Is It Possible?

Is It Possible? vJo ahead with your teachings," Penor Rinpoche said to me during a meeting we had in Bodhgaya at the beginning of 1994. "Try your best to give this to people, to make them reahze that naturalness. Because after that naturalness there must be some inner space, there must arise infinite compassion to help others. That is very important. In Buddhism we say brightness itself is the essence of com- passion, and compassion itself is the essence of brightness. So they must go together. But first you must realize that brightness, and arising with it there must be a lot of natural compassion." 'T am always emphasizing that the motivation for enlightenment must change from the personal to the impersonal," 1 responded. 'T emphasize that because so many people are only concerned with their own liberation. I call this teaching Impersonal Enlightenment." "The root of bondage, the root of suffering itself is our clinging to a nonexisting personal," Penor Rinpoche said. h U Possible? 'Thinking thai everything is personal, ihough everything is always impersonal." "Yes, this is whal

mean," replied, wholeheartedly agreeing with iiim. "But we cling to everything as personal, and that is the root cause of our own bondage." "This is the essence of my teaching," I went on to say "The essence. I am always stressing to people to realize that there is nothing personal about anything that any human being could ever experience at any moment in time." "A very judicious person can always know this," the Rinpoche said. "So if you get that, if you reach that imper- sonal level, if you can ultimately give away that clinging to the personal, that itself is actually liberation." It was always thrilling to meet other teachers and even more so when we really met. Penor Rinpoche is head of the Nyingma lineage and also a highly respected master of Dzogchen. This meeting occurred while 1 was leading a two-week intensive retreat, which over the last four )'ears had become an annual event. Once again, a large group of people had gathered together from all over the world in this small town in northern India to spend two weeks gi\ing their lull allcniion lo ihc pursuit and disco\'cr\' ol cnlighi- cnnuMii. In rcccnl years, it was the disco\er\' ol ihai which had s|')c)kcn wiih ihc Rinj")oche ahoiH, the inipcrsona! naluic ol existence, lo which 1 was pointing the attentuMi /38 /\n I 'M(()Mt/ifi('Hij| Rchinouship lo 1/( of those who came to see me. It was through the discovery of that impersonal dimension of perception that the true and right relationship of all things was revealed. It was that that thrilled me so deeply, answered every question and made all things possible. Indeed, it seemed as if all of my experiences, first as a seeker and then as a teacher, had been leading me to this. Soon I would be returning to Kathmandu and then was off to New Zealand. What an adventure! There was now a worldwide community of hundreds of people who were willing to dedicate their lives to proving that the miracle of enlightenment made true love possible in a love-starved world. My inability to compromise, coupled with intense curiosity and a willingness to be independent, has taken me to a place that would have been impossible to imagine even only a few short years ago. Sometimes I truly feel that must have lost my mind, that I must be crazy. But most of the time, it seems like the riddle of human existence has been solved, that the mystery of ignorance has been demys- tified, and most importantly, that the way to profound and meaningful sanity has been found. It's often too much to believe. It's too much to take in. It almost seems like it couldn't be possible. h h Possible? For more information about Andrew Cohen and his teaching please contact: Moksha Foundation P. O. Box 5265 Larkspur, CA 94977 USA tel: 415-927-3210 fax: 415-927-2032 FACE Centre (Friends of Andrew Cohen in Europe) Centre Studios Englands Lane London NW3 4YD UK tel: 44-171-483-3732 fax: 44-171-916-3170 How rare, a realized person who is still exploring, still discovering the principles of the great traditions, free from their cultural chauvinism." — LEX HIXON, author of Great Swan and Mother of the Universe 'Andrew Cohen graces us with a remarkable gift, as he relates his experi- ences, including conversations with masters in various spiritual traditions, seeking answers to the questions many of us ask — about enlightenment and living in the world, about teachers and gurus as models, about finding one's true work. His intimate sharing, with simple frankness and honesty, informs and inspires. His integrity shines through each page. The book is a total delight." — WILLIS HARMAN, President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences 1 wish this book had been available when I began my spiritual journey many years ago. Its uncompromising insistence on integrity in all walks of life could have saved me from many traps inherent in the teacher-disciple relationship. No seeker should leave home without it." — ANN FARADAY, PH. D., author of Dream Power and The Dream Game 'Andrew Cohen's explosive writings call us to an absolute level of integrity- that is preached by every spiritual path but practiced by few. His demand of unwavering congruence between meaning, message and method springs from passionate conviction rather than dogmatic adherence. Whatever your path, don't read this book unless you are prepared to gaze with unflinching honesty on the ultimate demands of your spiritual practice." — DAWSON CHURCH, CEO of Atrium Publishers Group, author of Facing Death, Finding Love