From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fairfieldl...@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Yifu Xero
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 9:45 PM
To: fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [FairfieldLife] The Neo-Advaita disease - Satsangus teacheritis
from http://www.enlightened-spirituality.org/neo-advaita.html
"
[The following is an analysis of what has come to be called “Advaita Syndrome”
or “Advaita Disease,” written by a philosophical counselor, Greg Goode (see his
website: www.heartofnow.com). This piece has often circulated anonymously, but
Greg is the author. He recently wrote to me:
"Dear Timothy... Writing about these satsang conceits was inspired by several
years of close observation of the zoological type satsangus teacheritis. I used
to visit and hang with two or three satsang teachers per month for several
years as they came through NYC [New York City]. Boy could I tell you stories. I
bet you have some too! I'm glad to see your page on the craziness of the
neo-satsang movement. There's not much advaita to it so I don't call it
neo-advaita."]
LUCKNOW DISEASE - linguistic malady befalling seekers at Papaji's [HWL Poonja,
1913-97, of Lucknow, India]. Characterized by never using the word "I" to
encourage one's self and also to show others that there is no one [no reified
ego] at home here. Instead, they would say things like "This form is going to
the rest room."
ADVAITA SHUFFLE - Conversational gambit. What [Papaji disciple] Andrew Cohen
accused [another Papaji disciple] Gangaji of doing when she didn't want to talk
about ethics and enlightenment. Jumping to the absolute level at odd times.
Like when the receptionist asks why you were late for your doctor's
appointment. "There's no one here to go anywhere or be late for anything."
LANDING - Losing one's enlightenment. What Gangaji accused Andrew Cohen of
having done. Term used by those who think of enlightenment as a kind of thing
that can be lost. Something like claiming enlightenment and then getting
peevish and petty over who pays the tip at the dinner.
NONDUAL POLICE - Those who badger others to use nondual terminology. Whenever
they hear someone saying something like "I'm going out for coffee," they barge
in: "WHO is going out for coffee??" Nondual police want everyone to always be
in constant Ramana-self-inquiry-mode.
THE EYE THING - Keeping eye contact with the other person as long as possible.
Whoever drops their gaze first is not as established in the Beloved. Some
blinking is OK, but not too much. The deeper into the Self you are, the longer
you can hold it. Used by many satsang teachers. One of my friends can out-stare
anyone. He kinds of drops into a Candidiasis-mind-fog, and hours can go by.
Yifu Xero, this is good stuff. If you have the time and the inclination, I'd
appreciate it if you'd listen to some of my recent interviews on
htt://batgap.com - perhaps Ted Strauss, James Swartz, and James Braha -
particularly the latter two - and see if you can offer me any advice in how do
deal with this neo-Advaita issue. Actually, it looks like Tim Conway's page -
http://www.enlightened-spirituality.org/neo-advaita.html - to which you linked,
covers it nicely, so maybe you don't need to bother. I'll read that, and I'll
be interviewing Tim on July 7 and get into the issue with him. I'll have to
contact Greg Goode too. Thanks.
