What we need

Hell yes!

One of the great spiritual confusions is the idea that everyone must become the master of x___.

I had a student that was so irritated (which totally helps!) that she was not ‘enlightened’. I suggested that she should figure out what she and her life would be like if she was, and then live that way. Amazingly, she actually took this to heart and is having a fine life and doing great work. Is she enlightened? I don’t think she really cares…

Jason, the problem is when you try to marry Sorcery to Spirituality. The two are like oil & water as they do not mix very well. Sure you can attempt such but meditation in Sorcery is (to my way of thinking) more about relaxation, focusing & thinking things through. It’s not about lofty ideals or goals like Buddhists & other Eastern disciplines are wont to do. As Sorcerers, we don’t zen out on koans to simply gain a Spiritual balance but rather we use such things to reinforce ourselves, our zeal and our power. The balance should already be in place before we step out onto the path. Too many broken people want to wield Sorcery yet also find balance. I see that as dangerous ground like on thinning ice. Even Regardie suggested people go through psychological counseling before beginning the study of magic.

We are Westerners, from a divergent culture who embrace all other cultures. We have no identity that is uniquely our own other than where we stand on any given subject. Xianity does a horrid job of preparing us from childhood to become balanced adults. My suggestion is to use meditation to identify those qualities we no longer need nor want and purge them from ourselves before we get involved in serious Occult work because those fears, phobies & niggling doubts all add up & can create one helluva inner monster to deal with. Add to that the powering up folks do with Sorcery and well Frankenstein’s creation becomes unleashed.

You are correct: there ARE too many Buddhas and such running around. The world needs more Sorcerers who are not afraid to punish those who deserve to be punished not just verbally admonished in memes & political histrionics.

As old as Buddhism is, what results has it manifested in this world? Has it solved humanities problems globally? How about regionally? Is there still poverty disease, war etc.? Seems like it’s just business as usual in my mind. So the practice essentially makes more monks that may or may not achieve enlightenment. Don’t Buddhists sometimes use magic also? Do they not use mantras, ritual daggers or amulets? For those of us who have been dealt a tough hand in life and are struggling to make lemonade from lemons, is it so bad for us to try to manifest a bit of sugar to sweeten the situation a bit? Can we not argue that the method/path/strategy of transforming oneself into a being that accepts suffering peacefully and achieves a state of being in which they are content in what they have and do not want for more, is just a different brand of sorcery? I feel like this is a case of the warm and fuzzy pot telling the kettle it’s blacker.

“Anandamayi Ma, the Indian saint whose name means ‘bliss-permeated mother,’ said to her devotees, ‘You all love this body so much that you often come to see me, unmindful of the long distance that many of you have to travel. Yet, it is true that this body has no relationship with any of you except the kinship of the Atmān [the universal soul] which this body enjoys equally not only with each of you but even with all trees, creepers, and foliage around, as well as with rocks, mountains and everything else.’” – Ram Dass

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Sorcery helps us take control of our own lives. I’ve heard more than a few people talk about their lofty spiritual pursuits while their lives are a shambles. Their finances, relationships, health, etc. are all allowed to rot in the name of spirituality.

As an artist, it reminds me of the people who immediately accuse you of being a “sellout” or “just a commercial artist” simply because your work appeals to people or sells.

As far as materialism goes, “Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar, and render unto God, that which is God’s.” And too few remember that “to him who is given much, much is expected (or the Spiderman Corollary about responsibility!) I agree with what you say about the easier road for an existing teacher like the DL vs a poor welfare mom. I myself am interested in the dichotomy many have spoken of contrasting the paths of mysticism (union of self to All) and magic (union of all to Self…or some such).

The point Kevin made is interesting, if one is to judge the tree by its fruit. Look at what all religions have borne, fruit both good and bad (and then one must define “good” and “bad” which are sometimes relative and contextual). For my money, if one looks at the fruit and the tree, I like more of historical results of the Greek and other systems of ethics (Do Unto Others etc.), rather than any particular religions.

While I mostly agree with Jason, I am somewhat appalled by the comments . As a western lay tantric practitioner in the Tibetan Nyignma tradition, in my practice I always try to do my best in unifying wisdom with compassion – meaning that advancement in my meditation practice should be reflected in my actual everyday life. I do not see particularly doing my beast in everyday life and higher spiritual goals are at odds with each other, I think that they just complement each other. I might get sick, I might face misfortune, I might die early, what really matters is how I am able to function with whatever arises.

Looking at the history of Buddhism in Tibet, most of it seems to me like highly institutional religion that has had and still has a lot of problems. Like with any big religious organizations, the true masters are rarely on the top of the hierarchy. The gTertön of my lineage was a woman and most of her activity was secret during her lifetime. She only had a handful of students. I could never realistically think that Buddhism as an institution would make everything better. However, that does not take away the fact that there are people in the Buddhist world who are genuinely motivated to combine the wisdom with compassion, and have an influence wherever they are able to reach.

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