There's no point—none at all. Once you grasp the concept of nonduality, this becomes clear. Gurus often reinforce the seeker's belief in the 'I' by suggesting a path to liberation through prayer or meditation. In reality, there's no 'you' separate from the absolute. You're already liberated and complete.
I had a few gurus throughout my life.1 I recited tens of thousands of mantras; I prostrated innumerable times during my Ngöndro2 practices. I learnt how to sit in Zazen3 properly with Japanese Sōtō masters in the 90s. Later, I received numerous empowerments4 from Tantric lamas, including Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, the famous Bhutanese filmmaker. I was able to chant and conduct Buddhist services in Tibetan; I even lived in a Nyingma temple for a couple of months.5 But again, it was always ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’.
Fortunately, I never thought the gurus I encountered were fraudulent. They genuinely seemed to believe they were on the right path. For them, understanding reality required intricate practices and rituals, as taught by their predecessors. Lineages hold great importance for Buddhists, with secrets and rites transmitted across generations. Many even believe esteemed teachers from the past reincarnate as bodhisattvas to continue imparting their wisdom.
Not all gurus are sincere in their efforts, however. Examples of dishonest teachers exist across all religions, Buddhism included. From terrorism to severe psychological or sexual abuse, many unscrupulous figures exist. Recall Aum Shinrikyo—the Buddhist cult behind the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. More respectful lineages are also affected by terrible teachers, like the case of Sogyal Rinpoche, accused of sexual, emotional and physical assault by many of his students.6 The list is vast and ever-growing.7
When you realise you don't need elaborate rituals, chants, mantras, mudras, or prayers, it becomes clear that you don't require a teacher. You can read about nonduality or headlessness in a book or online—just as you're doing here. If you wish, you can also watch videos or attend talks and conferences on the subject.
There's not much to learn, really. The concept is straightforward. It's so simple that many people feel offended by the idea, particularly if they've spent decades investing in gurus and temples. Seekers generally truly believe you need years of practice under a licensed teacher (see the article about Neo-Advaita on Wikipedia as a good example of gratuitous criticism).8
Well, I guess most gurus still operating worldwide have only one point left: a direct glimpse of the absolute eliminates their source of income and prestige. And that is the real source of their negative judgement.
Drop the intermediaries and live your life. There is nothing to seek. There is no enlightenment because you are already enlightened.
As a lifelong atheist, Buddhism was the only religion without gods out there for me. I’ve always been interested in the meditative aspects of the tradition, much like Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith (that was before Sam literally lost his mind and credibility thanks to an acute case of Trump Derangement Syndrome). You can read a bit more about my path here.
The preliminary, preparatory or foundational practices or disciplines common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Only after completing these practices one can start to understand the fundamental nature of reality—which also requires, guess what, even more complex techniques called Dzogchen. It’s a long winding road, as you can see.
Zazen, or seated meditation, is the primary practice taught by the Sōtō Zen school in Japan.
It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. What prompted me to leave the temple was an incident one spring morning. As I headed to the main shrine for morning services, I heard a terrible cry. Rushing outside, I found another Buddhist on her knees beside a crushed cockroach. She'd stepped on it accidentally—a grave sin if you believe in karma. She was in tears, reciting a Buddhist prayer over the insect. That was the tipping point for me. While I had no issues with meditation, as an atheist, I couldn't accept the concepts of karma or reincarnation. Seeing someone in such distress over a cockroach was sobering. Far from providing peace of mind, the supernatural beliefs within Buddhism can also inflict significant emotional pain.
One of the most critical practices in Tibetan Buddhism is Guru Yoga, i.e. total devotion to your teacher, who is visualised as a meditational Tantric deity. Many students pray while looking at a photo of their lama. Given not all gurus are what they claim to be, these practices become rather sinister.
Just to be clear, there is still value in meditation. Being able to calm one’s mind by using traditional techniques is great. If reciting a mantra or sitting down is a valuable experience, keep doing it (I sometimes recite one of the secret mantras I ‘received’ from a lama when I need to calm down—just because I have it memorised). The problem is, most people are not just trying to tame their tempestuous minds when joining a religious organisation—they are looking for nirvana, satori, moksha, enlightenment. Unfortunately, they will never really find it by doing something.
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