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andrew cohen
April 2007 
Victory
Mark
On Monday, we delved into the path of Evolutionary Enlightenment, The Five Fundamental Tenets of Enlightenment. These tenets, when practiced, allow us to live in accordance with the Absolute perspective of the Authentic Self, in all places, under all circumstances, no matter what our feeling or experience is. Living with allegiance to the Authentic Self is living a life of victory, now, for the Authentic Self is already and always free. Indeed, living from the first tenet, Clarity of Intent, a deep desire to be free more than anything else, is nothing but our own declaration of freedom! For, the choice to be free also carries with it our choice to live with unconditional responsibility, giving us the power to face everything and avoid nothing. Where, moment by moment we begin a noble but ultimately victorious struggle with our darkest impulses on the one hand, and on the other, begin to identify more and more with our light.
Renouncing the victim position; moving beyond Ego, a fire begins to burn in our hearts; fear and self-concern melting away in the evolutionary energy of the Authentic Self. We can no longer turn back. With a growing conviction, we cultivate the deepest positive human qualities, those of our own soul -- our capacity for integrity, conscience, transparency and integrity. For we know that we'll need the strength to choose again and again the Authentic Self, the source of enlightenment, when we're challenged and our back is up against the wall, with the momentum of our own conditioning threatening to overtake us.
As an awakening human, our personal drama falling away, we no longer feel divided. The focus of our attention now becomes the one pointed mission of the Authentic Self - to evolve. For we recognize that we are that and we know that nothing can be more important, for the evolution of consciousness can only happen through our absolute participation. It's up to us, and we care.
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My beef with “victory”: as far as I can tell, resistance is futile (on both sides of the coin). In another context we often say, “what you resist persists.” I think this is particularly apt when applied, in this context, to the ego. To my mind, making the ego the enemy (and we use lots of freighted words like “struggle” and “darkest impulses” when referring to this fundamental part of our humanity) is a fools errand. I don't mean to make a case for the ego - though I would argue that without something to transcend the game might appear far less interesting; I DO want to be free more than anything else! I just think that dwelling in the metaphor of struggle and battle and victory and war misses two essential points: 1) evolve is what the Authentic Self does (swimming is not victory for a fish) and 2) after millenia of most of the great lineages working to eliminate/vanquish the ego, its still as strong as (stronger than?) ever. I contend that embracing the ego, distinguishing its ways and means, provides a better opening to disarm it. You've demonstrated this yourself, Mark, in noting that the ego still does its thing, you're just ignoring it more. Kill (vanquish) the ego or be bemused by and free to ignore a formerly feared but found-to-be fangless phantom? I find the latter more compelling and likely to bear fruit. The, to me, essential/unavoidable human paradox is that we are both ego and Self (we're probably also choosing faculty, but I'm still chewing on that one).
I'll address “moral imperative” in a future comment. All of me is due at a party! Peace, E
Hello, The very first time I read Andrew's 5 Tenets in Embracing Heaven and Earth, there was something so compelling in its simplicity that it hit home instantly. Andrew speaks about this simplicity in the beginning of the book. Practicing the tenets is just that - practice. And it is ongoing and like any practice, it takes something, however we can become better at it. It is a conscious effort to see why I say and do the things I do. It's a good challenge and the choices are important. It sounds serious and I do take it that way. Practicing the 5 Tenets and what it means to have an absolute relationship to time, thought and feeling have also made my life so much easier and content.
The Universe Project sounds very interesting.
Michele
I completely agree with what “PlaidDooley” (whomever that is) has said, word for word. I was going to submit an email expressing those thoughts between class four and five but at the time i wanted to focus more on learning and practicing and embracing EE rather than challenging, however i can’t help but to have some major criticisms of this battle against the ego. My goals are the same as Andrew Cohen’s, but i have trouble accepting SOME of his means as well as one, particular, conclusion that has some major consequences in its rejection. I actually have written a somewhat extensive overview of these criticisms that i hopefully have time to polish up and email to everyone before the meeting on monday. If i dont then perhaps we can just discuss it there. I feel that what i have to say may make the goals of EE more realistic. Who knows, maybe not. In any case, i need to see how Cohen or a representative of his would respond to my criticisms so i can have that bell go off in my head and advance on my path.