the newest issue - Jan-Mar 2007 and andrew's latest blog

I was reading the paper copy of this yesterday, since i wasn't online i suddenly had time :)

the theme is the evolution of consciousness or evolution in spiritual terms… there are some very interesting articles…

i thought the one with Godwin had too many simplistic, throw-away generalisations so got frustrated with it and gave up. i will try again later maybe.

the guru and the pandit was intriguing… this particular dialogue between andrew and ken discussed the phenomenon of what he calls in his blog entry of Nov 20 a “dramatic experience of an intersubjectively shared higher state of consciousness”

i especially find it fascinating that he feels his disciples are moving from “in spite of” themselves to “because of ” themselves…

does anyone who knows more about this from an experiential or study perspective want to discuss this further? and how did that webcast teaching go (it must be past now, right?)

Creating the Future, Together

Exactly a year ago today, I made a public declaration of “http://www.andrewcohen.org/notes/index.php?/weblog/blog/victory/" target="_blank">Victory,” which I wrote about on my website. I’m very pleased to say that one year later, the new world that began to reveal itself so dramatically at that time is emerging in an even more exciting way. Last year, I said that what was occurring, which was a dramatic experience of an intersubjectively shared higher state of consciousness, happened in spite of the individuals and not because of them. http://www.andrewcohen.org/notes/index.php?/weblog/blog/declaration_day/" target="_blank">(Read student descriptions of the events of November 2005 and watch a video clip.) The tidal wave of supercharged ecstasy and clarity, propelled by the evolutionary impulse, that swept through my international body of students seemed to consume almost all who stepped into its path. As a result, the promise and perspective of Evolutionary Enlightenment entered into this world like never before. This was because so many individuals simultaneously shared the experience of the higher state of consciousness that is the source of the revelation that the teaching comes from.

Now, one year later, I am happy to say that a significant number of those individuals are finally able and willing to autonomously embrace a much greater responsibility for that revelation. In other words, now it’s not in spite of the individuals, but because of them that the power, glory, and importance of Radical Transformative Impersonal Evolutionary Enlightenment can enter into this world and help, in its own small but not insignificant way, to create the future at the leading edge. As I write these words, we are more inspired, as a united body of spiritual revolutionaries, than we have ever been, and our passion for this extraordinary work is surging forward yet again!

One of the unique aspects of this post-postmodern, post-traditional, post-metaphysical evolutionary dharma that I teach is the integration of the nonduality of enlightened awareness with the understanding that, as individuals, we are all part of a developmental process that is desperately in need of our wholehearted participation. The whole point here is that the evolution of consciousness itself is entirely dependent upon the evolution of the consciousness of the individual. The degree to which the individual is willing to embrace the fact that the creation of the future literally depends upon him or her alone, is the degree to which that individual awakens to what I call the http://www.andrewcohen.org/teachings/authentic-self.asp" target="_blank">authentic self —which is the evolutionary impulse, the same energy and intelligence that initiated the entire creative process.

The traditional definition of enlightenment is the realization that there is only One—one without a second—and that One is who and what the self always ultimately is. In evolutionary enlightenment, that One refers not only to the empty ground from which the material universe sprang forth, but also to that creative impulse that initiated the developmental process and is driving it in this very moment. This teaching says that the reason we need to transcend the postmodern psychological disease of extreme narcissism is so that we can be that One without a second, together with others, in an intersubjective nondual embrace of and engagement with the evolutionary process as ourselves, in order to truly find out what’s possible at the leading edge of human potential.

This sacred endeavor—to actually dare to try to create the future right now—is what this teaching is devoted to, and now I finally know I have a dedicated core group of radical evolutionaries, partners in what I call the “Universe Project.” The reason this is significant is because, more often than not, sages, spiritual masters, and gurus tend to attract followers or spiritual consumers, rather than co-evolutionary brothers and sisters who really want to come together with a real teacher, in a context of http://www.andrewcohen.org/teachings/tension-hierarchy.asp" target="_blank">natural hierarchy, and are willing to pay the price to transform themselves for a cause that transcends all the individuals involved. I’ve attracted plenty of spiritual consumers myself over the twenty years I’ve been teaching, and found out the hard way how few men and women are really willing to http://www.andrewcohen.org/interview/path-enlightenment.asp" target="_blank">transcend ego for the biggest reason that there is.

The good news is that everything I’ve learned along the way, much of which was challenging indeed, is bearing fruit in the form of a truly comprehensive teaching that seems to have an ever-greater capacity to guide sincere aspirants through the rocky terrain of evolution beyond ego. And not only that—through the ongoing inquiry that my students and I have been engaged with for our magazine http://www.wie.org/" target="_blank">What Is Enlightenment? for many years now, my understanding and appreciation of the relationship between the evolution of enlightenment and the evolution of culture itself is growing every day. So what we’re endeavoring to do now is bring together everything we’ve all learned over many years of struggle, practice, work, and inquiry, and transform all of our http://www.andrewcohen.org/locations/" target="_blank">centers around the world into mini “Evolutionary Enlightenment universities,” where these teachings will be made available to many more people through a series of courses my student-teachers and I are developing together. This program is already being http://www.eecourse.org/" target="_blank">piloted, and the success we’ve achieved in the last few months indicates a growing hunger in many people out there to come together and evolve. A year from now, who knows where we’ll be…

To initiate the next phase of this “Evolution Revolution,” which for us, at this point, really means bringing this teaching out into the world in an unprecedented way, my students have convinced me to do my first live webcast teaching, which will be held in about three weeks. Stay tuned for more details.

Re: the newest issue - Jan-Mar 2007 and andrew's latest blog

Hi Nicole,
I'm gonna read the Guru-pandit article soon.

I agree with you about Godwin: it's frustrating. I think he doesn't express his thought well, and I'm not interested in it.

Torey's article is interesting and touching.

More later

Patrick

Re: the newest issue - Jan-Mar 2007 and andrew's latest blog

thanks Patrick, I was beginning to worry that no one in this wie pod actually wants to discuss wie articles lol

happy holidays! btw have you seen joyeux noel/merry christmas yet? i guess you can understand everything without subtitles, whether english french or german?

love,

nicole

Re: the newest issue - Jan-Mar 2007 and andrew's latest blog

What merry christmas/joyeux noel?

About the Guru/Pandit article: This one centers on Cohen's group experience, but I got frustrated. I wondered what distinguishes his spiritual group approach to a simple psychodynamic group approach. He doesn't go inot details, but for what he describes, I don't see any difference, as for the result.

I've experienced wondefull group dynamic, intensive, and the flow of energy is amazing.

So my question is what distinguishes a group dynamic with psychoanalytic concepts, with a spiritual one? I'm convinced that a spiritual approach can go further than a psychodynamic one, but we need to define the differences.


Love to you,

Patrick

Re: the newest issue - Jan-Mar 2007 and andrew's latest blog

dear patrick

the movie, joyeux noel (merry christmas) came out at Cannes last year… i think you'd find it wonderful!

i would like to hear what andrew's followers say to your question. from what i understand, there seems to be both a quantitative and qualitative difference happening in the group experience they have. it sounds truly terrific. i would like to experience that myself.

love,

nicole