Post by Reefs on Apr 6, 2019 12:27:03 GMT -5
Jed seems to be a controversial and highly influential figure in the non-dual community. Nevertheless, Shawn gave Jed Mckenna** only a 2 star rating. That's a far cry from Niz***** and Ramana***** who got 5 stars. So I wanted to find out if he's really that bad and started reading Jed's first book. Interesting read. Probably nothing really new there for those who have been reading and posting on ST for some time. So not much really quote-worthy. While reading, I found myself mostly nodding along, especially when he talks about the spiritual circus or the spiritual/enlightenment industry. And there I found this:
"How many cases of enlightenment could I take credit for? The answer is an average of one or two a year since I began teaching—a dozen or so total...I can see two students in the pipeline at the moment who are going to make it..."
My own awakening ran its course in less than two years. And that's without any living teacher to help me. I've never heard of the process taking longer than that. I really don't see how the process could take much longer than that.
When I say this, I don't mean that it only takes two years from the first spark of spiritual longing. I mean two years after the point when the process of awakening actually begins; the primary epiphany, the first step. Let's capitalize that—the First Step. I know that many people spend many years in meditation and spiritual practice without achieving full awakening, and I know that they think it's because they haven't crossed the finish line yet, but it's actually because they haven't crossed the starting line yet: The First Step.
It's a process and it takes a certain amount of time. About the same as the gestation period for a baby elephant. How many cases of enlightenment could I take credit for? The answer is an average of one or two a year since I began teaching—a dozen or so total. I can't really take credit for them, of course, but it was to me that the universe guided them at critical stages in their journeys. A couple of them are trying their hands at writing or speaking now, but most are just getting the hang of it. I can see two students in the pipeline at the moment who are going to make it, who've taken the First Step. Once the First Step is taken the rest of the journey is sure to follow, unless you die or sustain a massive head wound.
Jed McKenna, Spiritual Enlightenment: The D@mnedest Thing
When I say this, I don't mean that it only takes two years from the first spark of spiritual longing. I mean two years after the point when the process of awakening actually begins; the primary epiphany, the first step. Let's capitalize that—the First Step. I know that many people spend many years in meditation and spiritual practice without achieving full awakening, and I know that they think it's because they haven't crossed the finish line yet, but it's actually because they haven't crossed the starting line yet: The First Step.
It's a process and it takes a certain amount of time. About the same as the gestation period for a baby elephant. How many cases of enlightenment could I take credit for? The answer is an average of one or two a year since I began teaching—a dozen or so total. I can't really take credit for them, of course, but it was to me that the universe guided them at critical stages in their journeys. A couple of them are trying their hands at writing or speaking now, but most are just getting the hang of it. I can see two students in the pipeline at the moment who are going to make it, who've taken the First Step. Once the First Step is taken the rest of the journey is sure to follow, unless you die or sustain a massive head wound.
Jed McKenna, Spiritual Enlightenment: The D@mnedest Thing
"How many cases of enlightenment could I take credit for? The answer is an average of one or two a year since I began teaching—a dozen or so total...I can see two students in the pipeline at the moment who are going to make it..."
