I do not believe in enlightened beings.  Only enlightened moments.  Tolle had his flash of insight in a public park, and has spent the rest of his time trying to tell others about it.  That is not enlightened.  His flash of insight?  An enlightened moment.  Everything else?  Human.

It is true that, the more moments of connection and identification there are – the more you identify with that which is permanent, Divine – and like pearls on a string, you can put the moments together for greater connection, more moments of Enlightenment.

Alan Watts talks about the cosmic game of Hide and Seek.  G-d, which has manifest in all of us, hides in separation – for the sheer delight of finding in connection.  Waves and Windows.  The waves are despair, separation, while the windows are moments of connection, bliss.  This is why synchronicity is so important – it reminds us of the connection, of the Oneness of All, and helps us to identify more with the Self than with the Personality/ego.

If, as an “enlightened being” people are looking for you to elevate them, it is an illusion, because you believe in “enlightened beings” so you buy your own story.  You know there is enlightenment because you’ve experienced it, but you’ve felt that every moment since that moment has been faked, an effort to control others, to bring them to that moment, or to bring that moment back to you.

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.

“Another self cannot teach enlightenment, but can only teach/learn information, inspiration, or a sharing of love, of mystery, of the unknown, that makes the other-self reach out and begin the seeking process.”  RA, from The Law of One

So someone who was recognized as enlightened fell into despair? Committed sins? Took advantage of or abused others?   Jesus wept.  My God!  My God!  Why have you Forsaken me?

Because the moment, the connection, was gone.

Faith is the belief that the moment will return, or re-manifest.  That even from the depths of despair, the light will come again.  But you have to not fight the darkness, you have to not give into it either.  Surf that wave.  Wait, Be, not every moment of enlightenment is bliss.

That’s why the teachers of enlightenment are selling an illusion.  They are trying to sell you a personality, a person who has DONE IT!  When really, all it was, was a moment.  Or at most, a string of moments, a strand of pearls of enlightened moments.  And the difference between their moment and your moment is one thing:

Grace.

Oh I hate that word, and I love that word.  The question I asked of Neelam (student of Papaji) when I met her, was “how do we court Grace?”  All of these flunkies, these ashram junkies, following the shining white robes and personalities, purity, diet and practice,  thinking this will bring them closer to Grace, will feed them enlightenment, will teach them The Way.  When there is No Way.  There is No True Path.  Only moments.

Anyone who says otherwise, is faking it.  And so, when the acknowledged Master gets cancer or Parkinson’s, commits sex crimes, exhibits greed, or hangs himself, he blows his brains out, or expires in decrepitude.  Because that moment was never going to return now.  And in the depth of the wave – it is impossible to court Grace.

One way to judge a teacher, is by how many transcend his/her teachings.  If a teacher keeps you submissive, under him/her, never gives you the chance to set yourself free and transcend the teacher – Then it is not a teacher, but is a narcissist.

Life is a dance.  We come together, we fall apart.  Sometimes coming together is disastrous.  Sometimes falling apart is purifying.  But we do it again and again, to experience the coming together and falling apart.  The Windows and Waves of Connection and Separation.

Each of us is G-d.  Each of us is a shattered fragment of the divine, the spark in each of us seeking to join to another spark, or two, or three.  That’s why an ashram or a “cult” feels so damn good, you think, this is it, I’m going to merge now.  We will all be One.  Except it doesn’t happen.  So the purpose of this spark in us is to experience the spark in others –

In love

In hate

In anger

In joy

In play

In music

In dance

In art

In violence

In fear

And in love, again and again, until all of our bits, all of the sparks of G-d in this manifestation, this shattering of sparks, this starry sky that is humanity, are done playing and experiencing, and are ready to find again.  Then, we are ready to join, to ascend.

The process.  It’s all about the process.