great integral awakening

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They say that God is everywhere, and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse. ~ Emily Dickinson

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[Jana]

Wilber-Cohen axis of integral...how cool.
Still if the supposed front edge of spiritual development has not shaken out the rug under the red-blue-orange fascists that run the show then one wonders what good they are. Were they cowering in the dark like the rest of the rats, or were they secretly plotting their own coup?
Perhaps mere philosophy and the slow rearrangement of atoms within the individual is what is called for. For obviously we cannot take revolution to the streets nor bring out the guillotines. Perhaps integral is like an unseen viral infestation that slowly creates evolution from within.
I observe a marked deficit of martyrs for the cause of truth and would have preferred something a little more LIVELY! Perhaps it will not be until after 2012 that America pulls down its pants and sees that it has lost its dick, and subsequently gains a heart.
Heck...I just need more EXCITEMENT in my own life.

[Francis]

COHEN: That's the whole point. In the past, when these experiences were being pursued in a premodern, traditional context, there was already a very strong moral, ethical, philosophical, and spiritual framework in place that told us how to interpret them. Now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, because we have not created new maps, it's confusing as to what the moral, ethical, and philosophical context for the highest spiritual experiences actually is. Because of this, as you said yourself, enlightenment experiences inadvertently reinforce the plague of boomeritis.
WILBER: Yes. Rampant relativism, rampant pluralism, inability to make choices—all of that gets reinforced for all the wrong reasons, and it appears to have the sanction of Buddha dharma!
COHEN: I think this is one of the reasons why a lot of people are very confused about higher-state experiences.
WILBER: Yes, I agree. And I agree very strongly with what you said earlier, that, to put it crudely, there's satori [awakening] and there's how you interpret satori, or your experiences. What interpretive context do you have to hold this experience? Because after all, you might feel that you're one with everything, and that's fine—in a very profound sense that's your always-given condition, and a satori, a kensho, an awakening is a recognition of that ever-present state—but once you recognize that, how do you carry it? Charles Manson said, "If all is one, nothing is wrong." Now, is that how we are going to carry our satori?
COHEN: Some teachers do say that kind of thing.
…

COHEN: You see, the big picture that I'm talking about is the evolutionary context, which I am convinced is the most important factor in awakening to a new moral framework for our own time. When we discover this evolutionary context and recognize what a big part our individual and collective transformation could potentially play in the larger scheme of things, a higher conscience awakens in our own consciousness. And if we have the courage and audacity to face this larger picture, suddenly what we're doing and why we're doing it has big moral, ethical, philosophical, and spiritual implications. Now there's a very real and ultimately demanding context for our own presence here. The choices we make and our reasons for making them suddenly take on incredible significance, and not just for ourselves.

…

COHEN: As we were saying earlier, one can have developed a cognitive capacity to appreciate a truly integral perspective and intellectually recognize the need for an evolutionary moral context but emotionally still not have moved beyond the postmodern pluralistic, narcissistic stance. And I personally think that this is what a lot of thinkers at the cutting edge, including people who are enthusiastic about your own work, really need to get. When one authentically awakens to the evolutionary context, one discovers a sense of urgency. Often, when you and I speak together, underneath your clarity I feel this kind of urgency coming through you—a passion that just screams: We've got to wake up!
WILBER: Yes.
http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j24/guruPandit.asp?page=3

A sense of urgency is the enemy of caution, and leads to rash and unwise actions.

If you read the article, these two are saying that if you don’t agree with them, then your moral compass is broken and leading you astray. In other words; you’re evil. This is veiled but, at bottom, it's inflammatory rhetoric that has its roots in the protestant ethic that has gone pathological in the US. This protestant meme began with Martin Luther and has an illustrious set of moralists in its pantheon. But it’s wrong, in my view. Billie Sunday, Billy Graham are just two of the more notorious adherents to militant protestant moralism that were blind to their own blindness. Of course there’s Reagan, Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, et al.

Interesting that the only person quoted in the above referenced article is Charlie Manson. This is a rhetorical device, of course, and the message is “if you don’t agree with my morals, then you’re like Manson”

These guys are contaminated with a subconscious compulsion to push the morals that their tribe instilled in them, probably as a surrogate way to please their parents and get ‘approval.’  They cannot see that’s it’s just a blind spot in their psyches that obscures a paranoid prejudice. Too bad. But it pretty much guarantees failure, so no need to do anything.

[Lawrence]

 
I observe a marked deficit of martyrs for the cause of truth and would have preferred something a little more LIVELY! Perhaps it will not be until after 2012 that America pulls down its pants and sees that it has lost its dick, and subsequently gains a heart.

... Hey, some of us americans still retain our dicks AND our hearts, but are as equally frustrated with the current cultural paralysis as the next social/transpersonal prognosticator (not to be confused with Proctology)...

The problems we face are not only the social darwinist mentality eschewed by the public at large (from both spectrums of the political 'divide'),  happily encouraged by the elite class of enablers who perpetuate this slide to perdition -the problems we face are a two-fold paradoxical dilemma whereby we have the social darwinist 'kill or be killed' philosophy of life, whose only logical counter force to such lunacy is a rather impotent, intellectual elite that has taken on the mantra of 'moral relativism' which renders all philosophies of life -no matter how life threatening- to be of equal validity to even its own superior counterpart... and I use the term 'counterpart' quite loosely...

The right wing, conservative, conventional noise machine is perfectly comfortable in its strong conviction that we live in a world of evil in every corner of the globe –both at home and abroad- and have no qualms expressing such notions… The loyal opposition however –and what a misnomer that is- believes that ‘judgment’ itself to be part of the problem (and rightly so, in many respects), and has therefore taken a metaphorical vow of ‘non-judgment’ or moral relativism, if you will, which leaves our loyal opposition –the only viable would-be counterforce- rather ‘actionably impotent,’ since their moral convictions have nowhere near the sense of cock sure certainty (there’s that ‘dick’ poppin’ up again), as that of the social Darwinists… Obviously, there is no greater example of this political acquiescence than our own Obama administration. It’s not even pandering on this administrations part, he/they actually believe this stuff. Pragmatism is the new moral relativism…
 
Many progressive Democrats, in the political side of things, are as equally chagrined with their own fellow Democratic leadership -who espouse bipartisanship with the social Darwinists- as they are with the social Darwinists themselves… When the loyal opposition loses its vision, the loyal opposition suddenly becomes co-enablers with the real opposition, to the whole paradoxical dilemma itself, and thus, there becomes no counterforce to the overwhelming difficulties that seem so obvious to that tiny band of iconoclasts that still remain awakened…

It is no different in the churches. The mainstream churches are filled with the notions of good and evil, and the more progressive institutions are more inclined to ‘go along’ just to get along…

We are truly in quite the pickle, no? But, much like yourself, we haven’t quite given up yet either. But…  it can be pretty damn frustrating none the less…

As far as solutions go –most of our creative, spiritual, transpersonal energies seem to be focused upon those folks whom are already quite relatively enlightened themselves anyhow, and far fewer of our creative efforts seem to be directed towards that huge slumbering, myopic, majority that can render all spiritual revelations totally mute. If we cannot figure out a more commonsensical ‘new paradigm’ or metaphor for the future of humanity, in which ‘they’ can be made to understand, we are surely doomed indeed… I have a few ideas myself, but my innate laziness has kept me languishing for years, as I have been hoping against hope that the more energetic amongst us would rise to the challenges we face… Okay, ‘nuf said… time for a nap… 

[Jana]

Ah I see you have your finger on the fading pulse. 

Regarding that huge slumbering, myopic, majority that can render all spiritual revelations totally mute. One could just cast them off as fodder for the corporate slum lords of monsanto/AMA...but the problem with a degenerating population is that they eventually become so sick and mad they back immoral wars like Iraq and send their kids of to get irradiated.

The political acquiescence of the Obama administration is another version of cock sucking the corporate elite (dogs), just another black velvet curtain is drawn allowing people to put their head back on their pillow.

I am doing my bit with my 3 awakening books, but I don't expect them to do much good. Instead...once I have said my piece I am heading south.

We got a storm brewing here and with the information blanket of the corporate media...it an't going to get fixed, cured or shifted anytime soon. It looks like at least 3 generations are going down the tubes.

America has to open itself up to ministration/administration from a global counsel, it won't be able to heal itself on its own.

[Jana]

Yikes, while it does hold water...that conversation between the axis of integral guru:pundit team is slightly disturbing...it is like a cartoon.
Nondualism and boomer cushion-retreat just don't cut it on ethical grounds.
We can't just sing to the choir and yet we gotta preserve our meme boundaries.
There is nothing to do, but we gotta start screaming and do "somethin!"
Activism is for silly angry people, we gotta get evolutionary.
Rampant relativism(narcissism), rampant pluralism (Boomerism), inability to make choices (ADD).


Lets hope this is only a phase.
I am sure its just a phase.
Eventually 2000 years from now, we will look back and marvel how we became so stuck.
I can give you a hint now...Lack of sovereignty...the theft of the right to divinity of each individual...following traditions and their philosophies that were built for the express purpose of enslavement, control and exploitation.

[Michael]

Speaking of Andrew Cohen, our favorite guru to despise... 

There's another new book about him:
http://integral-options.blogspot.com/2009/09/american-guru-story-of-love-betrayal.html

[Jana]

Hey thanks, that might be worth reading.
The problem however is not the Gurus, it is the state of immaturity/insecurity of a population that continues to follow the defunct Guru model after a 60 year bad experiment.
If a Guru can't be an ass, there is no point in being a Guru.

[Nickeson]

Hey,

David Lane has a review of American Guru on Integral World.

http://www.integralworld.net/lane9.html

[Francis]

Great article. Deep down, they're shallow. A careful reading of the articles like the one I referenced, bears out Lane's premises. Caveat emptor.

[henry]

and now we have GIA series participant sweetie Marilyn Schlitz hinting she might be katherine solomon,noetic heroine of dan brown's upcoming blockbuster "the lost symbol". i may not eventually have to choose between integral and stardom...hollywood henry

[Jana]

I think we are all in a kind of crisis of "shallowness made apparent" by the swelling depths...in that it is more and more apparent that flatland doesn't cut it for a human life, and yet we don't know how to make the connection, community, culture that would truly sustain us as the cosmic-genius that we really are. The good thing is that we are now too awake to abandon ourselves anymore.

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_tan_on_creativity.html  —Ambiguity, synchronicity, morality and the Muse, Amy Tan 

[Francis]

we don't know how to make the connection, community, culture that would truly sustain us

Actually, I have a formula. In broad strokes:

Find your passion and follow your bliss: 1) When was the last time you forgot yourself? That’s true north. There, now your compass is calibrated. 2) Next make it pay, somehow, without stripping out all the passion or stepping on anyone’s toes.

Bring heaven down to earth by finding your passion and somehow making it into a manifestation in the world. This is your mission, should you decide to accept it. This post will self-destruct in ten seconds.

[Jana]

Hmm due to the avarice-professionalization protectionism...following your passion and making it pay is likely to end you up either dead by a swat team, or locked up in jail having been kidnapped by the FBI. That is, if your passion is of any lasting use and truth.

However if your passion is lightweight and of no real importance...then you can follow your passion freely. Just heard about a guy who was shot by a swat team for making alchemical gold. And another locked up in jail for curing cancer for people.

FANTASTIC Podcast #042 - Web of Debt - An Interview with Dr. Ellen Brown
http://gnosticmedia.podomatic.com/

[Francis]

Good point. If your passion is for something that involves committing crimes or some other socially unacceptable activity, then there are some hazards there. Even if it's socially acceptable, resistance is to be expected. If no resistance at all is encountered, you're probably off-track. The opinions of others should not enter into it until phase 2.

[Jana]

I am not sure you are aware of how ignorant and resistant to truth humanity is. The crime is the SYSTEM as it presently exists.

Example:

Podcast #044 - John Marco Allegro - An Interview with Judith Anne Brown
http://gnosticmedia.podomatic.com/