Pursuing Enlightenment Vs. Career

[joegarland]

I'm out of college by June. Going to be on my own for the first time. I'm basically starting at zero. 

I see two paths I'd like to take--begin my career as a cartoonist, or hole myself up and, aside from paying bills, focus exclusively on getting enlightened.

Enlightenment seems like the obvious choice to me, but there's a few things that concern me.

-I've got no money for workshops and retreats. I'd especially like to attend Peter Ralston/Cheng Hsin workshops, but they're so expensive. 

-I have no idea how long this will take or even if I'll get enlightened. Jed McKenna says it shouldn't take more than 2 years, but I'm not sure if that's true... I think it's probably more likely that I'll make a living full-time as a cartoonist than getting enlightened.

This really does seem like a good time to start pursuing enlightenment, since I have so little to lose. But where do I start? Is it possible to join a monastery? Are monasteries even reliably good at waking folks up? 

And how likely is it that I can do both--that I'll become enlightened while beginning my career?

 

[vizual]

Why would you want to become enlightened?

[werlight]

@joegarland 

having a normal career and life is perfectly compatible with spirituality and enlightenment.

my advice is to find a meditation teacher or group and attend guided meditations once or twice a week and also meditate 20-30 minutes on your own 3 or 4 times a week.

enlightenment should never be your goal. your goal should first be to create the necessary skills and life situation to be ready for enlightenment. look for balance ! 

[Guest]

It is not about what you think "enlightenment" is, or what other people think is best, but what you feel in your heart.

Just get a normal career first, gain some experience in life first. If you pursue enlightenment too soon, you might later find yourself in a trap where you feel like you haven't experienced enough to truly let go.

[jjer94]

Hi Joe,

Before you even consider going to a retreat or holing yourself up in some secluded cabin, you may want to ask yourself why you're separating your life circumstances from enlightenment work. I know Jed's books give lots of examples of seclusion and all that...but what if you can do both life-stuff and enlightenment-stuff at the same time, and in fact doing both at the same time may accelerate the process even more? Sure, have a few days where you do exclusively contemplation/spiritual autolysis/whatever you do that's enlightenment-related. But you can do that anywhere really. You don't have to go to a retreat or some secluded area.

You're also putting salvation in the future. You're setting a time table in the future for when you think you'll be enlightened, and by doing that, ego is subtly trying to control the situation. Enlightenment work is done here and now. You really want Truth? You can do the work to figure it out right now regardless of your circumstances. And stop estimating how much time it'll take; it's different for everyone. An awakening can occur within months of learning about enlightenment, but deprogramming can take several years.

"Why do you think I blew up your condo? Hitting bottom is not a weekend retreat. It's not a goddamn seminar. Stop trying to control everything and just let go! Let go!" -- Tyler Durden, Fight Club

I can relate to your situation. I recently graduated in December, and for a while last year I was considering doing what you want to do, go run away to some monastery or retreat. But I realized that life itself can be a spiritual practice. Anything that brings up emotional resistance in you is an opportunity to delve further into you psyche. In the beginning of my last semester of school, I was completely and utterly miserable. I could have dropped out and ran away, but instead, I inquired into my resistance and found that I had a subtle air of superiority over my classmates. I would have never figured that out at a retreat. 

I could go on even more about this topic, but I don't want to overwhelm you. If there's anything you can take away from this post, it's this: Question your belief that you have to be "somewhere else" to do enlightenment work. You are the only authority there could ever be. All of the answers are available to you in your experience right now and no amount of wordy circlejerking will enlighten you.

Cheers! --JJ

[Galyna]

@jjer94

I feel so much respect to young people like this. I liked the way you described it here. Thank you!!!!!

[Guest]

In a sense you are always doing enlightenment work...every experience is something to be learned from.