The scam of enlightenment

Hardcore Zen: WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT?:

"These days Enlightenment is one of the biggest scams going. Some guy says he's got Enlightenment. He has a story to back him up about how wonderful the day was when he finally understood everything about everything. He has a guy who has certified him as a member of the Enlightened Beings club. And now he's ready to help you learn to be just like him. You go to the guy. He trains you to imitate the things he says on cue, or if he's real clever he teaches you how to rephrase his pet phrases in your own words. If your imitation meets his criteria he gives you his seal of approval and off you go. The industry is self-perpetuating. It's in your teacher's best interests to continue to support your claims of Enlightenment since you, in turn, are expected to support his. Without such support, the whole thing falls to pieces.

If someone comes along and says, 'ain't no such thang' it threatens the whole system since it is built upon extremely shaky ground. Unless people believe in Enlightenment, Enlightenment cannot exist. The Enlightenment they sell is nothing more than the belief in Enlightenment. This is the same deal with religions. That's why it's still punishable by death in some places to question the Word of God. It's not like believing in the existence of Mount St. Helen or something tangible like that. Once someone questions the existence of God, the very existence of God itself is threatened, because that sort of God is nothing more than the belief in God."