The sudden awakening of Pandit Gopi Krishna in 1934 was fraught with difficulties. He was frightened and exhausted by his sudden immersion in the occult world and was convinced that his condition was abnormal. He was desperately looking for someone who could offer him advice and guidance, but invariably faced only disappointments.
In this great country (India), which gave birth to the high science of kundalini many centuries ago, the very soil of which is filled with its fragrance, the rich religious knowledge of which is overflowing with references to it, I have not found a single person who can help me.
Most Western spiritual teachers, masters and gurus have come to the conclusion not only that there is no real possibility of transcending the ego, but also – and this is an even more significant conclusion – that any serious pursuit of this is adventurous, old-fashioned and unreasonable… The once considered noble intention to truly rise above oneself, to transcend petty self-service and often destructive impulses of the ego has been replaced by a more “mature” acceptance of oneself “with all flaws and shortcomings.” It seems that self-acceptance has become an indicator of higher development.
Unfortunately, a Western spiritual teacher, master or guru is like a rock climber who, having personally failed to reach the top, concludes that any attempt to do so must therefore be “adventurous, old-fashioned and unreasonable.” And this is an incredible “disservice” to a sincere seeker.
It is certainly true that, despite the hype raised by these individuals, in whose interests it is to maintain the illusion of progress, true spiritual awakening is a thing that practically does not exist in our modern world. But it is equally true that any awakening that actually happens happens spontaneously and without recourse to any formal system of sadhana.
All the evidence suggests that humanity is not developing to a higher state of being, but, on the contrary, is sinking deeper into ignorance. Each generation is more pathologically egocentric than the previous one, and in terms of human progress, it is the sociopath who is the most highly developed individual, since he embodies extreme egocentrism.
Strangely enough, a Western spiritual teacher, master or guru does not question the method itself, but instead looks for flaws in the pursuit of transcendence. The possibility that the methods used and the ideas supporting them are flawed is not even considered.
Is it any wonder that out of the hundred most influential living spiritual personalities named in the 27th issue of Watkns Review: Mnd Body Sprt, ninety-nine seem to have no direct knowledge or experience of nirvana, it is obvious that the modern spiritual movement is in a state of crisis, but no one seems to notice this. Instead, we have a crowd of self-help gurus with their meaningless chatter about evolution.
