For the past 14 years…primarily on the Facebook platform…the vast majority of my conversations revolved around the ‘spirituality’ of non-duality…and not political issues.
My interests are, specifically, in the authoritarian aspects of patriarchal non-duality (as extensively demonstrated by authors Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad in their landmark book: The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power (a link to the pfd below) and how the authoritarian aspects of patriarchal non-duality (neo-advaita non-duality) drive their views politically.
I’ve noticed among those who are considered ‘awake’...however one defines that for themselves…that there are a surprising number of folks who adamantly back Donald Trump and his divisive, predatory and overtly racist policies. Yet, considering the authoritarian tendencies of so many in the non-dual world I am, now, not surprised.
Never in-a-million years would I have ever considered that those who are ‘awake’-to-wholeness would even consider to embrace such divisive, predatory and racist ideologies.
The possibility of that, alone, would be the hypocrisy-of-hypocrisies!!
This has me deeply questioning the values of the core spirituality I had once deemed the highest – that of non-duality -- and, after many considerations, I question if neo-advaita (non-duality) can even be considered ‘spiritual.’
⚛️ The Cult of Radical Non-Duality: https://leslieread.substack.com/p/the-cult-of-non-duality
⚛️ The Tangled Web of Deception: https://leslieread.substack.com/p/the-tangled-web-of-deception?r=ze3i
We’ve all seen that one can be awake to Wholeness and yet that, in no way, means one is free from shadow or is somehow a balanced-and-decent Human. One can be awake to Oneness and still be creating delusions and, worse yet, harming others in the process. All one need do is look at the energetics of the likes of such teachers as AdiDa and Osho. As long as we don human body there is shadow…and mistakes can, and are, easily made. It’s what a conscious person does once a mistake has occurred that is the true mark of an evolved Soul.
Then we have the unscrupulous who, with the attendant omnipresence-of-awakening, there can arise all sorts of unseen manipulation-over-others…inclusive of existential control.
Values such as truth, honesty, integrity…where the front-matches-the-back…fairness, equality and generosity seem to be hugely missing with those who align with many aspects of patriarchal spirituality, Donald Trump and the MAGA world. SO many, if not all, of the MAGA world profess the teachings of Jesus Christ and proudly wear the cross – a profound symbol of The Christ upholding the very highest of values…with His Life. THAT is what it means to be ‘spiritual’…where we back-up and honor our very Life with our values.
I see no greater opportunity than the recent election of Pope Leo who, I feel, will be a profound albeit gentle yet fierce Mirror for the profound upholding of the true values of Jesus Christ and the true meaning behind what some have bastardized in the name of spiritual and political dogma.
Imagine!!…when a leader of an organized religion has more spiritual integrity than teachers of non-dual ‘spirituality’!! 😀
“You cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of Kings. A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself, and preys on the innocent is not sent by God.” ~Pope Leo
Given everything that is currently going on in the world our Humanness comes into its rightful focus and, in numberless ways, is revealing the hypocrisy of those attempting to uphold the ‘world is unreal’ concept…one of the many ‘spiritual’ concepts non-dualists tend to trip-over in their life on this planet and with ‘others.’
⚛️ The Existential Danger of Radical Non-Duality: https://integrityintruth.com/the-existential-danger-of-radical-non-duality/
⚛️ The Tyranny of (the) Now…and other Spiritual Concepts: https://integrityintruth.com/the-tyranny-of-the-nowand-other-spiritual-concepts/
Is it possible to uphold values of truth, honesty, integrity…where the front-matches-the-back…fairness, equality and generosity while being addicted to…or chasing after…transcendent states? Is the mere transcendent state true enlightenment or God-realization? Or…is it merely the recognition of a transcendent state?
When non-dual teachers made the decision to place the entire burden for their lies and deceptions on these shoulders, and the shoulders of my family, they essentially took this life. That is no understatement on the existential harm that stemmed completely from deception… “what a tangled we we weave when first we practice to deceive"…” The details are here:
⚛️ Letter to the ASI (Association for Spiritual ‘Integrity’) at the end of which is a link to a short recording (22 min.) detailing the occult controls over 4-generations of my family:https://www.dropbox.com/s/hga3c7zpo1v973j/ASI%20Letter%2003%3A06%3A23.pdfdl=0&e=1&fbclid=IwAR2hNCDCiHgzRQrXqce9WFFH5vgHGHoGlda3PUlGKT2n1qMuoFfoMadMbvs
Once again, in the words of Facebook friend and teacher David Bingham…“…I would like to add that in this modern age the Neo-Advaitan tradition of the truth existing ultimately in the sphere of the non-dual (which is followed by so many, with so many esteemed teachers) is a deeply flawed model of understanding of the nature of the human condition and its relationship with the Infinite. It is a form of understanding which has an in-built tendency to deeply exacerbate illusions concerning the experiences of life and in turn to generate rigidities around its interpretation. In doing so it has great potential to be harmful to the fundamental well-being of its adherents, all the more so because it dresses itself in the clothes of liberation. It is a false and incomplete freedom of the age.”
Having lived through and watching the lives of so many in the contemporary non-dual community…the vast majority of whom lied directly to me regarding their knowledge of my former teacher and of what occurred at their hands…I’d have to conclude that there is very little about non-duality that resembles anything of a superlative Spirituality. Yet, understandably, the non-dual experience is so strong and ‘real’ as to supplant any notion to the contrary.
This…is, sadly, what ends-up as dogma.
Honesty & integrity are values I will not compromise on. What values do you utterly refuse to compromise on…in yourself and in others?
Thank you for reading…and for following my work. ❣️
-Leslie Read www.integrityintruth.com
-Joel Kramer & Diana Alstad’s landmark book: The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power https://www.scribd.com/doc/161155563/The-Guru-Papers and https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272481999_On_The_Guru_Papers_-_Informational_Essay_Eng-101