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The Myth of Enlightenment: Seeing Through the Illusion of Separation

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I am writing a review not after reading the book, but because I have had the opportunity to sit with this man and question him in India. I found that he had a rapt audience of devoted listeners who seemed to relish his antics of exploding peoples preconceived egoistical ideas. All well and good. But I have been an ardent student of Non-dual traditions for over twenty years, and have sat with many different teachers from different traditions, and I can honestly say that this man is certainly no Buddha. He is a very clever man, and he has a a very strong intellectual understanding of the philosophy...a virtual advaita heavyweight champion. But he lacks the boundless compassion and unconditional heart that is the quality of any great realized being. Instead, Karl delights in the "de-construction" process with the zeal of a pre-pubescent boy, ridiculing and taunting people just to get them to break down. He sidesteps all direct questioning regarding him, and justifies all his rude behavior with the idea that he has no ego, and therefor anything goes. (very dangerous to be propogating this notion to the gereral public) His intellect makes him immune to any real exploration into his very obnoxious and unorthodox way of teaching. I think he has a very big ego... so big that he has succesfully shielded it from his own eyes.
Apart from respecting his sharp intellect and strong understanding of Advaita philosophy, I think he is doing a major disservice to non-dual teachings by posing as some figure of enlightenment.
If you are inspired by his teachings, thats great. Even tyrants can make wonderful teachers. Just dont go calling him a Buddha, please.

Reading Karl Renz's MYTH OF ENLIGHTENMENT strips away all remaining illusions the mind still creates even if you "think" you got it! If we can manage to read this book in timeless presence and "loose our mind" we are realizing there is nothing to realize! Karl knows all the tricks the mind is playing and brings with his book a refreshing non-perspective, humorous and radical approach recommended for anyone interested in any spiritual path and/or non-dualistic philosophy.

"Comrade this is no book,
Who touches this touches a man...
It is I you hold and who holds you." (Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass)

First, some context:

I have read/explored this book's presentation thoroughly now for the second time. Someone considering this book as a choice, may find these comments helpful. The book is a transcription of live dialogues. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to sit at several question and answer sessions with Karl and to watch many of the available DVDs. I have a "feel" for the flavor and texture of his answers, body language, vocal intimations, etc that cannot be written in words. While I cannot say that I have "touched the man", for certain he touched "me". "Emptiness means the absence of everything except what you are." (p 188).
From what I have seen, I can tell you that these dialogues are quite typical of his "style" of presentation. We with query, who see ourselves as separate, individuals ( man), pose as half of the apparent Q and A team.. We seem to ask the "same ole questions", verbalized sometimes cleverly, sometimes not. He, knowingly being both ends of the duo and everything in between, prior to all perplexity, responds from Self to Self. Awareness that is "what man is" responds to itself; so Karl says. Answering at times with humor, or tenderness, paradoxical perplexity, or perhaps perceived insult, he may seem to contradict himself in a matter of minutes! However he responds, there is for me, the Felt undercurrent of non-emotional Love and Lightheartedness of being. This, even if he is sitting on the edge of his seat leaning forward and thundering responses loudly, rapidly as lightning flashing. He, a truth whisperer with the universe as his megaphone, shouting from the Silence that IS every bone and stone, "THIS is Home". Just This; AS it IS, whatever it is. Prior to every thought, feeling , emotion, prior to even I AM, the Consciousness of all, says he.

I felt an open invitation/ daring flirtation, hinting at the possibility of Present Knowingness in this Merciless Mercy. Like an older brother, grandfather or child, I felt like I could unabashedly ask him anything or as easily go for a coke, beer or coffee with him. And did. Such is the everyday ambience of ordinariness and approachability that surrounds him. At least so it seemed for me, tiring now after all these decades of longing and searching, and being addicted to the silly shenanigans of Self-pursuit. Test it for yourself. It is NOT easy read for some and is not for everyone, but is one of the most down to earth, that is, Fundamental, Radical expressions of That which cannot be known by its expression, I have ever experienced.

It seems I have digressed from discussing the "book" to discussing the "man"? Yes, it seemed so to me as well until, in my perplexity, I saw where Whitman's poetry, haunting me now for days, fits. Fits like a key that opens a door that isn't "there". No need for key or lock if there is no door or wall or imprisoning structure.

Q: " So the I has to disappear?
A: How can something disappear that was never there.?" ( p114, The Myth...)

"The separate person you take yourself to be is merely a story you're telling yourself, and you experience what you believe. It appears real because you tell it to yourself daily." (p63, Ibid) "Your true nature is eternal, prior to the appearance of time, space and all that arises in it. Eternally untouched, this absolute awareness perceives itself in and as itself." (p 192)

"Comrade, this is no book,". (Whitman, Leaves of Grass)
Touched may you BE.
Beverly

The Myth Of Enlightenment: Seeing Through The Illusion Of Separation by Karl Renz is an inspirational telling of all of the truths we humans have been taught to deny. As The Myth Of Enlightenment progresses, readers will discover a more elaborated and honest part of themselves, in both their social and solitary life. The Myth Of Enlightenment is very highly recommended for its intriguing content and everything it has to offer for all readers, religious or otherwise.

This was a truly depressing book. Most of the non-dualistic literature is hopeful and uplifting; The Myth of Enlightenment stands in stark contrast.

The message is much the same as that of Tony Parsons's book As It Is. Both books state that any efforts by the ego to find enlightenment are doomed, since there is nothing to "find." Thus processes such as meditation, satsang, etc., are wastes of time.

However, there they diverge, and Renz takes a much darker turn. Parsons suggests we give up the search and rest, so that we can see what's already here. Renz, by contrast, says that absolutely nothing we might do (or avoid doing) will help. Renz thinks we each have an appointed time for enlightenment, which is somehow set by the cosmic consciousness. Nothing will change that date, so you might as well give up. (However, unlike with Parsons' teachings, Renz doesn't suggest that giving up will help either.)

Renz states bluntly in the text that there's nothing he can tell us that will help us. If that's the case, then why should we bother reading the book? Actually, most of the book is Q&A from a live workshop. A few participants similarly ask why they paid their entrance fee when Renz can't actually help them with anything.

Renz says he achieved enlightenment when he was in a state of such despair that his ego imploded. Maybe he's trying to recreate that sense of despair in his readers by removing any sense of hope. The only silver lining is that the book uses a large font and lots of white space. It thus contains so little actual text that it doesn't take very long for the ordeal of reading it to end.

It is likely that the best measure of a genuine spiritual teacher is the skill with which he presents that which is simply beyond words. Karl Renz has a clarity that both painful and freeing at the same time. If you agree that it is necessary to see illusion before you can see through it you will find your mirror in this book...

Sometimes Shadowy and Indirect:

There's a sense that Renz is amusing himself with shadows in the forms of questions and words. "Whatever happens in this wakefulness [the world] is nothing more than fleeting shadows on a screen."

He's engaged with his own cleverness. Or maybe he is mirroring the cleverness of those who question him. An exchange addresses this:

The book is written in question (Q) and answer (K for Karl) form.

Q: "Oh, I can't grasp you! You dodge every statement like a snake!"
K: "But the snake says, `Why don't you try it? Come into the gap where you can't exist. Take a bite of the apple!"

"I don't talk to any person, but to existence, the Self," Renz claims.

"I only know that I am and that there's existence. Everything else is speculation. Truly, I know no more than you."

Other Times Instruction is More Direct:

"Just see you're that which realizes and not anything that can be realized. ... Don't turn toward what appears in awareness, but toward awareness itself."

He speaks about the value of self-inquiry: "When you concentrate on this question [Who am I?] all personal history is slowly but surely annihilated, since in this question no person can exist anymore."

Back To The Shadows:

"Enlightenment is merely one more concept in that endless stream of ideas about improving yourself, discovering yourself, or obtaining happiness. ... It's unnecessary because there's never been any need for anyone to become enlightened."

An Explanation:

"I'm not here to dissolve, but to create knots. I tie so many knots in your brain that you may suddenly realize it's impossible to ever undo them. Then you can give up trying and simply be still. Once you're completely still, who cares whether there were ever worlds, rebirths, webs, knots, or dissolutions?"

Abundant, Refreshing, and Profound Humor:

K: Through desire and hard work, you seem to make decisions and control your own progress, and then bang! Through some kind of accident, all this falls away.
Q: And then I'm no more?
K: Yes. It's almost a pity because you had built up such an interesting relationship with yourself.

Conclusion:

The strands of shadow, slippery snakes, and neatly bound direct instructions intertwine to form interesting knots. The humor helps to undo them. Or tightens them. But I do recommend landing into this nest of nonduality.

Jerry Katz

Still a student of myself at age 70, I'm on my third or fourth reading of this delightful book of dialogues since I purchased it about 4 or 5 years ago. The only book I've read more times is "I Am That", by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. From what I feel -- I've also watched some of his satsang videos -- Karl has discovered his true nature, as deeply, e.g., as Nisargadatta, Ramana Maharshi, et al, and his compassion is as deep, but his style is that of a standup comedian. He responds to his questioners by deconstructing their assertions of what they take themselves and the world to be and relentlessly pointing them to the truth of what they are, with a delivery that is often as funny as it is profound.

Of course anyone on the "hot seat" may feel frustrated and disoriented in this process. The truth may set us free, but it's not always easy to hear, and the more we are identified with our concepts/story of who/what we are and what is, the more irritating it can be.

I can't recommend this book too highly for a delightful contact with mind-blowing truth. Caveat: Those of us who can't easily laugh at themselves will not likely enjoy this book.

Note-- Actual date of this revised review is 4/22/2010

This is one of those books of "Enlightenment" that gets you nowhere. Most of the chapters are a play on words and sometimes witty but eventually gets boring. If you truly want to get whole lot of nothing, go ahead and read the book. In short this book lacks the soul that you find in a Classic.

I suggest that the serious seekers of "Enlightenment" read "I am That"... and keep reading it till you get "it".

Karl claims that Enlightenment just happens. So Karl, why bother writing books?

Very clear and straight way to recognize the SELF!It cut of all the illusion and misunderstanding of what Enlightenment is.