Our final session of the Evolutionary Enlightenment course Part 1 culminated as a discussion forum where we opened the floor to any and all questions that may have came up over the past 6 weeks.  It was great to have Gail Margulis present who is also a Certified EnlightenNext Instructor and has taught the same course in Boston.  Gail has been a student of Andrew Cohen's for over 15 years and brought a wealth of experience to the table that we all benefited from.
There were many interesting topics that we explored together but there were two in particular that I was really struck by.  The first was the recognition of how the 1st Tenet  - Clarity of Intention is the foundation and motivation that compels an individual to take responsibility for themselves and face everything and avoid nothing.   Together Tenets 1 2 3 cultivate Soul Strength in the individual then attributes such as intergrity, transparency and conscience come to the fore as the guiding principles for the evolving human.   I always assumed that my Soul was already pure, good and full of integrity, but I have found and learned through my relatioship with Andrew Cohen that these are more accurately capacities of the Soul that need to be developed and the reason to do spiritual practice.  Check out this quote on Developing the Soul.
 
The second aspect of the discussion that inspired me was seeing the Fourth Tenet -  Truth of Impersonality in relation to our emotional experience.  When we looked closely at what happens when an individual really considers the possibility of Wanting to be Free more than anything else  , it revealed that many different powerful and at times overwhelming emotional responses can be illicited.   The evolutionary passion to create the future of the Authentic Self and the insidious doubt and terror of the Ego will most certainly do that.  But what we saw was that no matter how strong or intense these emotional experiences were they were not particular to any one individual- meaning they are simply qualities of our shared human expereince.  If you think about this deeply you will see that not only is it true but a relief to no that......"I'm not they only one to feel this way."   Yes, the Truth of Impersonality is what lays the foundation for us to be vulnerble and transparent in a way that is practically inconceivable for many of us.  Also when you begin to embrace the impersonality of the human experience you don't be come aloof or removed but you dramatically increase your capacity to embrace more of the human experience which includes all the highs and lows of our emotional responses.

Jeff Carriera who is the director of EnlightenNext education and the one who is actually developing these courses will be offering Evolutionary Enlightenment Part 2 in New York to all those that have successfully completed part 1.  Relationship and the collective aspect of the teachings will be the focal point of part 2.  When an individual who is living the 5 Tenets aka "the path" comes together with others who are doing the same the 6 Principles  aka "the goal" of Andrew Cohen's teaching will spontaneously reveal themselves thru living human relationships.  This emergence is nothing short of miraculous and indeed a new order of human relationship.  In Part 2 Jeff will also explore the art of Enlightened Communication which is a collective practice where a group of individuals coming together beyond ego to create the future.  

Part 2 of Evolutonary Enlightenment w/ Jeff Carriera
Date: January 25 will run for 5 consecutive Thursday's thru Feb 22
Time: 7:30 - 9:30pm
Location:  EnlightenNext - The New York Center  212-695-1711
243 W30 Street 11FL b/w 7-8 
Fee: TBA










  

Class 5 was a much anticipated one because after learning about the Ego's irrational refusal to contribute to life and Authentic Self's passion to create the future at the level of Consciousness, I think everyone really wanted to know "how to do it?"   The 5 Tenets of Andrew Cohen's teaching on Evolutionary Enlightenment are clear steps that actually bring the Authentic Self into being and make it possible to be a giver at the deepest level to the Life Process and not a consumer.

Since this is a teaching of Enlightenment and Enlightenment is not a relative thing, there is an Absolute nature to the teaching that needs to be embraced in order to put the 5 tenets into practice.  This Absolute demand is what squeezes out the relative world of Ego and all it's excuses and makes it possible for any human being who wants it bad enough to be free in this very moment.  As you go thru the 5 Tenets contemplate the Absolute nature of each of them.  If you pay attention to the experience you are having you will notice an immediate irrational objection from the ego in some shape or form but don't be intimidated continue to consciously inquire into the awe inspiring depth of each of the tenets and find out for yourself the truth that lies in each of them. 

The First Tenet: Clarity of Intention   This is the foundation for the entire teaching or any teaching of enlightenment for that matter, and it asks the individual state their intention - Which in this teaching is: I want to be free more than anything else - Free from what? Ego  And why? So we can consciously create the future together. 

The Second Tenet: The Law of Volitionality   Since we all have free agency and the capacity to choose, it is possible to take absolute responsibility for your own self.  That is exactly what the second tenet asks- If one wants to be free more than anything else then they are going to take complete responsibility for their life. 

The Third Tenet: Face Everything and Avoid Nothing  Typically we face nothing and avoid everything but if one wants to be free more than anything else there will not be any motive to avoid anything.  We will only be interested in what is real and true and not in preserving our own self image or ego.  Andrew describes this as "the ultimate form of spiritual practice" b/c when a human being does this they essentially are free.

The Fourth Tenet: The Truth of Impersonallity Every person I have ever met including myself claims the experience of being alive to be "mine!" meaning particular to me.  But if we step back and look more and more objectively you will ultimately see that we all share the same human experience.   This tenet is endlessly compelling and instantly liberating b/c by seeing through the illusion of the "personal sphere" one experiences a radical release of ones own consciousness and ultimately our humanity.  This is where the Authentic Self becomes a living reality because it is an impersonal force that exists in all of us and it's function is to create the future.

The Fifth Tenet:  For the Sake of the Whole   When an individual decides that they want to be free more then anything else and begins to engage with first 4 tenets, it is indeed a profound choice to make. However, the ultimate purpose of the teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment is not a personal attainment, but for a collective emergence to occur in consciousness.  When our desire to be free evolves into a higher care for all of life, something miraculous has occurred.  Believe it or not the Ego is happy to play ball with the first 4 tenets b/c it can still use them to bolster it's own self image.  But the 5th tenet is where the Ego jumps ship and reveals it's true face as a exclusively self-serving entity b/c it can't stand in the face of a higher wholesome purpose beyond itself.   

Once a human being recognizes the 5th Tenet and is committed to living them, there is natural longing from Authentic Self to come together with others in order to create the future.  The top half of the teaching model illustrates the Six Principles that emerge as a  higher potential for human relationship that is literally of a different order!  

There will be a Evolutionary Enlightenment course part 2 which will go into the collective dimension of Andrew Cohen's teaching.
 
A lot has come up for everyone over the last 5 weeks, which is why we will meet again and have a discussion forum next Monday. 

The fundamental transformation in the teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment is going from -1 to 0 to +1in other-words:  From Ego or a negative relationship to life - to Zero or having no relationship to thought and feeling thru the practice of meditation - and re-emerge as the Authentic Self, the part of ourselves that wants to consciously create the future.  Consistently making the clear distinction in our own experience of these two completely different parts of ourselves is vital, this requires courage and a passion for Life.  This heartfelt connection to the Evolution of the Life Process and the inherent meaning and purpose found there in, is what will compel us to see "what we are really up to in every moment.?" 
The class was exciting because I really felt we heroically faced Egohead-on.  There was a collective interest being generated by the class to really want to know and see the deeply inertic part of ourselves that always seeks comfort and has no interest in higher development.   At the same time we also stepped into the world of the Authentic Self- which Andrew Cohen called, "the pure passion to evolve at the level of consciousness."  It was inspiring to hear from the class about their own experiences of the AS - As others described their experience you could palpably feel the spontaneous, joyous and endlessly creative qualities of the Authentic Self.  We saw how the expression of the AS is such an attractive force that has the power to illicit the very best in others in the most unimaginable ways.  This type of engagement with others is what lies at the heart of these teachings- because through our own authentic response, new relationships will begin to form and this is how a "new culture" beyond ego can be created.  This may seem outrageously idealist but if you look closely at the expression of the Authentic Self, that is exactly what it is.  The AS is already free, radically unselfconscious and only interested in what is Real and True.  Creating the Future is it's reason for being.
After locating these 2 different parts of ourselveswe recognized that there is a third and essential element to this picture- which is the conscious recognition of our inherent free agency as human beings.   We can say that we are all "Choosers", and never at any point do we lose this capacity to choose.  So, to bring light or awareness to the chooser is what puts us in position to identify with the Authentic Self and express it miraculous potential.  We saw how the Ego will deny that the chooser exists when it suits itself and plead sincerity while doing it.    This is the corruption of Ego and only when we really see it for what it is will we long to be free from it.
In our last class we we will go thru the 5 Tenets of Evolutionary Enlightenment which support the expression of the Authentic Self.   I encouraged the class to use the teaching models to  think of the connection b/w all our sessions together.  By understanding their relationship to one another a story line will be created that illuminates the depth and breath of Evolutionary Enlightenment.  I find my continued exploration of this story deepens my understanding and passion for these teachings.  

After classes 1 & 2 we were in a great position to explore how the practice of meditation is used in Andrew Cohen's teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment.  When we slow down and look at our experience it doen't take long to acknowledge the fact that we are all deeply conditioned and are compulsively identifing with thought and feeling.  Another way of putting it is that we are far from being free human beings.  So the only way to gain clarity on the mayhem of the mind is to let it all go in meditation and once again the purpose of meditation in this teaching is to go from Ego or -1 to Authentic Self or +1.
We have a very seasoned group of meditating veterans who for the most part are already engaged with meditation as a practice.  So my job was easy on one hand.  On the other it can be challenging for someone who is familiar with one practice to try another.  But that is exactly what I asked the class to do and they obliged.  So for the next few weeks we will all being doing the same practice, which is to follow Andrew Cohen's simple and clear instructions for meditation- in a nutshell - be still, be at ease, pay attention.    Simple yes but the key to this practice is the Absolute nature of it and this Absolute demand will challenge us and reveal how weak our intention is.  This is not a bad thing b/c once we know where we really stand we can then begin to cultivate and deepen our intention.  So In order to consistently access that dimension of the self that is beyond time space and form, where there exists unquantifiable peace and emptiness- our intention to be free needs to be heroic.  At the same time if we give ourselves this way to this practice, which we are all capable of doing, there will be results, it is scientific.    
I encouraged the class to think about their experience of meditation afterward and try to gain an understanding of why this unlimited empty ground is so significant.  We saw that when we really "let everything be just as it is"  in meditation our personal history will fade away and with that the deeply held belief that that there is a problem.  As Andrew mentioned in the audio, when you really let go into the Ground of Being most of the problems that you thought you had will disappear.  This recognition is utterly profound in more ways than one b/c what will happen if we spend enough time having a problem that we need to overcome, the Authentic Self will come to the surface and this is the fundamental transformation of this teaching.   We ended the night with a guided meditation that went very deep leaving us with a quite mind and open heart.  Next week we will explore Ego and Authentic Self - the 2 parts of ourself that never meet and have completely different motives to exist in this world.

After finding "the subject" which is the source of awareness itself in Class 1, we tried to embrace the reality of our very complex world.  Seeing the 3 videos gave us a snap shot of our time and revealed aspects of our global predicament that are indeed overwhelming.  We woke up to the simple fact that we are deeply imbedded and conditioned to world of form and in order to see clearly (perspective) we need to understand the context we find ourselves in.  Distinguishing the relationship b/w these two terms was helpful context: a set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event or situation and perspective: which is our view which we can consciously choose to widen to let in broader levels of context. 
We acknowledged together that we are all part of an evolving universe which means that we all exist in a developmental or evolutionary context which has huge implications.  The is a very recent discovery by science and it is no wonder we tend to think of ourselves as static entities and are even suprised by the fact that we are aging???
As we looked deeper at the static image of ourselves we saw that this is indeed the world of the Ego (which we will go into in Class 4)  which is supported by this idea that I am here and the world is out there.  This relationship to life is "dualistic" and part of a deeply ingrained worldview that we all share, but if we just think about it from what we learned in Class 1 this does not make sense.  It implies inherent separate instead of inherent wholeness.  After laying the foundation in Classes 1 and 2, coming up in Class 3 we begin to get into the actual teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment by understanding the purpose of meditation and discover the Ground of Being from which everything including you and me has emerged from.  We will see that the only way to release ourselves from all the unwholesome conditioning and attachment to the world is by letting go in meditation. 

See you next monday

Last night 21 interested and engaged participants took the plunge into a 5 week course on Andrew Cohen's teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment which is dedicated to evolving at the level of Consciousness.   We explored the significance of perspective and how our relationships can differ dramatically based on whether or not the other person finds themself  "in" or "out" of our view.  It was compelling to see together that Enlightenment is not only a profoundly positive and ecstatic experience but more significantly it is a vast perspective from which we can view all of our experience from. 
But it wasn't until I spoke afterward with a fellow instructor that I realized a simple but very profound event occured when we all found the "subject" which is Consciousness itself together.  To locate and experience who we really are on the most fundamental level can not be overstated .  The intensely intimate yet universal recognition of our deepest sense of self aligns us with the purpose of this teaching which is to evolve at this level.  

In our next class, Context is Everything, we will look outward at the very complex and confusing world that the subject now finds itself in and explore how to make sense of it all. 

   


 

Hello Everyone - we just completed the 10-day Evolutionary Enlightenment teachers training with Jeff Carreira at the EnlightenNext World Center in Lenox, MA .  It was an ecstatically demanding event that saw 23 students of Andrew Cohen from all over the world come together and by authentically pushing our own edge, we were able to use our collective inter-subjective experience as a higher learning vehicle in which to develop the course with Jeff.   This egoless field of higher consciousness can be created when all the individuals are committed to living the 5 fundamental tenets of enlightenment, which define what the liberated relationship to the human experience is as defined in Andrew Cohen's teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment.
This collective experience is simply amazing because it is highly creative and allows for a type of accelerated learning and depth of understanding that is simply not available through conventional teaching methods.  I'm confident that our International Task Force is ready to convey with depth and clarity, the profound fundamental elements of Andrew Cohen's revolutionary  teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment.  These teachings are specifically designed for human beings to evolve at the level of consciousness in order to create nothing less than a new world.

I will be teaching this new 5-week course which meets every Monday beginning on Oct 30
Everyone is welcome and no prior training is necessary, just an open mind and and a big heart.

Course Location

EnlightenNext - The New york Cente
Address: 243 W30th Street 11fl
New York NY 10001 USA

Course Dates & Times

Dates: Monday evenings, Oct 30 - Nov 27, 2006
Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Course Fees

Regular Fee: $275 ( $245 - Early Registration thru Oct 25th)
Student Fee: $125 (current university ID required)

              Review or iNYC's Fee:  $175

Contact Information

Name: Jason DiTullio
Email: Jasond@wie.org
Phone: 212-695-1711
Blog: http://alignmentnyc.zaadz.com/