Instant enlightenment and world peace? "I don't believe in your spiritual practice". Debate -To the World Mind Society/Matthew Webb.
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What I'm sending you on this occasion is an extremely revealing
correspondence had in September.
The original letter was sent to me via e-mail under the title of, "I don't believe
in your spiritual practice". I'll let our discussion speak for itself. My reply to
this welcome challenge follows...
To the World Mind Society/Matthew Webb,
Your new age website, like all other new age websites, is just a lot of bunk.
You talk big, but have little reality to show for your high-sounding, fancy
words. New age is little more than airy-faerie wishful thinking..a new religion
with the same old twist. Just wave an "all you need is
love" type of magic wand and everything becomes, "love and light". Just add
water and WHISH!... instant enlightenment and world peace. This sort of
thing is disgusting, gives real spiritual practice a bad name, and has a bitter
aftertaste.
Before you just delete this e-mail, read on and understand.
I've been into a spiritual focus now for the last 25 years, and that includes
elements of Buddhist and Taoist meditation. During that time I've been
hopeful regarding the human condition, with all this talk about, "a New Age"
of enlightenment and social justice. I've been hopeful about
speakers and authors talking about a, "shift of consciousness" that is, "taking
place right now", and so forth. The only thing is, they've been saying this
"shift" is happening "right now" every year for the last 25 years, and yet one
look at world events, and even a blind man without a cane
could see that humanity just gets into a deeper mess, with every passing
month.
Now I know from personal experience that spiritual practice is real and that it
truly works. I also know that it has the power to save the world. But
experience has also shown me that it requires sincere, focused effort to make
it work. It may interest you to know that spiritual unfoldment is much like
body building. You don't just go from a stick figure to a Swarzenegger
physique, through casual jogging once a week and eating a few vitamins. The
same is true of real spiritual practice. You don't clear the mind of fog, gain
personal power and achieve meaningful
enlightenment by going to a few weekend, "chakra clearing" seminars.
Nor do you achieve these things by participating in such events as your
so-called, "global group meditations". You have to live spirituality in all
aspects of your life, until it becomes a practical, daily affair full of soul. Then
and only then will you make real gains and see the real meaning of life.
Your website makes silly statements about how the consciousness of
humanity is rising, and about your global group meditations which are making
such a big difference. What big difference?
I'm truly fed up with all this new age jargon that is nothing more than spiritual
and socially irresponsibility. It's irresponsible because it's just ill-conceived
wishful thinking. It gives people yet another religion to have faith in, but which
provides no real substance or meaning upon which humanity can actually
improve itself in any practical way.
When the new age started, it looked to have real promise, as though it meant
something very profound. But now, predictably, those two words are rarely
heard, even on the Internet. The new age is dead, give it up! It was a house
of cards built in the wind...it just couldn't stand up to
the reality of the modern world. It made promises it couldn't keep and now
look at it!
Although very few call themselves "new age" anymore, the world is still full of
quacks who are happy to deceive. They'll summon Archangel Michael for
you for the small fee of $100 per half hour, so that he can give you advice on
how to clear your aura of demons, and, "gain the prosperity you
desire" to boot! Or they'll tell you to apply their technique for sexual freedom,
and have you dance naked in a circle during a weekend seminar, "to release
your inner child and incestual traumas" for a mere $250 a session. It's all
about money and ego.
Advocate some social responsibility! Quit giving spirituality a bad
name...come down out of the clouds and do some real work for the good of
humanity, rather than misleading them for a profit!
I feel very strongly about this issue, about what genuine spiritual practice
means, and although I commend you for your efforts in the EMS website, the
hypocrisy bothers me.
Just FYI, I've sent this letter out to 27 different new age sites and authors
over the last 6 months, and not one of them has had a single thing to say about
any of it. This is just further proof of their insincerity in my book. I don't
expect you to respond to this letter either, but I would very much appreciate
it, if you would think deeply about what it says.
Thank you,
James B.
Dear James,
So you, "don't believe in our spiritual practice". Well, to me, a good challenge
is healthy, and I truly love intelligent debate.
As a matter of fact, not only will I respond to your e-mail, I'll explain in-depth.
The reason I do this, regardless of your false and per-mature assumptions
about the World Mind Society, is because your letter speaks a lot of truth. I
also answer because from your words you seem a very
sincere practitioner of meditation, who wisely knows what is and is not bona
fide spirituality.
In this particular case however, you're wrong, but in general I agree with
what you said about "the new age".
You should read further into the
EMS Library http://www.eoni.com/~vision quest and understand that
this is no ordinary spiritually-focused website, nor is it "new age". It seems to
me you took one look at the front page of the site, saw the words "expansion
of consciousness" and assumed it was more of the same seen everywhere
else. Well it isn't, and I suggest you be more careful in your assumptions.
You may not believe this now, but I myself have criticized the new age for
many of the things you mentioned. That whole scene has become little more
than a money making business opportunity, largely for those who lack any
concept of social responsibility, and who have at best, a very limited level of
realization and spiritual understanding. If you doubt this, then read my article
in the Library entitled, "Rise and Fall of the New Age" and understand that I
too feel strongly about this issue.
Let me offer if you will, some guidelines through which anyone can quickly
discern quackery from sincere and enlightened spiritual teachings. I'm not
offering these because I assume you don't know necessarily, I'm just
crystallizing what we're discussing.
1) First of all, a REAL spiritual teacher is one who advocates spiritual focus
FOR IT'S OWN SAKE, pointing out that it's practice IS IT'S OWN DEEP
REWARD. They do not do this primarily for money,
but because it's worth doing in and of itself. For those who sheepishly
mumble something about "having to make a living in the material world" in
trying to justify the ridiculous costs of their classes or seminars, to them I say
"you've lost your way". To them I say, "fine, make your money to meet your
practical needs, but don't use spirituality as a business opportunity, so that you
can have that new car and fancy condo, or stay on the best-seller list for
months by telling people just what they want to hear, (ego at the expense of
truth). Avoid those movements and
groups who demand a high "initiation fee" or "membership fee" so that you
can partake of their glorious wisdom, arguing that, "such high costs make
people 'value' the teachings", because these are the worst scampers of all.
Only sufficient realization can make a person value the truth, not the price tag.
The amount of money paid has nothing to do with the worth of spiritual
knowledge. If a knowledge is indeed profound, then it should be studied for
that reason alone, not to make somebody else wealthy. If you dig a little
deeper you'll find that the WMS is not-for-profit, and even the articles there
are expressly NOT copyrighted so that they can be used widely.
2) Second, a real spiritual teacher or organization has far more to give than
they have to sell. Upon visiting any website, look to see what they're giving
away for the sake of the greatest spiritual good. The less they're giving up
front, the less they really have to offer in the way of spirituality. If all you can
find are brief descriptions of what's offered, a lot of fluff and
flash with little explanation, or a lot of photographs of the smiling author
selling you their profound goods for a bucket of money, then you know
you've probably found a quack. At best, you've found a mere spiritual
technician with some proficiency in what they're talking about, but
who is really just a business person who wrongly USES spiritual information
or techniques, to pad their wallet or amplify their already enormous egos.
There are about 150 articles and a complete book for free on WMS, on topics
ranging from the right use of the mind, consciousness and it's expansion,
simple and natural living, intentional community, androgens and strong
critiques of the consumer paradigm. We have only EVER asked for money in
the sale of our meditation al music album, after being on-line for 9 years, so as
to cover our minimal website costs. And by the way, we've come nowhere
near to covering our website
costs. WMS is a SERVICE to humanity, not a business opportunity!
3) Third, a real spiritual teacher or organization defines their terms clearly and
without ambiguity. The fake will try to sell you a bunch of goods without
informational notes, much like food which has no ingredients listed on the
side. There are a great many sites for instance, that speak of consciousness or
it's expansion, and not one of them even attempts to define what the word
means, or how it behaves. They just go on and on about it AS IF the reader
should know what they're talking about. The same is true of those who speak
of "God", "truth" and "reality".
This is because they have NO comprehensive definition of the words they're
using. This is just a nice way of saying they don't really know what they're
talking about. Whenever corresponding with so-called "spiritual" persons or
groups, just pick three of the terms they commonly use and ask them for clear
definitions. You'll find that the majority will scurry away and not even
answer.
A minority will try to pull the old, "the Tao that can be described is not truly
the Tao" or some such jargon, which is of course sheer nonsense. Anybody
with an ounce of clarity knows better.
The WMS defines every one of it's terms. In fact, it is the only source of
wisdom I know of to EVER define the words "consciousness", "God", "the
expansion of consciousness","truth" and "the purpose of life" etc., etc, in very
clear terms that anyone can understand. Look in our Library for the "Glossary
of Terms"....hundreds of important spiritual words are defined there, and are
used in our texts in a manner that echoes clear, scientific understanding as
well as mystical practice.
4) Fourth, the real spiritual teacher or organization offers the self evident
TRUTH ITSELF as the foundation for their practice. They ask only that the
would-be practitioner prove what they claim for themselves, and through their
own experience. They do not require the prospective
practitioner to have "faith" in anything, or to automatically accept ANYTHING
they say simply because they say it, or because of the supposed "credentials"
of its' leaders/scriptures. The truth does not require faith, (belief in the
unseen) it merely requires sufficient clarity to See it's details. What the real
teacher offers is practical guidelines, whereby a person can demonstrate
universal principles through sincere practice, without need of dogmas,
doctrines or authoritarian hierarchies of any kind. Know the quacks by seeing
just how many kudos for themselves they have plastered all over their website,
while at the same time explaining very little. Know the false ones by seeing
just how much they tout their enlightenment, without giving an ounce of logic
or justification for their claims...these are just a "cult of personality" and
should be strongly avoided.
5) Fifth, know the real spiritual teacher or practice by their natural practicality
and logic. The truth is both practical and logical. There is no GENUINE
spiritual practice in existence, which is not BOTH of these for that very reason.
6) And finally, know the real spiritual teacher or organization by the sometimes
hard truth that they speak, regardless of how "unpopular" such a message may
be. Those who speak for the sake of public approval don't care that this
sacrifices the highest benefit for the reader. The new age scene, like the
pop-culture scene, most often resembles modern publishing. Most publishers
want what sells, not what is socially responsible. Most "successful" (albeit
unscrupulous) authors
know this, and intentionally structure their writings to tell people what they'd
like to hear, rather than what is MOST REAL, pertinent and true. This makes
for a repeating cycle of social mediocrity, where people only have available
those bookstore authors who write according to what
they think the public wants to hear. New authors in turn write only more of
the same, trying to convey what the public has already been conditioned to
want, for fear of not being published. If
a group or author only talks roses and perfume, without any criticism of what
is going wrong in the world at the same time, (and there's plenty to be sure)
then they are only "fair-weather friends" who tell lies or half-truths only to
make a buck and gain public notoriety. If all a supposedly "spiritual" person
will speak is, "heart-warming fluff" then the reality is that they secretly stand
for nothing. Such persons gladly sacrifice the truth for the sake of maintaining
their public image, and this is not what the real practitioner is about.
As you can see James, I agree with you wholeheartedly regarding the
quackery and fee-raking that's been going on everywhere. Obviously, Christ,
Buddha or Lao Tse would not teach their wisdom in order to own a second
car first, enhance their egos second, and then maybe, just maybe, enlighten
the world third. They taught what they did, as all real Masters do, as a felt
need of soul, a CALLING of spiritual focus that yearns to benefit the whole
world, not six digit bank accounts.
Regarding what you said; "Your website makes silly statements about how the
consciousness of humanity is rising, and about your global group meditations
which are making such a big difference. What big difference?"
Actually, I/we never claimed that these global meditations were making a big
difference. I merely factually stated that they COULD make a big difference if
they were practiced effectively. This has to do with group mind power, (the
power of collective consciousness) and is explained in many places on the site.
I also agree with what you said about providing a message with social
responsibility. Along these lines, read that section of the WMS Library
dedicated to "Social Commentary". While there you'll find a complete set of
information regarding simple living, environmentally responsible
lifestyles, and practical ways whereby any person can live these in a daily
fashion, and with great satisfaction. I myself have lived in a van for the better
part of a decade, and so, this is not mere posturing or theory.
I invite you to consider what I've said regarding your letter and WMS, and
investigate for yourself its authenticity. When I say to you, or anyone, that
what is contained on the World Mind Society website would save the world, I
do not do so lightly, whimsically, egotistically or in any way "new age". I do
so because that is the simple fact of the matter, and I am compelled to report
it to you factually. Any person that sincerely and seriously applies the
information on WMS WILL expand their consciousness, even to the point of
becoming a Master in their own right.
Any world which would apply such teachings as these, could transform
themselves collectively, just as humanity could do. No bunk there, just a
matter of fact.
Practice what we are advocating, and you will progressively understand the
truth of such statements for yourself. Your existing steadfast practice of
meditation should provide an excellent foundation for this.
Thank you for this opportunity to clarify...
Sincerely,
Matthew Webb visionquest@eoni.com
World Mind Society Founder