Thanks Abdias824,
for your recommendation of the book
"Enlightenment- The Path through the Jungle" by Dennis Waite.
Here is a website where you can
read some extracts from this book if anyone is interested: [
www.advaita.org.uk]
This is what the
James Swartz (who is also quite critical of Moo) has to say of the book:
"When in the Nineties the Neo-Advaita satsang movement burst on the spiritual scene many enlightenment seekers took heart. Here was a teaching in harmony with the fast paced pulse of modern life, one that that did not require effort and promised instant enlightenment. As the new century began to unfold, however, it became apparent to the discriminating that the bloom was off the rose. Although it served to familiarize the public with the idea of non-duality, Neo-Advaita, like so many 'movements', proved to be little more than a lifestyle fad and probably will not rate more than a miniscule footnote in the annals of the spiritual life of the planet.
No harm done? Hardly. As a result of the many ill-considered half-truths it served to propagate it has reinforced any number of enlightenment myths.
leaving tens of thousands of seekers disappointed and confused. Dennis Waite's excellent new book, "Enlightenment: the path through the jungle" sets the record straight by comparing Neo-Advaita with traditional Vedanta, a means of enlightenment that has passed the test of time.
This critical but fair book clarifies what enlightenment is and what it isn't according to the traditional definition. It shows why a gradual, systematic, time-tested method of inquiry is necessary. It explains how mixing the relative and the absolute levels causes great confusion. It also provides a valuable service by distinguishing the path of action or Yoga, the techniques used to prepare the mind for enlightenment, from Vedanta, the path of knowledge, the direct cause of enlightenment.
It makes it clear that enlightenment is for the mind and that the cursory dismissal of the mind, or the 'story' as it is called in Neo-Advaita, is spiritually counterproductive. It deals with the issues of path and no path, doing and non-doing, appearance and reality, the qualifications necessary for enlightenment, the need for a teacher and other important topics of interest to sincere seekers."
I agree with James 100%!! If people take anything away form my 240+ posts in this forum- it's this: Please do not dismiss your own mind. Your mind is beautiful, vital and important. You need it to live in the world and to enjoy your life.Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2019 09:41AM by Sahara71.