I know what a surrender to a Master is, because I have been through that. Once the surrender is done the work of spiritual quest is done. It does not need anything more to be done. You see, to meditate and transcend and get to the being and come out and with this practice bringing the mind out to the field of outer gross life is one way of achieving cosmic consciousness. The path of surrender is another way.”

On Maharishi- he had a very devotional take on the path. Some of his writing, like “Love and God”, and his admiration of Trotacacharya deeply reflects this. But because he came from a tradition, he brought the Vedic context. He clearly taught of the process of awakening and the typical stages that occur.

In the example, I was speaking about the teacher and the worldview they bring, not the technique. He placed the process in a framework or context so that peoples experience was understandable. But his experience was that of an Indian monk, not a Western Karma yogi, so there’s more variability than the framework suggested. Some of the more recent awake Westerners have helped with that issue.

Because Tolle does not have that context, he has a much simpler approach. But when people actually start waking up, having context and confirmation of experience is very valuable.

Maharishi spoke of TM as a Raja Yoga. This of course was relative to the inclusion of Yoga asanas and other aspects of Patanjali’s 8 limbs. But many Westerners are indeed Karma Yogis and TM is a good preparation.

Just remember that no technique will take you through the door. TM will take you to the door of the Transcendent but it is you who transcends. You must step off the technique. In the same way, you cannot awaken with any idea, technique, or process. That is all mind and awakening is beyond mind, as you suggest. We ‘become’ or rather realize we always were the Transcendent. Transcendent no more.

It is also worth observing that your good comment is all concepts. “spontaneously living that “non-contextual” unified, blissful pure awareness…” It sounds almost quoted. This is NOTHING to do with the actual experience. Believe me, all of your ideas about enlightenment are WRONG, as they are simply that – ideas. Enlightenment is beyond ideas. Indeed, the ideas of it are often then last barrier to being it.

You need the ideas to help structure your path but at a certain point you have to leave them, and all your experiences, behind. Otherwise, you will remain ripe for awakening but unplucked by Being. Self awakens to Itself, the individual has nothing to do with it.

If you feel some resistance to these statements, it’s worth asking yourself what is resisting. What is behind this feeling? That is where the answer lies, underneath. Beyond the ideas and feelings.

I appreciate much of your article, but I feel this begs for clarification. Not sure what you mean. Transcendental Meditation is all about transcending all thought and context and experiencing pure awareness, and over time, naturally and spontaneously living that “non-contextual” unified, blissful pure awareness in the midst of daily activity.

Maharishi was devoted to his teacher, but the TM program is more karma yoga than bhakti yoga.