The Modern Spiritual Predicament

The Modern Spiritual Predicament i was born in 1955 so 1 missed much of the excitement experienced by so many during the psychedehc revolution. That revolution revealed unimaginable possibilities that shook the very foundation of fundamental beliefs people had about what was possible. Through the ingestion of miraculous, mind-altering substances, many individuals realized literally overnight that their perspective had been shockingly limited. In light of this newly discovered per- spective, the necessity of completely reevaluating all prior assumptions and conclusions about what was true and what was important became obvious. A veil had been lifted, and for many it was no longer possible to carry on in the old way. But it soon became apparent that the mere ingestion of psychedelic drugs was not enough to truly transform. And so the pilgrimage to the East began. Many were in search of ways and means to fulfill the promise of transformation revealed in the psychedelic experience and sought wisdom and guidance from the ancient teachings of Hinduism, The Modern Spiruiuil Prcdhamcni Buddhism and Taoism. Various teachings, teachers and practices of all kinds were pursued in earnest and ihc resuhs were often dramatic and inspiring. Soon seekers were returning from the East with tales of remarkahle meetings with extraordinary people. They also proclaimed that through the pursuit of various spiritual practices, there was now a way to actualize the transformation the potential of which had been discovered in the experiment with psychedelics. Eastern teachers were invited to the West and soon westerners who had studied in Asia also began to teach. The same excitement generated by the use of psychedelics was now experienced by those who turned to eastern spiritual practices. Previously unimaginable possibilities actually did seem in reach and a movement began in the West based on the conviction that a radical transformation in consciousness could occur. It was only when I began to teach in 1986 that I started to become aware of the fact that for the most part the promise had not been fulfilled. I discovered that many of those whom 1 had looked up to as a seeker had over time, without realizing it, become cynical about the possibility of radical transformation. The reasons for this think were twofold. Too many masters from ihe liasl had K)sl ihcir mystique of perfection ihrough ccMrujMion and scandal. Also it seemed thai man)' ol ihc pracliccs ihal had promised enlightenment were not proclucnii; the resuhs thai had been anticipated. /\u I 'nu^nduiouiil Rclatumship to Life It has been a constant revelation to me how httle faith many of the original western messengers of freedom now have in the possibihty of truly radical transformation. To me it has seemed for some time now that in many the innocence that is a prerequisite for genuine enlightenment has been lost. For the quantum leap to occur, the individual must believe without any doubt that radical transformation is an actual possibility To believe that such a leap is possible, an innocence that is uncorrupted by cynicism or fear must be found. Indeed, most human beings can only bear to sustain this kind of profound vulnerability for very brief periods of time. Without the illusion of security that fixed conclusions about what is possible provide, most individuals experience terror and an unbearable sense of insecurity. To avoid this condition of undefended receptivity, most hide behind cynical views and fixed conclusions that protect them from the overwhelming insecurity of daring to believe in a life with no boundaries. I come from the second generation of modern western spiritual practitioners in pursuit of enlightenment, and my own experience has forced me to question many of the prevailing ideas that have become status quo in the con- temporary spiritual world. It seems that twenty or thirty years later, many of those who in their youthful idealism seemed willing to take enormous risks in order to fulfill the promise of the transcendental vision have over time become willing to settle for compromise. Many give lip The Modern Spiritual Predicament service to I lie need for extraordinary transformation, hui llie kind oi lives thai so many spiritual people seem will- ing lo accept lends to make me wonder. The idealistic insistence on the need to question all prior assumptions and conclusions about that which is true and important has been replaced by a willingness to accept many of the very structures that at one time were revealed to be flawed. Intense passion about spiritual possibilities is often reduced to mere naive idealism by many of those who once experienced a similar conviction. The fact is that very few of those who aspired to the highest heights of spiritual attainment have penetrated beyond the superficial layers of spiritual insight and experi- ence. Those few from the East and the West who have, have often betrayed the depth of their own attainment through succumbing to the temptations of lust and greed for power. Ironically, those who have gone the farthest and who could have made the deepest impression have, through their own failings, helped to create the prevailing mood of cynicism that they could have destroyed. It is only through clear examples that the entire status quo of cynical convictions can he ultimateU' challenged. And it is only through the discovery ol prolound \ ulnera- bility and undefended receptivity that one wtuild dare lo believe in the possibility of unconditional translcMiiiatic^n. An [h]conditional Rchilionship to Life