Published by Jaico Publishing House
Pages: 211
Price: INR 250
ISBN: 978-81-8495-310-7
Beyond enlightenment
Spiritual guru Andrew Cohen is a dissatisfied soul, but in a positive sense. While most seekers on the path of truth are out to reach enlightenment, Cohen tells us that enlightenment is an important step, but only the first one. In his new book, he takes us beyond enlightenment.
According to Cohen, traditional enlightenment means recognising oneself as being pure consciousness, which is a part of the energy process [the Source] from which the Universe originated, 14 billion years ago. We are truly the absolute non-dual state. While most of us would be content having reached here, Cohen refuses to rest and takes us forward, section wise.
The first two sections are devoted to describing traditional enlightenment. Once this is understood, the author reveals to us how existence, or the evolution process, has reached this post modern stage of today. From nothing to light, from light to matter, from matter to unicellular organisms with life, and from unicellular organisms to multi-cellular organisms, which evolved to become you and me, who, according to him, are at the cutting edge of evolution.
He says we don’t depend on existence or God, but rather, existence depends on us to take evolution to the next level. And evolution is an urgent and never ending process. It will never get done. Whatever we do or achieve, there will be more to do. Even so, we human beings, who are at the tip of the evolutionary pyramid, need to evolve further to facilitate the evolution, which must necessarily happen only through us. If we stop evolving in our consciousness, the entire Universe will also temporarily come to a halt, as far as consciousness is concerned, till one or many individuals can break through this impasse, and take the evolution forward. In a sense, we are the torch bearers of evolution, which is indeed a great responsibility thrust on us.
In the third section, Cohen outlines five tenets or rules to live by, which will aid us in going beyond enlightenment. These five tenets are labelled Clarity of Intention, The Power of Volition, Face Everything and Avoid Nothing, The Process Perspective and Cosmic Conscience. By applying these tenets, we can remain at the leading edge of evolution and take the process along.
The final section, titled Enlightenment and the Evolution Culture, talks of the concept of emergence and reaching a state, which is beyond the traditional bounds of culture and tradition.
The book is written in prose without anecdotes, jokes or examples. While the contents are mind-boggling, Andrew Cohen’s writing style is intense. The average reader will have to really concentrate and persist to read the book. But for those who are already heavily into spirituality and who are looking for something different and path breaking, this is just the book.