Influences
At the beginning of his teaching career, Cohen was mainly influenced by the Advaita Vedanta philosophy as taught by his teacher, H. W. L. Poonja, a disciple of Ramana Maharshi. He credits the ideas of cosmologist Brian Swimme, Christian theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and the early 20th century Indian mystic Sri Aurobindo as helping him form his thinking about the evolutionary context of the human experience. He likewise credits the "integral philosopher" Ken Wilber, with whom he conducts frequent public discourses, with helping him form the theoretical framework of his teachings. He has also been influenced by the Spiral Dynamics theories put forward by Clare Graves.
Cohen's emphasis on community and the collective dimension of spirituality can be traced to his encounter with Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society in India. Cohen was still a spiritual seeker when he was deeply moved by the swami's call, "In unity there is strength; come together, come together."
Read more about this topic: Andrew Cohen (spiritual Teacher)
Famous quotes containing the word influences:
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Let them be your only diet drink and botanical medicines.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I don’t believe in villains or heroes, only in right or wrong ways that individuals are taken, not by choice, but by necessity or by certain still uncomprehended influences in themselves, their circumstances and their antecedents.”
—Tennessee Williams (1914–1983)
“Whoever influences the child’s life ought to try to give him a positive view of himself and of his world. The child’s future happiness and his ability to cope with life and relate to others will depend on it.”
—Bruno Bettelheim (20th century)