Recent Posts in ‘Liberation’
Celebrating the Vision of MLK
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Andrew published a couple of blog posts last year that are every bit as inspiring and relevant in 2013 as they were then. Below you’ll find the full article “I Have Seen The Mountaintop: A Vision Of The Possible.” Also, make sure to check out this
AUDIO: Letting Everything Go
The following audio clip is taken from the first day of Andrew’s recent Being and Becoming Retreat in Arizona. In reference to meditation, Andrew makes the profound point that if we want to experience the freedom of enlightened awareness, we have to be willing, at least temporarily, to let absolutely everything go. [Audio clip:
When the New Year Doesn’t End
The first day of the new year always represents the potential for profound renewal—a new cycle in relationship to the passing of time, a precious moment in which many of us feel we are getting a chance to start over. And for most of us, that chance is usually connected to our highest aspirations, to
AUDIO: ‘Going Out of Your Mind’ with Ed and Deb Shapiro
Andrew recently spoke with irreverant spiritual teachers Ed and Deb Shapiro on their radio show ‘Going Out of Your Mind’ about a variety of interesting topics including: the evolution of the guru-disciple relationship within a postmodern context, Andrew’s recent trips to India, their own experiences with some of their respective past gurus, the significance of
Road to the Apocalypse: “Freedom in the Face of Fear”
The final ‘Guru and Pandit’ dialogue of 2012, between Andrew and integral philosopher Ken Wilber, is happening LIVE, this Friday, December 21st at 7pm ET (USA). Register here. In order to give you a taste of what’s in store, as well as to help set a larger context, you can read one of their previous
Meditation is Training for Life
If we want to be free, it is important to learn how to directly experience the unbroken chaos and impersonal confusion of our own minds without being disturbed by any of it. Only if we can bear it will we be able to take responsibility for it. If we cannot calmly endure our own minds,
AUDIO: ‘A Guide to Freedom’ – Discovering the True Purpose of Meditation
For some individuals who are interested in evolutionary spirituality and ‘getting things done’ in the world, the perennial spiritual practice of meditation can seem like an unnecessary burden that only hinders our deeper engagement with life. After all, why waste time sitting still and doing nothing when you can be out changing the world for
A Different Kind of Marathon
For the past three years, EnlightenNext has organized a world-wide Meditation Marathon where individuals from all over the planet join together for up to 24 hours of meditation. What began as a fundraising initiative has evolved into an amazing global celebration of Spirit. “What would compel someone to dedicate 24 hours to being still and
AUDIO: Father Thomas Keating
Below is the audio from Andrew’s recent dialogue with Father Thomas Keating on meditation: [Audio clip: view full post to listen] To download the full audio recording, right-click here and select “Save link as.” The dialogue between Andrew and Father Thomas kicked off a month-long global celebration of spirit that will culminate with the
AUDIO: The Potentials and Pitfalls of Being an Individual
“Do we need to get rid of the ego to be enlightened?” “Does our personal uniqueness matter?” “Is it possible to surrender to Spirit and maintain our autonomy?” In tomorrow’s Guru & Pandit broadcast, Andrew and Ken will engage in a thrilling discussion on the nature of soul. Register Here. If you’d
What Did You Learn from Your Teacher?
Andrew Cohen has a special connection to India. It was the place where he met his last teacher, H.W.L. Poonja, and where he became a teacher himself. Andrew recently told the Sakaal Times about his relationship with Poonja during an interview he conducted via email. You can read the full interview here. Question: We believe
Escape or Enlightenment?
Check out the fourth installment from Andrew’s recent interview with India’s Speaking Tree: Question: What do you think is the reason for the resurgence of interest in all things spiritual? Is it just a fad or more than that? Answer: I’m not so sure there is a ‘resurgence’ in ‘all things spiritual.’ I do
I Want to Be Free!
Here’s the latest installment of Andrew’s interview with Chris Grosso of theindiespiritualist.com, this time describing the moment in time when he decided he wanted to be free more than anything else: Question: What is one of the most defining moments of your life and why? Answer: One day when I was 22 years old, I
The Via Positiva and Evolutionary Enlightenment – Part Five
This is the final installment in our series of guest posts from British artist, engineer, graphic designer, and philosopher, Mike King, introducing the Via Positiva – a spiritual orientation that is life-positive and interested in engagement with the world – and exploring its historical roots and discussing the direction he feels it’s pointing us to
MEDIA: Do You Need a Teacher in Today’s World?
This August, Andrew will be participating in The Enlightenment Conference, an online event featuring many different spiritual teachers, artists, and visionaries exploring the relationship between enlightenment and the transformation of culture. As part of the lead up to the event, Andrew did a free audio dialogue with Arjuna Ardagh, a spiritual teacher and author
Is Sex A Path to God?
I just had a dialogue with my friend and collaborator, the great integral philosopher Ken Wilber on sexual ethics (the recording of which will be broadcast on June 2nd). Several years ago, we had a similar conversation on the question “Is Sex a Path to God,” which became the article below in EnlightenNext magazine: _________________________________________________________________
Meditation & Freedom
Meditation only becomes real, powerful, authentic, and liberating when it is a practice of letting everything go. Otherwise it is reduced to little more than a psycho-spiritual relaxation technique. It may make you feel better, but it won’t set you free. Feeling better and being free don’t necessarily mean the same thing. Feeling better is
Part 4 – God Is Love
A Meditation on the Indefinable Nature of the Divine God is Love. How many times have we heard the word “love” being used to define that which is ultimately indefinable? I suppose it is because that’s the only word that can even bring us close to grasping the ungraspable. When we use “love” to define
Evolutionary Enlightenment in India: Days 6-9
Andrew’s trip to Rishikesh was in many ways a return home. This “City of Sages” in the foothills of the Himalayas is the place where his teaching was born 26 years ago and he was welcomed graciously by many old friends, from the Swamis at Sivananda and Parmarth Niketan Ashrams to the book shop and
Part 3 – What Is Love?
Have you ever considered for yourself what love actually is? Or do you assume you know what love is, based on what others may have said about this all-important topic? Because I’m a spiritual teacher, I’m asked about love all the time, and what I always find interesting is that people use the same word
Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher, cultural visionary, founder of EnlightenNext, and the author of 
