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Enlightenment: The Path Through The Jungle

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I have read most of the books by Dennis Waite and on the whole have found them to be quite informative and well written. Though Dennis is clearly knowledgeable about the Advaita Vedanta tradition, I feel that with "Enlightenment: the Path through the Jungle" he has revealed his lack of breadth regarding other approaches to nonduality.

A few main points:

Firstly, the term Neo Advaita. None of the communicators who have been given this label wish to be associated with it (as far as I know.) Since they do not acknowledge the category, its construction and subsequent dismissal as a teaching that falls short of traditional Advaita Vedanta methods seems totally unreasonable. These direct communicators have never set themselves up as being some sort of new movement of traditional Vedanta.

Secondly, this type of direct pointing is in no way exclusive to the new wave of satsang teachers. It can be found in a wide range of communications from Huang Po to Longchenpa, from Alan Watts to Wei Wu Wei, Krishnamurti to Sailor Bob and so on. And of course, direct pointing can be found in the work of Ramana, Nisargadatta and Krishna Menon (not to mention: Rumi, Lao Tzu, the Hsin Hsin Ming, the Avadhut Gita, etc... etc...)

Thirdly, the central inference of this book is that "enlightenment" is less likely from exposure to 'neo/satsang' communication than from traditional progressive methods. [Blatant nondual incorrectness aside] there is absolutely no evidence that a progressive time bound method would have any such advantage. It is not unreasonable to claim that there may be some apparent benefits to a progressive teaching, particularly in the context of providing a stable framework to allow a student to assimilate the teaching at an intellectual level (thus producing a more psychologically balanced experience over a greater span of time.) Yet there can also be problems with this (despite the counter claims.) It could actually act as an obstacle as the student becomes somewhat seduced by the trappings and `culture' of Advaita resulting in an enhanced sense of a 'self with advanced capabilities'.

"Enlightenment: the Path through the Jungle" makes some well observed points (especially regarding confusion generated by failure to distinguish between empirical and absolute truths) and Dennis is on firm ground with his knowledge of Vedanta. But the failure to truly acknowledge and appreciate that there are powerful and valid approaches to nondualism other than traditional Advaita, ultimately makes this book a one-sided and unsatisfying read.

Dennis Waite's book "Enlightenment: The Path Through the Jungle" is a necessary addition to everyone's library because it can serve as a checklist against which they can test their understanding. Have you ever had the experience of trying to do something new, struggling with it to no avail, and then someone comes over to you and shows you what you have been doing wrong and suddenly - voila! - you understand? This book is that someone. Dennis has collected together over 500 `pointers' and categorized them under aspects of understanding Enlightenment, going to great pains to clarify the meaning of words used in nondual writings, the purpose of and need for practice, and the necessary value of scriptural teachings and guidance from an experienced teacher within Advaita. This makes it easy to find the pointers needed when questions arise for you - you can always find what you are looking for in Dennis' Index, if not in Reality!

While there will be some that take his assertions about the necessity of effort on the part of those who wish to find enlightenment and end their suffering, and his criticism of certain "neo-advaita" teaching methods, as negative, I feel it is worth the time of everyone to read what he has written and pause to digest these gentle assertions and see if they do not ring true. There is that old adage: "You get what you pay for," which, if you see your efforts to reach understanding as the payment, holds just as much in this realm as in any other.

Of course there will always be those who are in too much of a rush to "stand in line," and they don't listen to anyone anyway. This book isn't for them.

There is a disturbing current finding favor in modern Nondual circles, which Dennis points to, which I characterize as anti-Intellectualism. Concepts, more and more frequently of late, are considered to be wrong in all cases. And it is this judgment that leads to teachers today presenting an understanding of ultimate reality as requiring nothing more than a short tagline, such as "you are That!," to achieve. As Dennis explains, this is the reason that effort is rejected and scriptural authorities are ignored. But it isn't that easy to dispel ignorance, and if you spend the time to contemplate the good feelings of being together with your satsang and how you were before, you will see that all you have done is replace one misunderstanding of reality, coupled with whatever suffering, or dis-ease, this brought on, with assertions that you really don't understand when you try to make sense of them, coupled with the good feelings of companionship that one finds in satsangs. And it is this failure to make sense of these assertions that is today esteemed because it means that one is not "lost" within concepts. Yes, but one is also bereft of understanding!

You are That, and nothing needs to be done to change you, but until you understand what that little tagline means you are not enlightened. It is the conceptual wisdom of a long tradition like Advaita that has proven effective in moving individuals like you and I to this understanding. It is the ignorance that must be dispelled, as Dennis points out, and that does require effort. Understanding is not like coins in the pocket - something that you have - and you do not get $200 for just passing "Go". Understanding is something that you are, and this book will help you realize what you are "doing wrong" to become that!

James Corrigan
An Introduction to Awareness

What is traditional advaita?

Traditional advaita is a process, a culture, and a methodology for achieving enlightenment. It is founded in Indian scriptures, but more important than scriptures are the teacher and the methodology, according to Waite.

What is neo-advaita?

Neo-advaita gets right to the point that so many people already sense, intuit, and know from experience. The point is that "this" is "it." Stop and see. Neo-advaita confesses the truth that there is only "this." Neo-advaita doesn't go through a process of education, nor does it unfold scriptures chapter by chapter. It just says what is, in various ways.

Since it's impossible for people to gather around any interest at all without some kind of organization arising, there are processes, methods, and a culture of neo-advaita that can be identified, but they are very thin compared to traditional advaita..

Some of the teachers of neo-advaita, though they themselves do not use the term neo-advaita, include Tony Parsons, Jeff Foster, Richard Sylvester, Nathan Gill.

Theme and purpose:

The theme of this book is that you can become enlightened through traditional advaita, while it is unlikely you will become enlightened through neo-advaita and satsang.

Dennis writes about the book's purpose: "The purpose is specifically to address the concerns of seekers who are dissatisfied with the satsang or neo-advaitin approaches to the teaching of advaita and to answer related questions." Waite says, "I am not primarily criticizing neo-advaita in respect of the truth or falsehood of its actual statements but as regards its utility as a teaching methodology."

The evolution of advaita:

Neo-advaita is less than 30 years old and evolving. Traditional advaita is 1200 years old and it too is evolving. For example, one organization, The Philosophy Foundation in Waltham, Massachusetts, is dedicated to traditional advaita and offers an Eckhart Tolle reading group. Swami Chinmayananda's ashram offers youth camps and senior citizens homes. Both those organizations are mentioned by Waite in his book and their recommendation is implicit.

Dennis Waite has freeze-framed the evolution of neo-advaita, analyzed it, and suggested it bend and graft onto traditional advaita. More than anything else, that suggestion makes this book controversial. It sounds as though he is asking Tony Parsons to teach classes in the Upanishads. That is unnatural. Kindly allow me to ask, When did Dennis Waite become the Pope of advaita?

This is an important book in the nonduality genre for several reasons. Dennis Waite makes a distinction between neo-advaita and traditional advaita that is detailed and clear. Well-known players in the nonduality game back Waite's thesis. Also, Dennis Waite has developed a potential force for the evolution of neo-advaita. If his book is read by people who attend Western satsang and if they ask the right questions, that force could be absorbed by neo-advaita and a new faction might split off that looks like a neo-traditional advaita.

What many neo-advaitins (as Dennis Waite defines them) are teaching is confusing and even harmful in some cases because they speak solely from the Absolute perspective; and yet, their teachings are quite the trend in satsang these days. Neo-advaitins teach that there is no meaning, nothing to do, nothing to practice, and what you do doesn't matter. There could hardly be a more un-spiritual message--and a more dismaying one for those who are still stuck in ego. I'm grateful to Dennis Waite for having the courage to speak out about this and for writing about this so clearly.

Gina Lake, author of Radical Happiness: A Guide to Awakening

I would highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to know more about the traditional teachings of Advaita/Vedanta.

It would be especially useful for those who have been exposed to the recent satsang method (or non-method) of teaching, or any other non-traditional teachings of non-duality, and who have begun to wonder why after so many years of listening to various teachers, they don't seem any closer to the goal than when they started.

The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta offer a tried and true methodology which enables the student to understand and reach the goal of self-knowledge. The other newer non-traditional teachings of non-duality have no informed knowledge of, and therefore cannot offer, this approach.

Dennis's book clearly compares and contrasts the traditional teaching of Advaita/Vedanta with the various and numerous non-traditional approaches to the subject. In a logical step by step fashion, Dennis illustrates why and how traditional teachings work as an effective means of self-knowledge, and why non-traditional teachings are very unlikely to bear fruit.

Anyone who has a sincere interest in this subject will no doubt be greatly benefited from reading this book.

In this book, Dennis Waite seeks to provide (1) A counter-argument to the modern 'neo-advaita' perspective, and (2) An in-depth explanation of the background to the traditional 'Advaita' teaching - as it was, and as it is.

Many enthusiastic students of contemporary non-duality teachers may be under the illusion that what they are hearing is the authentic 'Advaita' teaching. But, Dennis points out very clearly that this is not the case. Many of these contemporary teachers have gone on record as completely dismissing anything slightly resembling traditional Advaita. In its place, they appear to have created what is, to some, a teaching without real substance.

The trick is, really, continuing to have the depth of the traditional approach, and the light spontaneity of 'neo-advaita'. It is my feeling that both qualities are necessary in order to truly comprehend the nature of reality. It doesn't have to be just one or the other. Life is not only black and white - there are many shades and colours in between.

With the traditional teachings, I feel that there is very much a danger of being caught up in too much knowledge, but knowledge cannot be denied, and it can also be inspiring. A fact is a fact, and the fact is that the key aspects of the 'neo' argument have been contained in the scriptures since the very beginning. Anyone who doubts this should read Shankara's 'Viveka Chudamani' (also known as the 'Crest-Jewel of Discrimination' and written some 1300 years or so ago). But there is much more than this, because when we study Advaita, we have the benefit of the wisdom of many of the great sages from history. This wisdom is not nonsense, and anyone who suggests it is, I would say, is very much lacking in humility.

In reviewing Dennis Waite's book: ENLIGHTENMENT, I would strongly urge the doubting reader, and any 'born-again' 'neo' non-dualists to just take a careful look at each section of this book (it is broken up into 559 short numbered paragraphs). Give time and space to fully receive all the implications of each paragraph, rather than just quickly glancing through and dismissing it as nonsense. Then, perhaps, you may not be in denial of the need for a more rounded view of the history of Advaita.

I am not saying that we should all study the subject to the extent that Dennis Waite has. It takes a peculiar skill and an admirable dedication to do that, but within the pages of this book: 'ENLIGHTENMENT:The Path Through the Jungle' there is a rich and rewarding invitation to Open Your Mind ... it is in truth, an Open Secret.

Roy Whenary (author of 'The Texture of Being')

I must admit to having coined the particular title for this review based on my experience prior to reading the book. The book then confirmed the experiences of having attended many Satsangs and meditation retreats.
On a few occasions, I could attest to "glimpses" of the Absolute, Awakened State or "God" but as EXPERIENCES ONLY, they were simply transient. Nothing substantive really remained so I continued maintaining a fair amount of my inner conflicts, bouts of insecurity, etc. In that respect, the book has served to confirm the value of my ongoing meditative practice(actually self inquiry)because I came to realize the limitation of JUST meditation alone.

If someone could awaken simply from the messages imparted by a recognized, bona fide Neo Advaitan, I extend my heartfelt congratulations but my advice would also be to not start counting the chickens before they're hatched or equally "All that glitters ain't gold!"

Dennis Waite, author,"Enlightenment," is also author of "Meet Yourself," "Back to the Truth" and "Book of One."

Without participating in the generalized, categorical divisions, I recommend this book as an Advaita resource for those who want to explore the philosophy and its methodology.

Dennis is a master scholar of Advaita and the book is well written, organized and intelligent. He begins with key definitions, so that we are all 'on the same page' when he approaches the core of the book's subject matter. Since Sanskrit terms are used frequently throughout, a convenient glossary is at the end of the book, as well as a helpful Bibliography. Finally, the complete Index allows readers to reference particular subjects of interest.

The primary basis for this recommendation is for his overall presentation of what enlightenment is and what it is not according to the traditional definition. Dennis' concern for the student's direct seeing is important, so that they may directly and consciously recognize that they are beyond their present perception. The remaining delusions are then systematically and progressively eliminated as they surface. If these misperceptions are not made conscious, they will resurface again and again for eradication.

I enjoyed the Foreword by Greg Goode, author of "Standing as Awareness."

I applaud Dennis for the depth of his study of the philosophy of Advaita that is a pointer to the very Heart of Advaita.

Katie Davis, Author, "Awake Joy"

I recently read a short debate between Tony Parsons and Dennis Waite on this very topic.

For whatever it's worth, I tend to agree with Dennis Waite about the
lack of depth or 'efficacy' in modern teachings. Yet, I don't
necessarily agree that the traditional teachings are 'better'. The
actual teaching itself is quite simple - self-enquiry, just BE-ing and
direct seeing.

There really isn't that much to 'teach' - it's all in the sincerity and
dedication of the 'student'. From here the traditional teachings have
*much* more to offer the sincere, but neither modern nor traditional
teachings have a single, solitary thing to offer the half-arsed, uninterested and/or uncommitted seeker.

[...]

Look, this whole argument is stupid. There is no right or wrong answer.
Some people might like more of the neo-advaita writers, while others might like more of the traditional writers. No group is better than the other or more right than the other group. It will depend on the individual.
Again, there is no right, no wrong, no better and no worse.
And there should be no argument.

Time for bed. Sleep well.