I would like to share my views concerning two New Age gurus: Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen.
Starting with Ken Wilber:
I've only read one of his books, though I know he's written voluminously on, well, everything (or so it would seem). I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a whole shelf at Borders filled with many of the books he's written over 30 years. So I bought a copy of A Theory of Everything and found it to be at least worthy of note. I've also read about him in Andrew Cohen's magazine, What is Enlightenment?
Ken may be a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me he seems primarily an academic, especially considering his love of constructing models. It also didn't take me long to catch on to at least two distinct advantages he enjoys:
ONE: How much his four quadrants model looks like the Cartesian coordinate system most of us first encountered in high school math class. Make no mistake about Wilber's model, though: It is not that x-y axis system. However, at least subconsciously, he can reach people by utilizing something they're already familiar with. Talk about the power of symbols!
TWO: Having a great buzz word like "Integral." I'm sure he was well-intentioned when choosing that word, but it's also true that there are a lot of people running around saying "Integral this" and "Integral that" who have only scratched the surface of his massive amount of written material.
None of this is to say that I think Ken Wilber is a bad man. The only danger I can see is that too many people might be tempted to go along with his program without making any real attempt to understand it. Or worse: abandoning any efforts to do their own thinking. Or far worse: Not attempting to seek their own Buddhist practice and, thereby, their own enlightenment.
As I said, I have read only one of Ken Wilber's books. However, I'm going to go out on a limb here and propose a thesis: Ken Wilber's written materials contain very little praise of Shakyamuni Buddha and very little teaching of the Buddha's doctrines. This is just a thesis offered by me, a man who doesn't know one way or the other. However, I invite anyone reading this to direct me to some of Wilber's writings which specifically attempt to analyze Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings, especially those most profound teachings which are contained in The Lotus Sutra.
[NOTE: All references herein to The Lotus Sutra concern the version translated into English by Burton Watson. This version is free and available in its entirety on-line.]
My gut instinct tells me that Wilber has not addressed The Lotus Sutra at all, though what appears on page 200 of the Lotus should have been of special interest to him before he wrote all that stuff:
"Do not try to apprehend phenomena, to understand or to see them" - Shakyamuni Buddha.
It seems to me, Ken Wilber has tried too hard to ignore these words of the Buddha.
Now, on to Andrew Cohen:
From page 75 of issue #33 of What is Enlightenment? magazine:
Andrew Cohen speaking to Ken Wilber:
"I asked him at one point, ‘Rinpoche, what's the difference between someone who is serious about awakening and someone who is not?' And he said, ‘That's easy. The people who are serious are all Mahayana Buddhists, and the people who are not are all Hinayana Buddhists.' And he wasn't kidding. I was backpedaling in my mind, wondering how this extraordinary man could be as enlightened and as fiercely independent as he appeared to be and simultaneously be holding on to such foolish ethnocentric notions."
I thought it was rather odd that Cohen didn't come right out and ask Rinpoche what he meant by this. I mean, he bothered to ask a question but didn't bother with a follow up.
I don't know how Rinpoche might have replied to a Cohen follow up, but this is what I would have said, for I happen to agree with Rinpoche's assessment, but I don’t give a blanket seal-of-approval to all of the Mahayana teachings:
“That’s easy. The people who are serious are those who read, recite, ponder, and share (with others) The Lotus Sutra [claimed by some to be the highest of the Mahayana teachings].”
The Lotus Sutra states several important points, which are unique to that sutra:
[Page 166]
All bodhisattvas who attain the enlightenment of a Buddha in all cases do so through the Lotus Sutra.
[Page 207]:
This Lotus Sutra is the secret storehouse of the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones. Among the sutras, it holds the highest place.
[Page 274]
To put it briefly, all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One, all the freely exercised supernatural powers of the Thus Come One, the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One, all the most profound matters of the Thus Come One - all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this [Lotus] sutra.
[Page 35]
In the Buddha lands of the ten directions
there is only the Law of the one vehicle,
there are not two, there are not three,
except when the Buddha preaches so as an expedient means,
merely employing provisional names and terms
in order to conduct and guide living beings
and preach to them the Buddha wisdom.
The Buddhas appear in the world
solely for this one reason, which is true;
the other two are not the truth.
Never do they use a lesser vehicle
to save living beings and ferry them across.
[Page 31]
The Buddha said to Shariputra, "The Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, simply teach and convert the bodhisattvas. All the things they do are at all times done for this one purpose."
[Page 31]
These living beings, by listening to the doctrines of the Buddhas, are all eventually able to attain wisdom embracing all species.
[Page 98]
I [Shakyamuni Buddha] am one who knows all things, sees all things, understands the way, opens up the way, preaches the way.
[Page 165]
...if they are not willing to see, hear, read, recite, copy, embrace and offer alms to this Lotus Sutra, then you should know that such persons are not yet practicing the bodhisattva way in a fitting manner.
[Page 229]
[Note: Since this next quote tells us that Shakyamuni Buddha is still alive and with us to this very day, we don't really have to worry about finding a guru, something which Cohen and others strongly urge of us. With Shakyamuni Buddha with us, who really needs any other teacher?]
In order to save living beings,
as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana
but in truth I do not pass into extinction.
I am always here, preaching the Law.
I am always here,
but through my transcendental powers
I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement
do not see me even when close by.
[Page 240]
How much more in the case of persons who read, recite and embrace this sutra! Such persons are in effect receiving the Thus Come One on the crown of their heads.
[Page 162]
Medicine King, these persons who read and recite the Lotus Sutra - you should understand that these persons adorn themselves s with the adornments of the Buddha; they are borne upon the shoulders of the thus Come one.
This last quote is one of my inspirations for conducting my Buddhist practice as I do. My practice consists of reading out loud from the English language version of The Lotus Sutra as translated by Burton Watson for one hour per day. I do not meditate. I do not focus on my breath. I make no attempt to enter a trance. And I don't do yoga. I simply read aloud from the Lotus Sutra, try to understand it, and try to encourage others to do the same.
So far, I’ve read the Lotus over 120 times. This would make a stack of books ten feet tall, since each copy of the Lotus is about one inch in thickness. And each time I read it, I manage to pull something new out of it. Go figure.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party
“When looking for a guru, take that grain of salt, for (as the Buddha taught): What you are seeking is wisdom that comes of itself, teacherless wisdom, Buddha wisdom.”
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