Instant Karmic Enlightenment

I think Ram Dass (in 'Paths of God') has some important things to say concerning Jnana Yoga which are very translatable towards the Neo-advaita way or non-way, and what some call its fast food servicing of enlightenment.

The first thing is a general statement concerning intellectual spiritual practices in the west, that “we are coming out of a kind of sickness here... in the way in which we have overthought” so that “we have been intellectually way ahead of our hearts’ and bodies’ wisdom.”

I think this should serve great warning to any intellectual spiritual practice, and something that has made me stop and... think?

The second thing concerns Ramana’s practice of Self-Inquiry. He calls it a “beautiful method—if you can stand it!” Furthermore, he says, it’s a practice “that takes incredible intellectual discipline” and “the fiercest gyan method I know.”

Now, I see this as no critique of Self-Inquiry, but possibly a consideration concerning any method involving something like Instant Karmic Enlightenment.

I myself have benefited from both Sailor Bob’s method and Ramana’s practice. There have been times when I’ve known here and now what I am. But I have not yet experienced a carse-like disassociative new world order.

I’ve experienced moments. And I understand on an intellectual level. But this body-mind mechanism still feels separate most of the time, even though I know it isn’t.

So for me, these Ram Dass comments strike exactly to the heart of things.

The Microcosmic Meaning of Life

In earlier posts (the first of a series), I discussed the song of the cosmos, that universal movement towards higher levels of consciousness, i.e. awareness, that in fact the universe is intelligent, sentient, aware, that the evolution of matter is always moving towards the amplification of its awareness, and that the Human Being (on Earth) has evolved to a relatively high level of awareness, amplified by its highly refined nervous system and brain.

While reading one of Sailor Bob Adamson dialogues in Braha’s ‘Living Reality,’ I came across a description of the perfect microcosm of this movement: from deep sleep to awakening.

In deep sleep, that sleep without dreaming, we are completely unaware of our awareness. We still exist. Awareness is still there. But we are unaware of it. Upon awakening we become aware of our awareness. In one night, maybe one moment, we migrate through the eons of evolution.

But why has this happened, inquiring dreams want to know?

Now this next part, the simple answer to that ultimate question, deserves direct quotes: “Awareness can’t know itself if awareness is all there is. (snip) Awareness vibrates into different forms and patterns and cognizes itself.”

And there it is. In order to know itself, awareness energized itself into the forms and patterns we call matter. And after what our limited dream sees as eons of evolution, we are here and now, awareness self-aware.

Awesome. Awestruck.

Act Two: Acting Oneness

I feel as if I’m in a boat, and I’ve just discovered that the oars I had been using to propel myself across the water aren’t in the boat any longer.

At first, I don’t know what to do. But the sun shines bright; the water sparkles.

“The livingness continues,” says Sailor Bob, and I agree.

So I raise a mast, unfurl the sail, but still, everything is still.

“Act as if you’re already that oneness,” Sailor Bob suggests. “You’ve already lived as if you’re a human, and you’ve won Academy Awards at that. Why not act as what you really are. You’ll find it much easier.”

Laughter happens and I feel the wind begin to stir.


Sailor Bob Adamson quotes from ‘Living Reality’ by James Braha (p. 108)