The Synthesis of Radical Awakening Traditions -Jon Eden Khan

As an new global spirituality begins to arise on the planet, we can start to see how the major radical awakening traditions each transmit different aspects of the ultimate ground of all creation.

When we realise this, we can open the door to a new holistic path of radical awakening that can integrate and synthesise each of their gifts into a new path that has never existed before.

This is the crux of our exploration in Reality: The Great Tradition of Radical Awakening.

Generally, the radical awakening traditions understand that the absolute ground has three aspects.

In Dzogchen, this is Emptiness, Radiant Awareness, and Energy. These also map onto the three kayas.

In Vedanta, it is Sat-Chit-Ananda, or Being, Consciousness, and Bliss.

Putting them together we get the following three aspects of the absolute:

• Emptiness-Being-Self

• Consciousness-Light-Radiance

• Energy-Bliss-Ecstasy

All aspects in the absolute are one, indivisible, infinite, without dimensions, without centre or end, and self-evidently ultimately divine.

If consciousness is added to the basic elements of reality then an integration with science could also happen:

• Space-Time

• Consciousness

• Matter-Energy

In fact, one could say these three aspects of the absolute are the essences of:

• Spirit

• Soul

• Matter

And the first 3 rays. Indeed, we could see it that this approach shows us how the three aspects of the absolute are reflected in the three major paths into it:

• 1st aspect: Vedanta – an affirmation of the Self

• 2nd aspect: Buddhism – the revelation of the true nature of consciousness

• 3rd aspect: Tantric / Shakta traditions – the ecstasy of the goddess

Seeing things this way explains a lot of the debates that have happened over the last two thousand years around the different orientations of these traditions.

It explains the negligent attitude of Vedanta towards form that sees all relative reality as illusion or maya.

It explains why Buddhism focusses so strongly on consciousness and the realisation of emptiness inwardly (the emptiness of mind) and outwardly (the emptiness of appearances) to arrive at a point where the only thing left is to surrender, let consciousness settle in its own place, and radically reveal the absolute as its true nature.

And it explains the classical tantric and shakta traditions as focussing on the energy-bliss-ecstasy aspect of the absolute, which is the path of radical awakening via the body, energy, er0s, matter, kundalini, and the goddess.

Considering this latter aspect also helps us see how the critique of classical tantra of neo-tantra comes from the latter no longer being focussed on radical awakening.

Rather, neo-tantra has become more an evolutionary awakening path focussed on revealing the sacred nature of body, er0s, and energy on the physical-etheric and emotional planes. This allows us to understand why neo-tantrics sometimes also critique classical tantra as too focussed on awakening practices and not fully surrendered to incarnated experience.

When the radical awakening traditions are seen through the lens of the 3 aspects, it points to how the Shaivite Tantric and Dzogchen traditions are probably the most complete of them, because they include the fullest integration of all 3 aspects.

Fundamentally, all this points to how these three are really all one tradition of radical awakening.