Trance
The Neo-Advaita Poison
Neo-Advaita is synonymous with instant enlightenment or the idea that you liberate yourself from eons of suffering in a fraction of a second simply by diving deep inside your heart on the wings of the ancient question; Who am I? This question supports the immediate direct discovery that your real nature is the eternal aware presence of sat-chit-ananda—bliss that defies description. This dramatic shift in consciousness feels euphoric in the moment until this feel-good trance evaporates like a mirage in the desert the instant your genetic mind infused with egoic identity re-asserts its power over you. Naturally, this causes you to dive back into your heart once again looking for the bliss you somehow lost hoping this time you will discover the permanent bliss of enlightenment. This vicious cycle is the neo-advaita trap—an insidious poison for your mind—a very potent illusion. This so-called spiritual bypass of neo-advaita is perhaps the greatest lie ever told—a corrupt teaching that will never result in liberation. Sadly, however, it is a bit like a curry stain on a white shirt—it penetrates into the very fibers of your brain making it almost impossible to remove the allure of the very potent and often blissful trance states—the grand illusion neo-advaita teachings generate. Once you realize that neo-advaita is actually a poison it naturally evokes the question; what exactly is the antidote for this poison? Does one exist? How exactly do free yourself from the curry stain poison of neo-advaita?
The dogmatic perspective of Papaj and his students, known as Neo Advaita, is perhaps the greatest lie ever told intertwined with the greatest truth ever realized, which entraps you in an endless house of mirrors—a trance of the mind virtually impossible to break free from. It is based on Papaji’s assertion that there is no teaching, no practice, no context, and no effort—the absolute truth of who you are is the vast presence of the Self—bliss without end. Satsang teachers who embrace this philosophy emphasize self-inquiry or the question ‘Who am I?’ or bypass this question altogether by inviting you to dive deep into your heart—claiming this deep dive is the fastest route to enlightenment. This false narrative has entrapped millions of seekers worldwide in a corrupt and fruitless teaching that will never result in liberation from the karmic wheel of suffering. In many cases, several so-called neo-advaita satsang teachers have even abused their power by financially, psychologically, physically, and sexually exploiting their students, which is a clear indication they are still very much at the effect of their ego. Let’s face it, their behavior reveals their so-called teaching is a complete and total farce—only a person who is still very much at the effect of their ego would engage in the well-documented egregious abuse of power demonstrated by many neo-advaita satsang teachers.
Neo Advaita is often associated with the teaching of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, but nothing could further from the truth—neo-advaita has absolutely nothing to do with Ramana or his teaching. Satsang teachers consistently argue their perspective is an aspect of Ramana’s teaching based on how they perceived the teaching of their guru HWL Poonja (Papaji) who was a direct disciple of Ramana whose teaching is credited as the source of the pervasive philosophy of what has been coined neo-advaita. But their perspective of the teaching of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi is so narrow it is like trying to look at the entire universe through a straw. It is, however, a paradox of sorts deeply rooted in the absolute or the direct realization of the vast consciousness known as the Self—in the absolute sense, you are That vastness. But in the relative sense, this extremely narrow perspective of the process of liberation only serves to inflate your ego and generates trance states or self-reflective loops of consciousness that might be intensely blissful but contains none of the yogic power essential to burn through the underlying causes of suffering.
If anything, neo-advaita is a profound catalyst for spiritual suffering and disillusionment, the heartbreak of which, can be so intense it has actually resulted in the suicide of several students of these self-proclaimed satsang teachers. Ultimately, the hard truth is neo-advaita is an exceedingly superficial philosophy that keeps you trapped on the treadmill of your ego creating the illusion that you are making progress toward the ultimate goal of liberation, but in reality, you are popping in and out of various bliss states that only serve to inflate your ego. The sad reality of neo-advaita is it is a trap that keeps you caught in a cycle of thought generated states that appear and disappear over and over again, which does absolutely nothing to address the underlying nature suffering. The bliss states this philosophy generates can be intensely euphoric and often serves to create the collective delusion that the key to your salvation lives in a relationship with one or more of the satsang teachers who are perceived to be enlightened or are believed to be an embodiment of the sadguru who litter the internet nauseatingly spouting their firmly held dogma that you are already liberated—all that is needed is to realize this truth for yourself and presto—you are liberated.
The sad truth is the majority of these teachers simply do not have the necessary depth, training, or understanding of the Vedic science essential for liberation. In fact, their dogmatic perspective has thrown out all of the essential yogic practices. If you have no real understanding, teaching, or practice how will you make any progress? Due to this very limited perspective and dogmatic belief most satsang teachers are unable to assist you in any real tangible way due to their delusional thinking that they have somehow magically liberated themselves from eons of suffering with no effort, understanding, practice, or wisdom. Many are completely deluded by their enlightened egos and demonstrate a narcissistic sense of self-importance or their deep-seated belief they are infallible and superior to their students and in some cases even superior to the teacher that introduced them to this corrupt teaching. The mantra of these teachers is no practice, no effort, no excuses, you already are what you are seeking—a lie intertwined with absolute truth with the power to trap you in a vicious cycle that will never produce any sustainable results.
The inherent nihilism of the neo-advaita perspective is the catalyst for this trap. Nihilism, or the abject rejection of moral principles and deep-seated belief that nothing in this world matters, is in effect the glue that holds the neo-advaita dogma firmly in place. It lives in the question; Do you exist? Does anything really matter? It is a question within a question, which in and of itself it is a self-reflective loop of consciousness that generates concepts of truth steeped in constantly changing states of consciousness that only serve to prevent any real tangible progress. This nihilistic thinking completely negates the very real experience of the seeker or person who is seeking enlightenment or the ultimate liberation known as moksha. Ultimately, in spite of the very loud protests of people caught in the cult of neo-advaitism, it is a philosophy that does absolutely nothing to address the underlying root causes of suffering nor does it offer any real instruction on how to address these underlying tendencies—most of which are completely and totally unconscious to you. Exactly how are you going to address something you know absolutely nothing about?!
The reason neo-advaita is such an insidious poison is simply due to the bliss experienced by the naïve seeker, which naturally creates the feeling the teaching is true—after all the euphoria of bliss feels absolutely incredible. But in reality, the high generated by bliss it is no different than the euphoria generated by a street drug—eventually the high evaporates, which ignites the somewhat desperate search for the next bliss high. Neo-advaita has been extremely successful in creating many bliss addicts and junkies who roam the earth thinking they are enlightened, but strangely are still seeking this seemingly illusive bliss even though they wholeheartedly believe the effortless enlightenment hogwash they are fed by neo-advaita teachers—whoa! It is true the deep look into the depths of your heart is often experienced as a potent shift in consciousness, but the trick is this shift, or glimpse into the infinite, will never free you from reflective consciousness of your ego. The powerful illusion of mind, ego, and the pervasive underlying unconscious tendencies infused with your genetics and fueled with the visceral power of your five senses is a potent force of nature—one that is not overcome by a transitory glimpse of the infinite.
It is essential to recognize the self-reflective loops of consciousness are generated by your conscious awareness bouncing off the reflective surface of your ego—it is a trance. This trance is an insidious poison infused with ever changing states of consciousness as a kind of visceral dream of enlightenment that ensures the ego remains very much in charge. It appeals to the western consciousness as the instant solution to life’s problems and sets a false expectation of instant, effortless, and ultimately easy moksha—as if moksha is synonymous with instant coffee. This very shallow perspective generates a vicious cycle that literally robs you of years of your life and only serves to inflate your ego—the extreme arrogance of the enlightened ego drunk on concepts that have little to do with what is known as moksha, enlightenment, or liberation. It is grand trick of your mind, genetics, ego, and physical senses with the innate power to keep you trapped in various bliss states that come and go. It is a potent and extremely dangerous liaison of genetics, mind, and ego that can lead to violent and/or unethical behavior that is systematically discounted by the nihilistic idea that nothing matters—the person or victim simply does not exist—there is never any culpability. The teaching is used by satsang teachers to wriggle away from any responsibility.
The very nature of self-reflective loops of consciousness, or your conscious awareness bouncing of the reflective surface of egoic identity, feels really good for a period of time, but ultimately it does nothing to address the underlying pervasive issues associated with suffering and does absolutely nothing to address the source of suffering. The antidote to the poison of neo-advaita dogma is very simple—it does not work—the spiritual bypass does not exist. It is a corrupt teaching that distorts the very real study, contemplation, application, and intense effort essential for liberation. If you don’t realize this fundamental truth about the lie of Neo Advaita, it will quite literally steal years of your life until one day, many years from now, you wake up from the neo delusion of enlightenment realizing you are still suffering with the same issues that ignited your search for the ultimate solution to life’s misery in the first place—no real progress happens on the so-called Neo Advaita path. It leaves you where you started stealing the one thing you can never get back—your time!
To break free of the neo-advaita trap begins with the understanding that your search for liberation from the karmic wheel of suffering is a deep-seated genetically programmed longing for the ultimate happiness—liberation. It is an evolutionary process that integrates the three known paths of liberation: jñāna mārga (path of knowledge), bhakti mārga (path of devotion), and karma mārga (path of action). The teaching of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi assimilates these three primary yogic paths as a continuous unstructured sadhana (practice of letting go) into what is known as the middle way of Ramana Maharshi. This process of liberation is not instant. It is known as Santana Dharma—the eternal natural way transcendent of time and space—an ancient teaching comprised of the law, essence, and nature. This middle way requires intense study, contemplation, understanding, application, practice, and support from a realized master, which is embodied in the eternal master of Ramana—Sri Arunachala Siva.
The antidote to the poisonous teaching of neo-advaita begins with contemplating your motives for seeking moksha—what exactly do you think liberation from the karmic wheel will give you? What is the real reason for your hot pursuit of nirvana or the bliss of enlightenment? It is important to carefully contemplate your motivation as a deep serious examination of conscience. The mountain path of liberation is about freedom from the karmic wheel of suffering—the great ocean of suffering known as samsara. This is no small undertaking. It is imperative to understand this path is not about developing siddhis or spiritual powers, and it is not a self-help modality to make a newer better you nor is this path a new age teaching that will magically make you happy and fulfilled. The true student of the mountain path has an intense desire for the ultimate freedom of moksha and is unwavering in their commitment and dedication to this path, not just for their own enlightenment, but the enlightenment of others as well. If you have other motivations like the desire for fame or the pursuit of power, or you simply want to get rid of your negative emotions, or you have a deep desire to run away from your responsibilities, this ancient mārga will spit you out while whispering in your ear, ‘Maybe next life my friend.’
If you have a true motive—a deep burning desire for moksha—real progress begins with an intimate understanding of the nature of suffering, the nature of mind, and the nature of egoic identity—the known source of all suffering. What exactly is suffering? Or for that matter, if you are clear about the nature of suffering, how do you break free of its ironclad grip? The suffering you are aware of is a small fraction of suffering. What tends to captivate your attention is the problems of your life and the negative feelings of fear, anger, stress, and pain it seems to generate—but pleasure is also a form of suffering. The hidden unconscious tendencies associated with karma, vasanas, samskaras, conditioning, gunas, sheathes of consciousness, and genetic tendencies—the mental, egoic, genetic, and physical aspects of suffering—are not instantly addressed by simply peering into your heart nor are they addressed by the nihilistic dogma that they simply are illusory phenomenon.
Once you come to grips with the nature of suffering it is important to understand the teaching and contemplate the nature of your mind? What exactly is your mind? What are thoughts? What is the nature of conscious awareness? What exactly is your ego and how does your ego and mind generate states of consciousness? What role do you play in generating fear, anger, sadness, stress, or anxiety? Do these negative emotions simply manifest beyond your control? What is awareness and how does your mind work? What actually causes the different reactions you have to your life circumstances? Once you begin to understand the nature of your mind and how it works you can open your mind to an intimate examination of the root cause of all suffering—ego. What exactly is your ego? And how is this small three-letter word the driving force behind all forms of suffering?
The mountain path of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi is a beautiful, alive, and ever-fresh path of self-discovery that lives in your own direct experience. The support for this discovery lives in the yogic practices of letting go—sadhana—the sacred fire with the power to purify your mind and body. This purification process is essential for real permanent realizations to take root in your consciousness—it removes the many hidden layers of consciousness that hide the vast indescribable living presence of the Self from your conscious awareness. This quite literally means that the yogic practices of self-inquiry, meditation, mantras, and prayer are the essential yogic practices—no progress is possible without the actual understanding of the context and the actual incorporation of these yogic practices into your daily life.
The various yogic practices recommended by Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi are an ancient science infused with the hidden power of the entire universe. This power is an indescribably vast invisible intelligence. Ultimately, it is this power that liberates you—you cannot liberate yourself from the karmic wheel due primarily to the fact that most of your suffering is completely unknown to you. It is in the total surrender to the unseen that this ancient alchemy begins to burn away everything known and unknown that serves as a barrier to your own direct realization of moksha.
The mountain path is a yogic science of liberation—a sacred burning ground. To plant your feet firmly on this path requires the intimate embrace of the Seven Yogic Laws of Moksha:
Law of Commitment: requires you to examine your motivation and make an unwavering commitment to this path and teaching.
Law of Knowledge: requires you to devote a significant amount of your time and attention to the study of the teaching.
Law of Contemplation: requires you devote a significant amount of your time and attention to the contemplation of the surface and hidden dimensions of this teaching.
Law of Integration: The integration of the recommended yogic practices into your daily routine while consciously cultivating the qualities of humility, compassion, and love.
Law of Actualization: The commitment to practice consistently until your practice becomes continuous while awake and even while sleeping.
Law of Devotion: Total surrender to the unseen formless presence of God.
Law of Wisdom: The complete and total letting go of all expectations.
It is very easy to jump on the mountain path of liberation and a challenge of a life-time to stay on this path for the remainder of your life. This path is the path of fire—the path that burns away all that is false—a path of the most profound joy and contentment in life and the total preparation necessary for facing the death of your body.
The death of the neo-advaita philosophy is the birth of real progress—a return to the true, time-tested, and infallible teaching of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi—the sublime teaching of the eternal natural way—Sanatana Dharma.
If you have the courage to embrace the seven yogic laws of moksha—it is certain you will make real progress—the steady consistent burning away of eons of suffering.
Tat Sat
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