Authentic Spirituality
Some
might think that the present culture of practice-based spirituality
is high level. Some might think that because nonduality, mindfulness
and insight meditation are so widely practiced, that this would be
some sort of peak of spiritual culture. It is certainly true that the
present worldwide culture is better than nothing but just because
there are millions of unawakened or little-awakened people doing
these practices, this is actually light years away of genuine
awakening-based spirituality. I would even say that when all these
things are taught by popular teachers who have low level of
realization, it does as much harm as it does good, at places at
least. So the way I see it is that the present dharma culture is
really not that great because it has huge limitations.
To
establish a true culture of dharma first of all we need few
requirements: 1) fully enlightened teachers (instead of partially
enlightened), who teach 2) a tested and proven method (instead of
practices that are partially or entirely irrelevant to awakening)
that is systematical and works like any mechanical device, 3)
students who have the ability to listen, follow the instructions and
do the work and 4) resources to facilitate the activities.
The
main problem in dharma today is that there are no proper standards
when it comes to the level of awakening of teachers and practices
that people are given. It’s a one big bundle of mess and yet most
people don’t really seem to care. The problem is that people don't
really know what the whole path from unawakened state to the fully
awakened state constitutes of. They don't have a manual and practices
that would take them there, step by step. You're just being told to
continue whatever one or two techniques even if your practice has
plateaud long ago. There are no standards and one generation after
the other the blind or ones who have little vision lead the blind.
And most people are completely unaware of this believing and trusting
that in the end it will somehow work out. Albert Einstein said,
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting
different results.” It is truly puzzling how the highly educated
Westerners who have some understanding of logic and mechanisms, don't
seem to be able to think outside the box and come up with solutions
and applications that would enable them to recognize the awake
mind.
Like everything else, dharma - that art of awakening -
can be viewed and applied logically and scientifically. And it has to
be to make a true difference in the lives of individuals and
societies.
In the place of the present teachers and
teachings, I’d like to see thousand fully enlightened teachers -
mahasiddhas - teaching people practices that work instantly. Until
then all of it is just a waste of potential, opportunity and in fact,
a display of self-based delusion.
Dudjom Vajra, 14.6.2022
