False Prophets

“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are savage wolves.”

—Matthiew 7:15

For thousands of years, presumed enlightened sages, gurus, and teachers have been talking about freedom from the ego. They used different words: freedom from suffering, liberation, enlightenment, moksha, nirvana, Zen—but all are basically different expressions for the same thing.

In the past, the stereotype guru came from India, had enough facial hair to put Rip Van Winkle to shame, and catered to hippies with almost as much hair, as well as people who called themselves devotees, followers, or disciples, and who were, for the most part, not independent thinkers.

Since I was sixteen, I’ve read a lot of books by teachers, gurus, non-teachers, call them what you will. I’ve listening to them speak, either live or on video. I even flew to Zurich, Switzerland, and met privately with Elisabeth Haich and Selvarajan Yesudian.

I was intrigued by the writings of J. Krishnamurti. He was one of the first to set himself apart from the mainstream. He insisted he wasn’t a guru or a teacher. I think he might have approved of the terms speaker and writer, nothing more.

But people called him the guru’s guru, and newscasters often labeled him as a philosopher. Other’s called him a world teacher. Mere speaker and writer, or world teacher, the fact remains he was a major influence to many. In 1984, Krishnamurti received the United Nations Peace Medal.

Almost everyone treated him with the reverence one would give an enlightened sage.

Believe it or not, Barnes & Noble classifies his books under Religion and Inspiration. If Krishnamurti hadn’t been cremated, he’d be doing summersaults in his grave.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi tried what was a new approach at the time: using science and scientific methodology along with Transcendental Meditation (TM), in a kind of East meets West experiment. But almost everyone who practiced his TM technique believed that Maharashi was enlightened, and that through the TM program, they too could eventually attain this coveted state of consciousness.

Eckhart Tolle appeared on the scene in the end of the last century with a fresh perspective to an ancient subject. His first book, THE POWER OF NOW, did well at first, but really took off in 2000, when Oprah Winfrey recommended it in her magazine. THE POWER OF NOW has been translated in thirty-three languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Eckhart Tolle is by far the easiest to understand of all the teachers I know. It takes genius to make the complicated simple.

He calls himself a spiritual teacher, and doesn’t make a big deal out of it. Good for him.

A year or two later, I stumbled upon Byron Katie. From what I understand—I’ve read all her books and seen numerous videos, but I’m certainly not an authority—Byron Katie does not call herself a spiritual teacher or a guru, nor does she talk directly about spiritual or religious matters, or the subject of enlightenment. 

She is a teacher of a system of inquiry (inquiry is a big Krishnamurti word if there ever was one) she calls “The Work.” I suppose this is the reason her books are found in the Barnes & Noble Self Help section, whereas Eckhart Tolle’s books are found in the New Age section. (Why in the world Krishnamurti is in the Religion and Inspiration section, I’ll never know.)

I’ve only written about one “speaker,” as well as few gurus and teachers in this post. I don’t know all the teachers—I’ve just mentioned a few I’ve encountered either directly (in person), or indirectly through their writings and recordings.

These teachers, speakers, or gurus—call them what you will—all have one thing in common: they claim, in some way or the other—usually through a sudden dramatic transformation—to have been awakened or enlightened. Some say so directly, like Eckhart Tolle; some indirectly like Krishnamurti. (I’ve never heard Krishnamurti say he was enlightened. But his journals, which are published in a book aptly entitled, KRISHNAMURTI’S JOURNAL, as well as the general consensus of those who followed him, leave little room for doubt that he is considered by most to be enlightened.

But what the hell is enlightenment anyway? I can tell you what I think it is, but that’s as worthless to me as it should be to you.

One can logically say that if you’re enlightened, you know what enlightenment is. And that’s the only way anyone can ever know what enlightenment is. So if you’re not enlightened, then how can you make the assumption that enlightenment even exists?

You might have experiences or glimpses, but that does not constitute enlightenment. Enlightenment is supposed to be a permanent state of being, not a fleeting experience.

So then, why follow anybody on a path, a non-path, or whatever, to a state of enlightenment when you don’t even know what enlightenment is? You don’t even know if the person you’re following is enlightened or just a clever actor—a savage wolf, to quote Matthew.

I’ll tell you why did. It’s simple: I didn’t.

I’ve never “followed” anybody. I’ve listened, but always with a Doubting Thomas ear. I have been my own guru, my own teacher.

Yeah, yeah. Big deal, right?

Actually, it is a big deal. I’ll tell you why:

After all these years, I’ve finally found the false prophet. I’ve found the savage wolf.

It’s me. My thoughts. When I believe my thoughts, I am ravaged by the wolf.

It’s that simple.