 😉
But damn, seriously and authentically, and with genuine empathy and compassion, I wonder how a paragraph like the following must read to anyone still affiliated with RSSB and Gurinder? I imagine if through some disastrous turn of fate my life took a different direction and I continued following RSSB 26 odd years ago (if you have seen what I have seen since, you would know why it would feel horrifically disastrous for things to have unfolded differently 😘😉), reading something like this would cut pretty deep. There’s just no honest retort, and lie to yourself as much as you like, anyone with a modicum of integrity in their psyche will know they’re kidding themselves deep down.
Such a sad denouement, a genuine let down 😞
“Power is corruption. There is abundant evidence in the sex and money scandals of a multitude of gurus that this is the case. How many insightful and charismatic teachers have become mired in intrigue and deception as their followers rationalize their leader’s behavior?”