The first thing you should know about what you're about to read is that it's not Truth. And this is good, because it relieves you of having to try to parse the message, or follow any advice. If you'd like to take something away from this post,
and I advise you not to, just jump to the last line now. It's the only sentence possibly worth taking a good long look at. A pointer to freedom is there if you're willing to do the work.
If you're still determined to read through to the end, however, let's get started. We'll take it from the top:
The Teachings
What concepts do the most prevalent teachings about enlightenment share?
1. There's No You.
2. There's nothing but nothing. It's sometimes called The Void.
3. It's all one thing.
Not too long ago those seeking the secrets to enlightenment, or maybe just an end to suffering, could join Ruthless Truth, a forum where we'd verbally beat the tar out of the You until with a single look, the reality of your existence was seen for what it is. You Are No Thing. Nothing. And you're not even that, because there is an utter absence where you thought yourself to be. Seeing that one thing brought a lot of people, including me, an amazing new paradigm from which to exist. The success of our group was staggering, and there have been spin-offs with even more exposure and success.
Thanks to Ciaran Healy's direction, People Got Free.
But what happens to the individual after that initial shattering realization has often been a source of hot debate in the online spiritual community. It's caused the splintering of groups, made a few self-described "lost souls", and caused a bit of general mayhem. Reading through the various enlightenment Facebook groups which pop in and out of existence would leave you with the conclusion that this No Self shit is not worth the trouble. From the outside looking in, it seemed to do more harm than good.
It wasn't all bad, though. Some... Many of us moved on to continue to deepen realizations or are actively working on developing a framework from which life is lived to its fullest. A lot of us were able to find refuge in The Void, the big, black nothing of peace. Oneness became a byproduct of seeing that there was no separation, ever.
It still wasn't quite enough to end suffering. There's no living in the Void, and for many, the peace couldn't be sustained. As a matter of fact, our original Ruthless Truth group absolutely imploded after the very public suffering of its founder.
Why?