Read another story today about a Zen priest whose life has sort of devolved into a wreck. I always wonder what's up when these enlightened masters have lives that are 'way more fucked up than mine.
Sometimes I wonder if what we call 'enlightenment' these days isn't just some sort of racket, like televangelists, motivational seminars or multi-level marketing.
4 comments:
What is the name of the book? Is it worth reading? I like those kinds of books.
A dear friend became deeply involved in a branch of an eastern religion, and her guru made a lot of strange demands on her (and his other students) and I remember wondering if this was the equivalent of some crackpot christian sect, and wondering how you could even tell.
Lark
It wasn't a book. I saw it in some guy's blog, and I don't actually know any of the principals.
I don't know how you can tell who's a crackpot and who isn't. Osho seems to be widely revered now, and I remember when he was driving around in his collection of Rolls Royces, and when his followers conducted the first-ever act of bioterrorism on US soil.
And what's the difference between Brigham Young and David Koresh, other than a couple of twists of fate?
I know from my own fundamentalist Christian experience that the clergy attracts a lot of narcissists, second- and third-tier athletes, and rock star wannabes. I don't why it would be any different in eastern religions, especially once they become Americanized.
The line between enlightenment and endarkenment is a thin one, indeed.
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