It is time to rethink enlightenment. Leonard Cohen has much to teach us about the realities of life. Vernon Howard taught us how evil man can be; Leonard teaches acceptance of the opposites as the only way to rise above them.

I have no objection to the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta and others of that ilk. What sticks in my craw is the blatant assumption of neo-advaitans that you, too, can achieve bliss of the self if you just listen to enough talks online. C’mon. Gimme a break.

Oh, I know. I make brief videos, but I try to insert honesty about my own condition. Take last night. My dreams were so horrific that I forced myself to stay awake before falling back to sleep again. I dreamed that our child died again after having died once. There was to be a trial for the person that murdered her. Then I was in a rickety building that began to collapse. Bob came home but I was married to someone else. On and on and on.

We all have dreams that scare the daylights out of us and daymares that would do the devil justice. Does that mean we should quit seeking a higher state? Emphatically not. But we must not close our eyes to what we are really like. Humanity is pretty darned awful. For the ones wearing rose-colored glasses, I advise you to look at the state of the nation right now.

The holidays suck for many of us. Stop kidding yourself about how happy your family is or how happy you are. Life is horrendously hard, especially if you are seeking enlightenment.

This rant is necessary. It thins the herd, so to speak. I have few readers as it is. Those that stay know me very well. They know that I have been put through the wringer and left un-ironed. They know I stagger to my feet time and time again. They also know that the light around my words is sure and strong.

If you cannot admit to the darkness, you will never see the light. And by the way, keep saying hallelujah!

Vicki Woodyard