Foreword

Ouppose the book you are now holding were a textbook about a technical subject such as radiology or about an aca- demic subject such as economics. It would probably be called Fundamentals of. This book is neither technical nor academic, yet it fully deserves the title Fundamentals of Liberation or TheA-B-Cs of Fnlightenment or A Primer on Reality. Whatever the title, this slender volume is a distillation of enormous wisdom about the most important thing for you—the how, what and why of spiritual freedom, unconditional happiness, the meaning of life, the truth of existence, God-realization, Enlightenment. The wisdom in here is ancient; you will find it stated in various ways in all the world's sacred traditions. But Andrew Cohen is not simply collecting it as if this were a term paper. The clarity, simplicity and integrity of his teaching demon- strate that what he says is genuinely his own realization of the timeless teachings. Moreover, he articulates it in a unique, powerful expression of great value for our time. Foreword xi The truth about "embracing heaven and earth" must be rediscovered by each generation if it is to be useful guidance rather than a dead weight of authority. Andrew's graceful presentation of the fundamentals of Liberation offers the kind of useful guidance so badly needed for a global society of increasing conflict and violence. "Conflict and violence" because religious groups tend to narrowly and jealously guard their piece of the truth rather than lovingly sharing it with others who likewise have their particular perspective on the nature of God and ultimate reality, which is no less true but no more comprehensive. Andrew brings those groups' fundamentals together in a way that contributes to deepened understanding by showing that the core truth of each is the same for them all. Christians, for example, are instructed in the Bible by Jesus to "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." Andrew says, "For one who is sincerely interested in being free in this life, the simplicity inherent in wanting only Liberation and nothing else is very attractive," and he makes clear that "salvation" can only be properly understood as Liberation or Enlightenment. Hindus, for another example, are instructed in the Bhagavad Gita to "Perform all your actions with your heart fixed on God; renounce attachment to the fruit of your actions." Andrew says, "And in the end, there is nothing more that any of us can do than want to be free more than anything xii Embracing Heaven & Earth

else and be willing to back it up with action and with sacrifice." Buddhists are instructed that the root cause of suffering is desire. Andrew says, "It's only when the wanting falls away that we can begin to experience a fullness that is always there." Jews are instructed that Job's suffering and sorrows are not to be understood in personal terms because there is transcendent power and law undergirding creation. "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said 'Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?'" Andrew says, "Indeed, to succeed in liberating ourselves from ignorance and delusion, we have to get to that point where we're able to directly perceive the impersonal nature of every aspect of our own personal experience." These are some of the fundamentals of Liberation. But rather than you finding them piecemeal here and there in other sources, Andrew's realization of the truth of existence synthesizes them in a seamless and refreshing style. Stunning insights abound, wrapped in clear prose. The truth of our existence is usually stated by enlight- ened teachers in terms fitted to the individual person. Andrew does that, but appropriately for us modems in a scientifically oriented society, he places his teaching in a context of evolu- tionary development for the entire human race, as well as in a context of cosmic laws that impersonally operate and influ- ence us as individuals and as a species. Most important of all and wholly in accord with the highest collective wisdom of the Foreword xiii world's sacred traditions, he emphasizes that Enlightenment is to be attained not simply for oneself but for everyone, because the spiritual unity of humankind means that as long as one person is not free, no one is free, "p^ Andrew uses the term "spiritual warrior," which I espe- cially appreciate because it connotes the one-pointed, fierce, / steadfast dedication that the best warriors have as they go into batde—an attitude of "no surrender-no retreat," which mobi- lizes the warrior's entire resources to attain victory It was the

attitude of the Buddha on the night he sat beneath the bodhi tree and vowed not to leave until he attained Enlightenment or died; it was the attitude ofJesus when he entered Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion. Such people, upon attaining Enlighten- ment, become what I call "RAMBO-dhisattvas," that is, peace warriors of great skill and wisdom who will not cease their loving efforts on behalf of ignorant, self-deluded humanity until all have attained Enlightenment. Although 1 have never met Andrew except through his teachings, I regard him as a RAMBO-dhisattva. I am not a devotee of his or even a member of his community; I am simply a supporter of Truth wherever I find it. In the teach- ings of Andrew Cohen, I find important guidance for modem spiritual seekers. I commend it to you for your spiritual health and growth.

author of The Meeting oj Science and Spirit and What Is EnUghtenment? xiv Embracing Heaven & Earth