Supporting Non-Duality and Awakening in Asheville and Beyond
Tony Parsons on "Enlightenment"
I used to believe that people actually became enlightened, and that the event was similar to someone winning the jackpot in a national lottery. Once the price had been won, the beneficiary would thereafter be guaranteed permanent bliss, infallibility and incorruptible goodness.
In my ignorance, I thought these people had obtained and owned something that made them special and totally different from me. This illusory idea reinforced in me the belief that enlightenment was virtually unobtainable except for an extraordinary and chosen few. These misconceptions sprang from some image I held of how a state of perfection should look. I was not yet able to see that enlightenment has nothing to do with the idea of perfection. These beliefs were greatly strengthened when I compared my imagined inadequacies with the picture I held of whichever ‘spiritual hero’ I happened to be attracted to at the time.
I feel that most people see enlightenment in a similar way.
Certainly there have been, and still are, many who seek to encourage such beliefs and who have actually claimed to have become enlightened. I now see that this is as pointless a declaration as someone proclaiming to the world that they can breathe.
Essentially the realization of enlightenment brings with it the sudden comprehension that there is no one and nothing to be enlightened. Enlightenment simply is. It cannot be owned, just as it cannot be achieved or won like some trophy. All and everything is oneness, and all that we do gets in its way by trying to find it.
Those who make claims of enlightenment or take certain stances have simply not realized its paradoxical nature and presume ownership of a state they imagine they have achieved. They are likely to have had a deep personal experience of some kind, but this bears absolutely no relationship to liberation. Consequently, they still remain locked in their own individual concepts based on their own particular belief systems.
These people often need to take on the role of ‘spiritual teachers’ or ‘enlightened masters’ and inevitably attract those who need to be students or disciples. Their teaching, still rooted in dualism, inevitably promotes a schism between the ‘teacher’ and those who choose to follow the teaching. As the following increases, so does the exclusive role for the master need to be enhanced.
One of the usual symptoms, when such a role has been adopted, is a clampdown of any admission or sign of ‘human weakness’. This condition usually creates distance between the ‘master’ and his or her followers. As the specialness of the ‘master’ becomes more effective, and the demands of the followers become greater, so invariably do the teachings become more obscure and convoluted. As the obscurity of the teaching increases, so does the schism get wider, and many of the followers often become more confused and submissive. The usual effect on those involved can be unquestioning adulation, disillusionment, or an awakening and moving on.
However, these kinds of influences have established and maintained an illusory sense of doubt and inadequacy in the collective unconscious about people’s ability to open to and realize something that is as natural, simple and available as breathing.
Those who have fully comprehended and embraced liberation have absolutely nothing to sell. When they share their understanding, they have no need to embellish themselves or what they share. Neither do they have any interest in being mothers, fathers or teachers. Exclusivity breeds exclusion, but freedom is shared through friendship.
--- from The Open Secret by Tony Parsons.
In my ignorance, I thought these people had obtained and owned something that made them special and totally different from me. This illusory idea reinforced in me the belief that enlightenment was virtually unobtainable except for an extraordinary and chosen few. These misconceptions sprang from some image I held of how a state of perfection should look. I was not yet able to see that enlightenment has nothing to do with the idea of perfection. These beliefs were greatly strengthened when I compared my imagined inadequacies with the picture I held of whichever ‘spiritual hero’ I happened to be attracted to at the time.
I feel that most people see enlightenment in a similar way.
Certainly there have been, and still are, many who seek to encourage such beliefs and who have actually claimed to have become enlightened. I now see that this is as pointless a declaration as someone proclaiming to the world that they can breathe.
Essentially the realization of enlightenment brings with it the sudden comprehension that there is no one and nothing to be enlightened. Enlightenment simply is. It cannot be owned, just as it cannot be achieved or won like some trophy. All and everything is oneness, and all that we do gets in its way by trying to find it.
Those who make claims of enlightenment or take certain stances have simply not realized its paradoxical nature and presume ownership of a state they imagine they have achieved. They are likely to have had a deep personal experience of some kind, but this bears absolutely no relationship to liberation. Consequently, they still remain locked in their own individual concepts based on their own particular belief systems.
These people often need to take on the role of ‘spiritual teachers’ or ‘enlightened masters’ and inevitably attract those who need to be students or disciples. Their teaching, still rooted in dualism, inevitably promotes a schism between the ‘teacher’ and those who choose to follow the teaching. As the following increases, so does the exclusive role for the master need to be enhanced.
One of the usual symptoms, when such a role has been adopted, is a clampdown of any admission or sign of ‘human weakness’. This condition usually creates distance between the ‘master’ and his or her followers. As the specialness of the ‘master’ becomes more effective, and the demands of the followers become greater, so invariably do the teachings become more obscure and convoluted. As the obscurity of the teaching increases, so does the schism get wider, and many of the followers often become more confused and submissive. The usual effect on those involved can be unquestioning adulation, disillusionment, or an awakening and moving on.
However, these kinds of influences have established and maintained an illusory sense of doubt and inadequacy in the collective unconscious about people’s ability to open to and realize something that is as natural, simple and available as breathing.
Those who have fully comprehended and embraced liberation have absolutely nothing to sell. When they share their understanding, they have no need to embellish themselves or what they share. Neither do they have any interest in being mothers, fathers or teachers. Exclusivity breeds exclusion, but freedom is shared through friendship.
--- from The Open Secret by Tony Parsons.
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Comment by Howard McQueen on April 24, 2009 at 4:57pm
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Good advice, especially the words relating to separation, doubt, inadequacy ...
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Comment by Cullen Anderson on April 24, 2009 at 5:13pm
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I like what he has to say because those I have a high regard for also agree with him. PapaJi: "No teaching, no teacher, no student". Pamela Wilson: "Spiritual states come and go, but this ordinary presence has always been here." Eckhart Tolle: "Enlightenment is simply a natural state of felt oneness with Being". GanagJi: "I'm just like you". Ramana Maharshi "What is real does not come and go."
The simple presence that is at our core is always here, noticing high, low, and inbetween states.
I really resonate with Tony's statement, because for over 23 years I thought as he first did, that enlightenment was a state of perfection, and only a select few attain it. I thought once you achieve enlightenment, your life would be perfect bliss at all times. Since coming to GangaJI, PapaJi, and Ramana, I now agree with Tony Parsons. It sure is a divine joke isn't it? That our egoic identity wants to be "enlightened", but actually stands in the way. When Wakefullness is front and center, there is no one separate egoicidentity left to be enlightened, or to want to be known as being enlightened.
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Comment by Mitzi on April 27, 2009 at 10:39am
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Thank you Tony for your words, and Cullen, Howard and Kimberly for your sharing!
I have been siting this last yr on a fence. Being pulled by my knowing....and my unknowing.
And my knowing that I don't know, and knowing I dont need to know, and knowing what i know today may not be so tomorrow. And then exhausted by it all, feeling like its a "giving up" but "getting" that it is just to "BE."
After sitting with Gangaji last year a switch inside happened. As with her books and Papaji's,
Ekhart Tolle's and others, they are all saying the same thing "Be still." How much information can we put into our brains, and hope that it comes into our being. It is already there.!
Is it more like using the being to put it into the brain???
I feel the "being" is going to be, but here some may put restrictions on themselves so to be a part of other 'beings" that seem to "have it." What is "it" anyway? Those "being" who we think have "it"
Do we see them in their cars when someone cuts them off?
Do we see them when they stub their toe?
Do we see them when their spouse cheats on them?
and it is not just them....it is I, we, us
Can we truly accept everything "Just as it is"....all the time?
Yes the teachings assist in the way some may deal with this earthly plain, with the injustices, the dishonoring, disrespect, unconsciousness that can be discerned. The teachings are the knowings we already know in the true-ist of moments. But in other moments....can we find peace always?
With the tools we have in our bags or the paints in our box, we can color it, ease it, work it into something acceptable as "it" is and then it is just letting "it" pass on without giving out more energy.
I am not writing here to put down any ideology, teacher, teaching etc....( it all has assisted me)
just sharing my inner working at this time, stimulated by Tony writing, and I am totally in agreement with his sharing. His words have been exactly what I have been feeling lately, and I do believe the times are at the effect.
I am grateful for the opportunity, and grateful to asheville as it has truly expanded, and graced me with lots of explorations!
It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood!
Blessed be
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Admendment!
Just wanting to add:
that all that I have written has humor in it also!
just thought floating around......
It is a Blog!
1st ime blogger here!
ha
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