Living Enlightenment: A Call for Evolution Beyond Ego

Rating:
Summary: Ego Evisceration 101
Review: ... Andrew Cohen has been guiding spiritual seekers to the Answer to life's biggest questions for over 16 years, ever since he attained a permanent realization of such enlightenment through his relationship with an Indian guru when he was 30 years old. ... This book, his latest (and more widely accessible volume than his thoroughly detailed manual of enlightenment, "Embracing Heaven & Earth"), is simultaneously a refined, cohesive summary of his previous writings and also something quite new: for the first time, Andrew's full presence seems to seep through the pages with both the passionate urgency of his God-engendered message and the passionate _humor_ of his very human self. This is likely a result of the book being written in conversational Q & A format, transcribed from actual dialogues, and similar to his most popular book, the transcendent "Enlightenment Is a Secret," but it's been done in a way that is, in every sense of the expression, more "fleshed out."

And it covers _everything_, just about everything one could imagine oneself asking an enlightened master if given the opportunity. Over 100 questions are asked, and fully answered, in 20 chapters, with topics ranging from the perennial classics of surrender, humility, and karma, to less familiar ones such as the role of gender differences in the pursuit of enlightenment, or the question of awakening to "the consciousness of absolute zero" beyond time and how that relates to the evolution of manifest consciousness in time. Throughout it all, though, Andrew is insistent on one point above all others: the ego--which is the "emotional and psychological knot in consciousness that is the fundamental cause of the sense of separation from all of life"--must be killed or unraveled, transgressed or transcended, if true Freedom is to be attained. In fact, even though this is something most teachers of enlightenment comment on in some way or another (and historically always have), Andrew takes it deadly seriously, like a classic Zen master, taking an absolute stand against all the games of Narcissus in a way that few teachers in the modern spiritual marketplace--especially those of the Neo-Advaitin brand--seem to approve of. He likens the ego's persistent obsession with its personal melodrama, for example, to constantly sticking one's head in a garbage can and marveling at all the putrid junk inside. "How harsh and cruel, with such an unpleasant tone!" the offended cry. "Just let the ego be, perfect as it is--including everything it does, since it's all pure consciousness anyway--and be free!" they implore. Yet Andrew has been around too long and worked too closely with too many human beings to buy into such shallow, nontransformative nonsense. "Anybody who says the ego isn't a big deal," he has said, "doesn't know what they're talking about." It is this, in part, that has earned him his "rude boy" status, as eloquently described in Ken Wilber's vigorous foreword to the book.

So if you're looking for a candy-coated, sweetness-and-light handbook to spiritual awakening, this definitely ain't it. It is impossible to take what Andrew says in this book seriously--deeply seriously, to the depths of your very soul--and not feel your ego climbing up the walls of your skull, clawing to get away from the overwhelming implications of his message. But if you're genuinely interested in a radical transformation that will shake you to the core, bring to light the heinous nature of the devil inside us all, and ultimately liberate you into an ecstatically alive infinity of Love that is one with the cosmic force of evolution itself--and grounded in the awesome depth of ever-present Mystery--then, as Mr. Wilber concurs, "you have come to the right place."

Rating:
Summary: Nice book, but not a nice author!
Review: ...you wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole."

that famous quote from J. Krishnamurti is used by the author of "Living Enlightenment," Andrew Cohen (who is also the editor of "What Is Enlightenment?" magazine), to emphasize the enormity of the task of ego-transcendence, and seems to be the basic theme of this incredible book. despite what people like Eckhart Tolle are leading thousands of seekers to believe these days, it is Mr. Cohen's contention that attaining the goal of spiritual life--i.e., enlightenment, awakening, liberation--is much more than a matter of finding "portals to the now" or remaining "mindful." why? because according to him, "true freedom is an all-or-nothing deal. that's just the way it is--it's a spiritual law." (p. 56) and furthermore, he spells out in a remarkably inspiring way the logical fact that the attainment of an ego-transcended state is NOT for the person who attains it. if the individual claimed enlightenment just for themselves and their personal happiness and freedom, there'd obviously still be ego there. rather, the whole point of attaining enlightenment is only for the service of the "evolution of consciousness itself." (p. 123)

i don't know about you, but this stuff gets me excited. Cohen is describing life on the spiritual path as a truly cosmic pursuit--something bigger than our post-modern world could possibly handle (as some of the more cynical reviews posted here testify to). "the whole point," he says, "is that the realization of enlightenment completely destroys the status quo. it blows it to pieces. if you are lucky enough to actually succeed in your quest for liberation in this life then you will become a completely transformed human being and, believe me, you will be seeing things very differently." (pp. 23-24) this stuff is the real deal, folks. even the way the words are written on the page has a simplicity and authority about them that gives a direct transmission of Cohen's enlightened vision and passion. so read it. and live it. because if you don't make the effort to wake up and obliterate the status quo of this world to create a new possibility, who will?

Rating:
Summary: I'm still dreaming
Review: After Ken Wilber's powerful forward telling us how Andrew Cohen is a "rude boy" of enlightenment who's just going around and ripping the rug out from under people and smashing all their ego houses built on sand, I expected to be really roughed up by this book. Instead after reading it twice I feel very unchallenged. I have never read Cohen before so maybe his other books have some sting. The whole book is in question and answer format which in itself is not bad, but the questioner is just so squeamish and polite that the book never gets kicking.
Check out this quote from page 19,

Question- For someone qualified to give all these answers about enlightenment, obviously they must believe that they're enlightened. So Andrew, are you enlightened?
Answer- I never answer that kind of question.
Question-Why not?
Answer- It's not the politically correct thing to do!

He goes on to say that he doesn't want to give the wrong impression and that people might misunderstand. Now compare Cohen's response to a truly awakened Stephen Jourdain's response to essentially the same question.

Jourdain- If one were to ask me point blank, "Are you God?" I am not going to dodge the question. I'll answer, "Yes, I'm God, that's obvious."

Cohen as many other spiritual writers talk about the compassion that naturally descends upon a person as they begin to contact that Higher Self or begin to Awake. People talk about love and mercy. My own experiences with Awakening did not reflect this and I was shaking my head in knowing agreement as I read this passage from Stephen Jourdain's book Radical Awakening,

"In what people term "fact," I see the face of Satan and I run him through with my sword! I have no respect for my organs(body), no respect for the five billion mortal and vulnerable humans, the little Chinese and all the rest. I have no respect for the cosmos. As far as I'm concerned, it can go to [heck]! The only thing that strikes me as legitimate is the earthly landscape in which I find myself in this very instant. All the rest is mere nothingness, a trumped up fable produced by the wrong source."

Now those are the words of a "rude boy!" If you want to learn about being Awakened buy Stephen Jourdain's Radical Awaking, it is literally the most shocking and incredible book I have ever read. He is truly awakened. But if you don't like the feel of a bamboo rod across your shoulders then forget about Enlightenment and stick to some New Age crystal meditation books.

Rating:
Summary: Read Luna Tarlo's book 'Mother of God'
Review: Before deifying this author, I suggest you read Luna Tarlo's book
'The Mother of God'.

Too many believe in the concept of 'enlightenment' and submit themselves to the will of another human just as flawed (if not more so) as themselves. For true liberation read 'The Guru Papers'. I also recommend Agahananda Bharati's book 'Context & Pretext of Modern Mysticism'.

Rating:
Summary: No turning back
Review: I have read many spiritual books, yet I don't know of any other that has affected me the way this one has. Andrew Cohen communicates with simplicity and precision, yet also with suprising depth and subtlety. I found myself disturbed and intrigued reading this - as many (most!)of my ideas about enlightenment were deeply shaken, replaced by a growing seriousness and demand to live a different and extraordinary human life. The fact that this was the result of reading this book should not have suprised me after reading the foreword by Ken Wilber,in which he warns us that Andrew Cohen is a serious teacher, but what did suprise me is how it seemed to happened. Just reading it, did it. By the time I realized I was intrigued, it was already too late - this book is that experiental. It has actually changed the way I view and think about life,and I find myself deeply grateful. I look forward to reading more from this man.

Rating:
Summary: A frank and informative discussion of the soul's division
Review: Living Enlightenment: A Call For Evolution Beyond Ego by spiritual mentor and teacher of enlightenment Andrew Cohen, is a frank and informative discussion of the soul's division between the selfish inner essence that is the ego and the pull of that which lies outside the self, including divinity and God. Profound, steady in its exhortations to open up and listen, and emphatic in its embrace for spiritual wholeness, Living Enlightenment is a thought-provoking advocacy and recommended reading for students of human spirituality and metaphysics.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a must read, and a must read again and again
Review: Living Enlightenment: a call to evolution beyond ego is every contemporary spiritual seeker's manual for living a spiritual life in the 21st century. This book should come with a reader's warning, for while the logic and sensibility makes Cohen's explication about the spiritual path go straight in, the power packed in the dharmic punch leaves the small-minded narcissist, the miserly, cynical ego unnerved, unhinged, and scarily unmoored. This book is a tonic to the post-modern soul, and one long needed. It's a call to realize a Freedom that is wholly contemporary, not relativised, but contemporary.

Through its engaging question and answer format, a spiritual perspective emerges that is both modern and profound -- not merely a rephrasing of the timeless, transcendent realization of all the great wisdom traditions, but an evolution of what we understand as spirituality. Not just a "modern" interpretation of enlightenment but an actual path towards a new understanding and expression of the full bodied and full blown realization of enlightenment in this very modern world with all its complexities and challenges. Best of all, the short chapters on all aspects of the spiritual path not only offer answers, but virtually transport you into a new understanding. Hard to believe that simply reading a book can impart a sense of the unpolluted current of life to a modern cynic. But it can, and it does. Reading Living Enlightenment is more than the experience of learning, it's the experience of seeing the world, the ego, the dynamics of human transformation, and the heart of the mystery from the yonder shore, by standing in the shoes of one who already knows, is experiencing, and simultaneously discovering that miracle.

Living Enlightenment is literally a tonic to those who've grown weary on the spiritual path, to those been-there-meditated-that spiritual seekers, to those activists who burned out their passion to change the world a long time ago. It's more than some slogans or reworded quotes from enlightenment teachings. It's a cold-braced wake up call that not only roused me from sleep, but opened my eyes to a new world, a world in potential, a world that has yet to be created but is not far from reach.

This book is a must read, and a must read again and again. For it feeds that fire of the spirit that not only years to realize enlightenment, but to actually endeavor to embody it--as audacious as that sounds--to be that higher, clearer, and most of all SANER person, in this crazy world. Living Enlightenment is more than the author's vision, it's the transference of that inner flame that is all of our inner heart's longing - to be whole, to be free, and most of all to evolve, to engage whole-heartedly, whole-bodied-post-modern thoughts, feelings, responses, conditioning all included-in life. I wholly recommend this book, in fact, if there is but one book you read this year, or even this decade, this should be it.

Rating:
Summary: Nice book, but not a nice author!
Review: Read his books, but stay well clear of the guru himself, Andrew Cohen. Do yourself and your loved ones a big favor and ask any former student if you have any doubt about this or are considering joining his Impersonal Enlightenment Fellowship.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book is amazing and Andrew Cohen is amazing. He is the most enlightened man I have found. The precision of his answers is flawless and he has zero confusion. This book will not allow your ego one second of games. It is a direct call to awakening itself. He is a real 21st century Zen Master... and quite possibly a Buddha.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book is amazing and Andrew Cohen is amazing. He is the most enlightened man I have found. The precision of his answers is flawless and he has zero confusion. This book will not allow your ego one second of games. It is a direct call to awakening itself. He is a real 21st century Zen Master... and quite possibly a Buddha.