The aggrandizing of the separate self as a teacher and the message therein of becoming enlightened is not without pitfalls, as the ‘becoming’ is the aversion.
This “message” ignores that the self which is teaching, and the self which could, would or will become enlightened - is the separate self of thoughts. This aversion from emotions reinforces the separate self of thought / idea of a self / a future and is spiritual bypassing.
This “message” feeds into the belief that there are individuals and fosters a fixation & obsession that enlightenment could come from an individual such as a teacher, to an individual. While some teachings appear to include testimony of Being being deceptive & manipulative, nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s crucial to see the phenomena of deception and manipulation as, the phenomena of deception & manipulation.
Being is, Being, and is not any thing or any one other than, Being. Being is already presently the case, in spite of any thoughts to the contrary, which Being is being, and being inherently self-aware, is aware of.
The orientation of introspection is the dissolving & dispelling of the separate self of thought & the unfettering of the fullness of feeling as it were, and is not the conceptual orientation of becoming enlightened.
Enlightenment is not attainable through any thing or object, such as a self, individual, person, or teacher nor obtainable by any means. Bypassing the linguistically challenging aspects of communicating about Being, while there is only Being, is bypassing emotions and the albeit apparent everyday challenges of feeling difficult emotions as well as challenges that arise therein in, albeit apparent, life.
Examples of the fixation & obsession which might ensue of this misdirection may sound like:
"If I could just spend more time with X or Y teacher ‘I know I’ could achieve or attain enlightenment or become enlightened."
Fixation on personal anecdotes, insights and or experiences shared by aggrandized separate selves purporting to be teachers, rather than exploring one's own inner landscape, is the epitome of misdirection, and seems to result in intensifying suppression and obsession with so called, spiritual teachers. Again, this is an apparent phenomena of deception and manipulation, ‘sewn into’ the very misleading & inherently corrupt ‘teachings’.
Dismissal of what’s being said by solely focusing on self proclaimed ‘teachers’ as authorities on spirituality, enlightenment & nonduality often seems to result in a belief that enlightenment is even inclusive of ‘transcending emotion’ altogether.
Examples of emotions commonly averted in the ‘pursuit of enlightenment’ might include:
Fear: "I wouldn’t experience fear if I was truly enlightened like teacher X."
Or “Once I become enlightened I will have transcended emotions like fear & insecurity”
Or “Once I know & understand what teacher X is saying, I’ll obtain enlightenment like teacher X, and there won’t be the emotions fear or insecurity anymore”.
Anger: "Enlightened beings don't experience anger."
Powerlessness: "If I'm feeling powerlessness, it means I'm not spiritually advanced enough."
Discouragement: “Once I’ve done enough ‘consciousness work’, I’ll be at a level like X teacher where emotions like discouragement will clearly be seen as petty normie or human stuff”.
Frustration: “I’m only feeling this way because I haven’t been doing / haven’t done enough ‘consciousness work’, eventually I’ll become enlightened and transcend these emotions”.
All emotions: “Teacher X didn’t fully feel and allow all emotions, teacher X achieved emotional mastery, I will achieve emotional mastery too”.
These are just a few examples which illustrate how the belief in becoming enlightened can encourage fixation on a teacher or guru, while simultaneously averting from certain emotions that are unfortunately ignored or even interpreted as obstacles to enlightenment, via being ‘human stuff’, as if humans become enlightened.
In online forums, these dynamics often manifest as projections of emotions experienced but suppressed in ignoring the separate self of thought phenomena, by the belief in becoming enlightened, and may sound like:
Fear: “It’s obvious there is my life & separation and you’re oblivious!”
Anger / Frustration: “Your teachings don’t work!”.
Powerlessness: “You’re only where you’re at on the path because you meditated so much and did a bunch of psychedelics! If I had as much experience as you I’d be enlightened by now too!”
Discouragement: “I want to be a teach of nonduality like you, but you don’t tell me how!”
All emotions: “It’s genetic not a matter of dispelling conditioning, and if I had genetics like you I’d be enlightened like you!”.
Or “Enlightenment is easy for you because of your experiences, where you live and the friends, relationships or money you have!”