Philosophy Now Forum

Here is an interesting video on the critique of Neo-Advaita.
I agree with everything that is stated in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsRzjQNDMDg

There are three points of criticism of neo-advaita.

One of the critical criticism is, the disturbing thing with neo-advaita is its apathy for reality as it is.

Veritas Aequitas wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:30 am One of the critical criticism is, the disturbing thing with neo-advaita is its apathy for reality as it is.

I didn’t watch the link, at least not yet, so the “neo” reference goes ignored, although it does bring to mind new age. However, that isn’t necessary for a humble observation.

So true about perception of apathy. Pirsig said that he walked out of ten years in India because of that, although not specifically.

To consider apathy is to consider, why move, as in why move a muscle?

Mindfulness, which is another form of enquiry (often associated with but not proprietary to Buddhist practice), requires knowing the why of every movement. Sitting still as a statue until there’s a good reason to move is not apathy, when you think about it.

Walker wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 10:38 am

Veritas Aequitas wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:30 am One of the critical criticism is, the disturbing thing with neo-advaita is its apathy for reality as it is.

I didn’t watch the link, at least not yet, so the “neo” reference goes ignored, although it does bring to mind new age. However, that isn’t necessary for a humble observation.

So true about perception of apathy. Pirsig said that he walked out of ten years in India because of that, although not specifically.

To consider apathy is to consider, why move, as in why move a muscle?

Mindfulness, which is another form of enquiry (often associated with but not proprietary to Buddhist practice), requires knowing the why of every movement. Sitting still as a statue until there’s a good reason to move is not apathy, when you think about it.

Yes, neo-advaita is new age.
Recommend you listen to the video.

Mindfulness is not an essential of neo-advaita but it is an essential for Buddhism-proper, note Right Mindfulness [Vispassana] apart from Right Concentration [samartha] of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Mindfulness is not merely done while sitting still but note Walking Meditation and Meditation during activities so as to develop "skillful means" to act spontaneously [without the I] in real actions.
Note the highest level of professional sports-persons who practice, practice and practice, thus when they are in the real competition stage they do not think but just play without the I.
Note Flow;

Absorbed in a task is one aspect of flow.

In positive psychology, flow, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting loss in one's sense of space and time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

Spirituality-proper is similar to the above but it is more refined in alignment with spiritual purposes.

Neo-advaita is indifferent to the above. These radical advaitists mistaken the side-effects [the altered states of consciousness] as the main goal of spirituality-proper.

Jeff Foster, one of the more popular neo-advaita 'teacher' realized he was fooling himself and bullshitting others and he admitted the following;

“I am officially no longer an ‘Advaita teacher’ or ‘Nonduality teacher’ – if, indeed, I ever was one.
Life cannot be put into words, and however beautiful the words of Advaita/Nonduality are, they must be discarded in the end. I could never claim to be any sort of authority on this stuff.
http://www.lifewithoutacentre.com/writi ... teachings/

Still haven’t watched it, but from your comments and quotes I gather that it wasn’t his cup of tea.

Perhaps he is a tourist with choices, trying on different things for the fit that he likes.