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Sceptical spirituality
Shunryu Suzuki: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Classics of spiritual misdirection #1
Introductory remarks:
If any of the books in this series are essential to your life, and if you love them and depend on them, then please don’t read what follows. It’s not for you. Honestly — stay away ! My intention is not to hurt the feelings of devotees and believers. These articles are directed solely at those who, having read the texts in question, suspect that the author may be propagating an illusion.
So what entitles me to pass scathing judgements on revered figures of New Age religiosity? Simply that, over the decades, I’ve done my spiritual homework, and explored all the possibilities directly — and anyone, yes repeat anyone — who explores these possibilities for themselves will be able to see clearly that the gurus, holy people and religious hierarchy don’t know what they’re talking about. At best most of these teachers are harmless simpletons, just quietly wasting your time — but at worst they’re pushing you off a cliff. They’re peddling misdirected nonsense. It’s that simple. Look at the facts, and see for yourselves: nothing is being hidden from you. Doing your spiritual homework (that is, your own independent and objective exploration of the elemental facts of…
