An exchange on Kenneth Folk Dharma discussion forum about “anti-mushroom culture”:
KF: 1. RE: the anti-mushroom culture
Tuesday, 11:35 PM EDT | Post edited: Tuesday, 11:35 PM EDT
A bit of context: the “mushroom culture” is a concept originated by Bill Hamilton and recently popularized by Daniel Ingram. It refers to the tendency of many dharma teachers to withhold information about enlightenment and high level jhanic attainments from their students. As Bill used to say, dharma teachers like to “keep ‘em (their students) in the dark and feed ‘em sh_t.”
The opposite of the mushroom culture is simply telling the truth as you know it, based on your own experience. If you are a dharma teacher and you believe you are enlightened, have the courage to say so. If you know something about jhanas, tell what you know. Although there are some downsides to making information freely available, they are far outweighed by the upsides. Mushrooms can only thrive in the dark. And if you ask yourself “who benefits from withholding information?” it becomes very clear that the answer is not “the students.” Who, then?
Tell the truth as you know it, in your own experience. That includes not only your assessment of your own relative enlightenment, but also the fact that after all these years of meditation you wake up every morning to find that you are still a human being with human emotions, human needs, and human failings. If we all tell the truth about this, we can lay to rest some of the infantile mythology about enlightenment that has gone virtually unchallenged for thousands of years. It’s time to clear the air about what enlightenment is and what it is not. Who’s on board?
Kenneth
R: 2. RE: the anti-mushroom culture
Tuesday, 11:46 PM EDT | Post edited: Tuesday, 11:46 PM EDT
I’m on board if we can talk about ALL of it, including the downsides– and even more particularly, about the issues mentioned in the chapter on ‘the embarrassments of enlightenment’ in “Saints & Psychopaths”. I’ve been mulling that stuff over for a few months now.
I’d be interested, too, in what, specifically, YOU mean by ‘the infantile mythology about enlightenment.’ I’d bet that each of us might fill in that category somewhat differently; it would be interesting to compare notes.
KF: 3. RE: the anti-mushroom culture
Yesterday, 12:04 AM EDT | Post edited: Yesterday, 12:04 AM EDT
Yes, Kate, let’s talk about all of it. I’ll start with what I mean by the infantile mythology about enlightenment:
Enlightened people:
1) do not experience fear.
2) do not experience anger.
3) do not experience sensual desire.
4) do not get stressed out.
5) do not exist in this degenerate age.
6) are easily recognizable by their beatific smiles and unswervingly pleasant demeanor.
7) wear flowing white robes.
8) live a constant state of cosmic bliss-out.
9) always know the answer.
Seeing the list, you may laugh at such a cartoonish vision… but don’t laugh too hard. Most of us, in our heart of hearts, are clinging to one or more of these unrealistic and demonstrably false notions. Magical/mythical thinking is alive and well in 2010. Is it time for us to grow up? I believe it is.
Kenneth
