What Is Not Enlightenment (Regarding Andrew Cohen)

2005-08-04T11:16:00.001-07:00

First Matter
Ladies and gentleman, listen up please: the guy is a fake. He’s not even remotely authentic.

The truth is

It’s so appropriate that he’s in charge of the WIE magazine, as he doesn’t have a clue what enlightenment is. And truly, Enlightenment Is A Secret that Andrew never revealed to anyone, himself included.
Andrew is just an arrogant, self centered, tyrant, indifferent to the suffering of others, impossible person who’s running on an ego trip and using false pretensions for abusing others, or simple second hand rhetoric to sell his stuff (like his ever so often usage of the word “therefore” when answering questions AS IF he was presenting an argument’s conclusion, which he’s most certainly not). Many of us that used to think this counterfeit of a guru is for real, got over impressed not really with his teaching but over his demands. “you must give it every drop of yourself” he says. Wow. Mind boggling.
Enlightenment shmenlightenment! I mean, you don’t have to share 15 years with him to figure out he’s a phony, and one of the worst at that.

Theory vs. reality

Look at his teachings. Do you recall the immaculate mirror allegory, where he says that spiritual teachers are like mirrors that reflect the light, some [all known teachers] are less immaculate than others [a shocking surprise – Andrew himself]? Do you recall his disrespect for any other teacher [he gives a list of widely known names, … curiously enough, most of these opaque mirrors are given some stage at WIE,… hmm…, the immaculacy of money I suppose] saying that a teacher should be judged as imperfect by the confusion of his followers? Ha Ha, I bet Andrew spread no confusion whatsoever among his disciples and followers! “Do the right thing” he says. Hmm…, sounds like a good advice. I suggest Andrew use it himself some time soon.
Is it obvious just to me that Andrew’s teaching is coming from a mind not from a liberated person?

Sacred grounds
People are earnestly seeking liberation and they sacrifice everything they have for that, any relation they have to the world and to themselves is sacrificed, with an act of unequivocal and absolute trust to their teacher. This is very sacred. The price tag of liberation is the ultimate price. But the salesperson here has nothing to offer but delusion and pain. Faking it on the grounds of the most sacred by a false teacher, is to me, the worst crime of all. It’s treason and deceit of the highest magnitude, and then some.

Teacher
And another thing. Being enlightened does not necessarily qualify one to be a teacher of enlightenment. The person is yet to establish the required teaching skills as empathy, respect, patience and [quite impossible for Andrew’s overdeveloped ego] being able to face it calmly and honestly when questioned.Being with Andrew is a test, and Andrew failed it completely.

Cut the losses
I know it’s hard to admit we’ve wasted much time, energy and wealth on this aloof and uncaring inflated ego, but it’s logical to cut the losses as soon as possible and save what’s left. And what’s left is not only our healing wounds, but it’s also the would-be followers that might be saved the ordeals many of us went through. Andrew was wrong thinking that he can erase the past. There are us to handle and we sound our roar (Poonjaji would have probably liked that one ).

Wake up
In the light of the above I suggest a new F.A.C.E organization: FALLACIES of ANDREW COHEN EVERYWHERE, that will present to the world who’s behind the mask of The Wizard of Oz. We might want to establish for that matter a newsletter called What Is Not Enlightenment. Let’s do the right thing.

G.

What_Is_Not_Enlightenment@yahoo.com