Crisis in Consciousness

Can Illumination be Transmitted?

 One hears much talk these days about the possibility of obtaining initiation into a life of enlightenment by a direct transmission, silent or otherwise, from an “advanced” individual.  Now a few are considering a fare to Japan as a worthwhile spiritual investment, for–who knows–maybe some Zen Master may give them that for which they have been searching all their lives. 

Is not this way of thinking very similar to the prevalent outlook on grace?  A miraculous granting of spirituality by some external entity–and whether that benign entity is a God or a Master makes very little difference.  The ideal is basically to get something for nothing, and as in worldly affairs so here also there is the panting for “attainment”--as though it concerned the procurement of some merchandise–when in actual fact it is not even “something”.  Others are–a little less irrationally, but still thoughtlessly–pinning their faiths on “do-it-yourself” systems which are peddled by Masters and religious sects, without ever looking into the whole problem whether any system can ever do anything for them in the spiritual life.

Most of the so-called religious people are really trying to commit mental suicide, by killing off the ego through constant violent effort–by suppression, meditation, self-denial and various other pious practices.  But mental suicide is not death, it is only life at war with itself.  Mental suicide is an acute state of conflict; and while pretending to immolate itself, the “I” is fighting for its survival as strongly as ever.

The fundamental question is: can there be death without dying?  And can there by dying when there is still burning desire?--and whether that desire is for sexual or spiritual ecstasy is immaterial.

So long as there is a desire for experience, the experiencer is thriving.  Now dying is the very opposite–that begins when experience is seen to be void.  This Void is Death itself, and it is only Death that can make us die.  Life can only die when it willingly and lovingly allows Death to pervade it, since by itself it is incapable of ending.  For this life is continuity, and can continuity ever give rise to anything but continuity, can it ever break its own bond in time?

Continuity can never be broken on its own level; it can only cease to be when submerged in another dimension–and that dimension is the Timeless, manifesting itself on the level of continuity as Death.