Over the last 25 years thousands of people worldwide have been initiated into the highest levels of Buddhism by the 14th Dalai Lama. Fundamental to this initiation is a holy text (tantra), namely the Kalachakra-Tantra, part of which is the Shambhala Myth.

Kalachakra is Sanskrit and means “wheel of time”. In recent times the Kalachakra-Tantra has been increasingly critically scrutinised. In our western debate-oriented society it stands to reason that the Dalai Lama himself answers some of these critical questions in order to ensure that any misinterpretations are corrected.

Full Story: In the Shadow of the Dalai Lama.

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Integral philosopher Ken Wilber has launched a new venture hot on the heels of Integral Naked, this one dedicated to promoting and exploring his “post-metaphysical” approach to mysticism. Participants in the Integral Spiritual Center include noted Kabbalists Reb. Marc Gafni and Reb. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Patrick Sweeney (heir to the controversial Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche), Putting on the Mind of Christ author Jim Marion, Father Thomas Keating, Omega founder Elizabeth Lesser, and many others.

To mark the occasion, the characteristically prolific Wilber has penned a 118-page paper introducing the post-metaphysical approach, which includes a critique of Spiral Dynamics and a theoretical preview of the sequel to his admittedly lame “postmodern” novel Boomeritis. Wilber does all of this amidst growing concerns of the perceived cult-like nature of his organization and deficiencies of his four-quadrant model.

One thing is for certain, you’ll be hearing a lot more from Wilber later this year.

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Via an excerpt from Douglas Rushkoff’s latest column: Guruphiliac, a site dedicated to “exposing the profoundly manipulative legions of grifters preying on the spiritually hopeful, as well as those teachers who simply go around letting people think they’re God, one guru at a time.”

Reminds me of this site Brennio sent along: Stripping the Gurus . I’ve been meaning to read the chapter on Ken Wilber.

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