When Shadow Meets the Bodhisattva: The Challenging Transformation of a Modern Guru

- Shares wisdom from the author's discussions with spiritual leaders, including Ken Wilber, Diane Musho Hamilton Roshi, Steve McIntosh, Terry Patten, Doshin Roshi, Sally Kempton, Philip Goldberg, Jeffrey Kripal, and Patricia Albere

After his very public fall from grace in 2013, renowned spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen vanished from view and underwent a dark night of the soul. After years of intense introspection and soul-searching, Cohen shares his insights into the failure of his organization EnlightenNext, including his own responsibility for its downfall, as well as a new vision for modern spirituality based on the wisdom of the lessons he learned.

Exploring the origins and complete history of EnlightenNext, the author details his spiritual initiation, his rapid rise to guruhood, the explosive growth of his spiritual community worldwide, and then--right at the height of its spiritual and creative emergence--its dramatic collapse, which left his students lost, bitter, angry, and confused. He shares his full journey from the heights of illumination, down into the existential ashes of failed aspirations, to the underworld of inner darkness, and back again into the light, addressing how assuming the role of guru-teacher brought an end to his own spiritual development.

Building upon the lessons he learned, including the need to deal honestly with one's own shadow for continued spiritual growth, Cohen explains the necessity of the guru in spiritual practice, while also exposing the dysfunctions of the traditional guru-disciple model. He shares insights from his discussions with spiritual leaders, including Ken Wilber, Diane Musho Hamilton, Doshin Roshi, Jeffrey Kripal, and Patricia Albere, revealing how the issues he faced are profoundly relevant to the spiritual community as a whole. He also shares how his teachings have evolved and explores how to communicate beyond ego--the keys to initiating enlightened change in the world.