Open Enlightenment » Alan’s blog http://openenlightenment.org Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:50:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Free Will and Enlightenment http://openenlightenment.org/?p=514 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=514#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:50:27 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=514 A short discourse on the nature of Will. Alternative title: Get Out Of Your Own Way!

Thanks to Tom and Brynjar for the questions.

Free Will and Enlightenment from Alan Chapman on Vimeo.

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=514 14 Direct vs. Developmental Awakening http://openenlightenment.org/?p=509 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=509#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:33:13 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=509 In this video response I explore the extreme examples of both direct and developmental views of enlightenment.

Note: I mention some traditions, but not all sub-sets or lineages within those traditions ascribe to the same direct or developmental view that I discuss.

Direct vs. Developmental Awakening from Alan Chapman on Vimeo.

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=509 141 States, Stages, Powers http://openenlightenment.org/?p=504 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=504#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:49:37 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=504 In this weeks video installment, I tackle the question, ‘What is the relationship between spiritual states, stages, powers and enlightenment?’ asked by OE reader/watcher, Pied Piper. Enjoy…

States, Stages, Powers from Alan Chapman on Vimeo.

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=504 6 Satori in Paris: An inspirational interview with Martin Kovan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=502 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=502#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:40:49 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=502 If you really want to know what enlightenment means for us in a very real human way, a profound expression of what the ‘enlightened life’ looks like can be found in the recent Being Ordinary podcast: Satori in Paris, where Mike Kewley interviews the Buddhist activist Martin Kovan. It’s the perfect antidote to the current vogue of spiritual blindness, paralysis [1] and navel-gazing confusion [2] endemic within the current enlightenment zeitgeist, and perhaps one of the clearest articulations of how the enlightened rubber meets the road that I’ve ever come across. I sincerely hope this podcast is circulated far and wide. It’s nothing short of inspirational.

[1] The comments to Rev. Danny Fisher’s article Top Seven Challenges of Western Socially Engaged Buddhism, show just how the popular Buddhist scene prefers political paralysis over actual compassionate action.

[2] Such as this recent tweet from Adyashanti: ‘there is no compassion, kindness and whatever else the ego is trying to pull here.. all motivation to “help” others can only be selfish.’ It’s nothing short of embarrassing.

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=502 23 Life After Enlightenment http://openenlightenment.org/?p=497 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=497#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:28:49 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=497

Life After Enlightenment from Alan Chapman on Vimeo.

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=497 3 Building a New Tradition: Part 4 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=488 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=488#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:46:53 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=488

This conversation brought to my attention the vast number of questions that need to be addressed and considered when it comes to developing a community or tradition (or whatever it is), and in the video you can see the very beginnings of my articulation of how I envision this tradition taking shape (a big thank you to Vinay for facilitating this). I hope to flesh out the details (and the language) over the coming months before presenting this ‘new model’ for feedback.

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=488 4 Building a New Tradition: Part 3 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=486 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=486#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:24:04 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=486

Relevant links:

Governance

Cohousing (also see the UK Cohousing Network)

Holacracy

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=486 0 Building a New Tradition: Part 2 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=484 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=484#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:54:59 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=484

Relevant links:

Commune movement

The Farm

Stephen Gaskin

Guru

G.I. Gurdjieff

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=484 0 Building a New Tradition: A Conversation with Vinay Gupta http://openenlightenment.org/?p=475 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=475#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:19:33 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=475 A week ago I was fortunate enough to be joined in my flat by Vinay Gupta, inventor of the Hexayurt, founder of the Bucky Ghandi Design Institution, editor of The Future We Deserve, and state-failure guru, where we explored the various aspects of organisation and infrastructure necessary to develop my ideas for a new enlightenment tradition.

I video’d the conversation using my Flip HD, which has a narrow focus so you’ll have to excuse my head being partially in shot, and after ruthlessly editing down the talk I can now present the best bits in a 20 minute video.

I know what you’re thinking: without some violence, tits or CGI to hold your attention, you’re going to find it difficult to concentrate for that long. And that’s why I’ve also cut the film up into small bite size chunks, the first of which you will find below the full length film. I intend to post a new segment (of which there are 3 more) over the coming days (it might also make for a more structured conversation around the points made in each segment).

So if you’re feeling brave (or you’re particularly interested in this topic) here’s the full thing:

Building a New Tradition: A Conversation with Vinay Gupta from Alan Chapman on Vimeo.

Alternatively, here’s Part 1:

Relevant links (for part 1):

Lahiri Mahasaya

Earth ships (one example of off grid sustainable living)

Right livelihood

Note: In the video, we touch upon stepping away from a ‘corrupt economic system’. It should be emphasised that this is not a knee jerk and all too common reaction within the ‘spiritual scene’ to money in and of itself; rather, the current economic model or system is what is being called in to question and rejected wholesale. I’m all in favour of investigating initiatives such as the Totnes Pound or even a Resource Based Economy, but exploring alternatives such as these are a natural conclusion if we take a mindful approach to money, our behaviour and the consequences of our spending seriously. Check out Hokai Sobol talking about this topic over at Buddhist Geeks.

]]> http://openenlightenment.org/?feed=rss2&p=475 12 How to experience enlightenment http://openenlightenment.org/?p=457 http://openenlightenment.org/?p=457#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:56:08 +0000 Alan http://openenlightenment.org/?p=457

How to experience enlightenment from Alan Chapman on Vimeo.

Better late than never, eh? Videos should be more frequent from now on.

My last video transformed the blog into a forum, and amongst many other terrible accusations thrown my way I was rather confusingly compared to Andrew Cohen. Let’s see where this one takes us…

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