Mooji

“You must win your Self back. Wisdom and trust will be your compass.”

Anthony Paul Moo-Young, affectionately known as “Mooji” by his followers, is one of the most well-known Neo-Advaita teachers today. It’s difficult to browse Facebook or Youtube without coming across one of his quotes or satsang videos. How many satsang videos does it take to reach enlightenment?

Mooji wasn’t really Mooji until a chance encounter with a Christian mystic. He was just a regular old Anthony. Gifted artist and teacher perhaps, but certainly no spiritual authority. As he describe it, this encounter completely changed his life.

“In 1987, a chance meeting with a Christian mystic was to be a life-changing encounter for Mooji. It brought him, through prayer, into the direct experience of the Divine within. Within a short period, he experienced a radical shift in consciousness so profound that outwardly, he seemed, to many who knew him, to be an entirely different person. As his spiritual consciousness awakened, a deep inner transformation began which unfolded in the form of many miraculous experiences and mystical insights. — Source

This would culminate into a long journey that would ultimately end at the feet of his true guru, none other than Papaji himself. Mooji claims that Papaji helped him cross the threshold into a permanently enlightened state.

What does he teach? Like all Neo-Advaita teachers, the focus is on the illusion of ego in contrast to the permanence of the “I”.  His books, teachings and satsangs primarily reiterate this point over and over again. It’s as though merely recognizing this idea is enough to radically change your life.

Think about it for a second. How many people have been exposed to these ideas? Perhaps millions. Yet how many of them have fully reconnected with their most primary relationship – the core spiritual reality that animates us all – then become conduits for its expression in the world? Certainly, very few.

You cannot fault Mooji for teaching this approach. Indeed, his chance encounter with advanced spiritual practitioners revolutionized his spiritual development. Perhaps the same will happen to you if you meet Mooji.

Or perhaps, like millions before you, sitting at the feet of an enlightened teacher will provide temporary solace and respite, a few interesting experiences and anecdotes, but no real spiritual progress. How many people around Mooji have matched his state of spiritual understanding?

Critics of Neo-Advaita have longed pointed out that it offers no real spiritual practice. Choosing a different set of ideas – especially ideas that are closer to the truth – is not a bad thing. Truthful ideas are useful tools. When it comes down to it though, it’s still just changing one set of ideas for another. How much spiritual progress can this really engender?

We wish Mooji well. He’s got a great way of expressing timeless truths that absolutely need to be communicated. However, we hope that the more serious practitioners will realize that real work needs to be done.

Spiritual development is about cultivating oneself to such a degree that the gap between one’s worldly mind and one’s Spiritual Mind decreases enough for Spirit to slip through. Greater things are possible then. Greater things are possible for all of us if we commit to cultivating ourselves.

Links

Official Website

17 thoughts on “Mooji”

  1. Thanks for your article. I follow ACIM, which teaches us to follow the Holy Spirit as our guide. I see many people almost worshiping Mooji as if he were something far greater than anyone else… Even Eckhart Tolle made a joke once about people traveling such great distances to hear him talk, when they really didn’t need to (they could’ve watched one of his many online videos, or just trusted that they would come across what they needed to learn some other way). I’ve read some of Mooji’s teachings that don’t resonate with me, so I’m following my heart / my Holy Spirit / my Higher Self, whatever you want to call it, instead of blindly following what he said…. There’s a saying in 12 Step Programs, “take what you like and leave the rest”— Even though Truth is Truth, there are many paths to get there… Peace, thanks for your article.

    1. I’m actually replying to myself here! LOL (or, “the Entity Known as Cathy” :~)) ….I no longer practice ACIM, and watch Mooji youtube videos almost every day!! ….I find it strange that the author of this page is wondering how many of Mooji’s followers have attained “awakening”, when he doesn’t seem to pose that question for any of the other teachers listed?? I love Mooji and appreciate his teachings so much more now than I did years ago. Between his and Rupert Spira’s teachings , I now experience the sense of “space” within….Do I sense it all the time? No…. if I were to “fault” Mooji for anything, it would be in his insistence that “everyone can wake up TODAY!!”—-which, even though it’s true, seems not to be the case for most of us. Rupert tends to stress that for most people this is a gradual process…. For me, years ago hearing Eckhart’s story caused a burning desire to become Enlightened!!!! I literally was sitting on a park bench for months, LOL….for whatever reason, the sudden awakenings are fewer and far between…..I don’t think there’s a way to “measure” anyone’s “progress” along the imaginary “path”!! ….Blessings to all my so-called “travellers” on this pathless path :~)))

  2. All past, present and future gurus that are born into this world are going to die none of them are perfect or know everything also that are definitely limited.
    When they die will have to answer to their actions deeds like everybody else and a genuine wise seeker does not look for a external human guru.
    Anybody can make judgments or make selfish comparisons be jealous or be outrageously brainwashed fake gurus attract fake followers.

  3. Just as each human being is different, each spiritual teacher is as well. I have found that Mooji speaks to me in a very direct way at this point in my life. He is able to clarify what Ekart and Adyashanti have been pointing me to for years. It works for me but I also see how many searchers don’t find direction in his words. I agree with Ekart Tolle when he says, “Why go to Portugal when you can have him in your lounge room on Youtube.” Ekart Tolle came to Auckland NZ, I paid a lot of money for a ticket, and the talk was good but no different from listing to him via broadcast. I guess that we have to be aware of not building a personality cult around a living master, but then, didn’t Mooji transition into full awareness at the feet of Papaji?

    1. didn’t Mooji transition into full awareness at the feet of Papaji?

      I believe so, but correlation does not always imply causation.

  4. I like Mooji, I like his confidence, honesty, the way with finding the right word/joke/story… and natural charm.
    One thing though, I find questionable about the western ‘gurus’ [including Mooji] is the adoption of the Hindu jargon, with some of these gurus going further down into the culture not only in language but also in following rituals, clothing style, taking names that sound pompous…
    When you preach the Absolute words should match sights. Why not keep it simple?! Be what you are and preach, no need to change one illusory form for another… It may be useful for some gurus that try to more ‘buying customers’ but Mooji doesn’t need this; his qualities I mentioned are sufficient.

    I am not a fan of the Hindu inclination to worshiping/cult of personality where the teaching is secondary, [I think they call it baktha or so…]and even less of the western culture’s brainless worshiping form with no substance [the cult of ‘coolness’… ]. As such I find some of the scenes at Mooji’s ‘shows’ simply ridiculous [burst of uncontrolled laughter or cries and sobbing, deep sighs… etc.- public display of something I don’t get at all].
    I keep watching Mooji’s postings but not for the information. The teaching is straight forward but Mooji seems to have the magic of saying the same thing in so many inspiring ways that seem to work like a ‘fix’ when the world seem to gain power again. I got the ‘background’ I needed to understand what is all this about from folk like Spira and Lucille which now I cannot listen to any longer due to their strategic approach of keeping the clientele engaged [and in confusion, without their realization] through mind acrobatics, and hair splitting on the various aspects of the ego. Deep surgical cuts, interesting insights, profound understanding of the psychology of the ego… fascinating stuff for the mind, which however has nothing to do with reality [as the ego is illusory and talking about it does not make it less so, on the contrary- it beefs it up!] Mooji also displays those skills but I find he offers something that the others are not able to- charm , empathy, and most importantly, honesty. And, yeah entertainment too [of spiritual kind, and not only that…]

  5. To be ENLIGHTENMENT is not something you do, there are codes in your soul that will be activited in accordance to the work that has been done in previous life times. 20% of humanity will be enlighten in the next 200 years. You have to get first past the 3rd dimention, if you continue working with the ego and hidden emotions (fears) you will get to the 4 and 5 dimentions thru your higher self. Once your reach the 6 dimension, you will VIBRATE TRUE LOVE, obsense of the ego, in other words ENLIGHTENMENT.

  6. Lazy man’s way? How about just direct. It requires spiritual maturity to drop everything and realize what you are looking for is here, now. If you need to go on a lifelong journey of hard work to finally “arrive” here, where you’ve always been, then do that work. Mooji’s teachings are extremely powerful, pointing directly to what is. If you are not ready to hear Mooji’s message, it will seem too simplistic and you will gravitate towards a step by step process that takes time. But in reality, what you are requires no time.

    1. I agree 100%. I had awakening experience through Tolle’s “Power of Now”, but I was sent on a 6 year round trip by an ego trick, which made “me” believe that I couldn’t function in this world in that state (where all words and actions seemed meaningless). Life brought me back to reality, and brought me Mooji. Mooji’s pointings deepened Tolle’s realization. Looking back now, this 6 year round trip dissolved my “person” piece by piece, until almost nothing was left and I was almost suicidal not understanding what is going on with me and/or this world. Immense mental break opened the reality again. All the religions have made us believe (even if only subconsciously) that there are “rules”, “paths” and “commandments” that one needs to follow to become HIMSELF, which is absolutely insane. Mooji’s pointing sink deep, understanding by experience, not only intellectually

    2. Well said. Thank you I’ve found that what Mooji offers is the sheer beauty and truth of simplicity. It’s really not rocket science and it’s available to everyone. That – it’s the beauty of Mooji.

  7. my friend became entirely delusional after being with mooji. he died because of it. the police told me they found his body laying on top of a picture of mooji.

    he was well educated, had a promising career, and a girlfriend he cared for deeply. mooji, somehow, cleaved him apart from each of these. particulary seperating an otherwise happy couple, for what?

    accounts of moojis brainwashing, and the nature of the cult of personality he insulates himself inside are well documented. i only wish i researched him more when my friend tried to ‘sell’ me mooji after returning from a portugal retreat.

    the pursuit of enlightenment, accompanied by spiritual highs… my friend believed he was possessed, and i realize now, he was possessed… by the demon-in-the-flesh who calls himself mooji.

    and if you think this is just some shallow attempt at slander, my friend’s name is matthew bewhole. he is not the first, nor the last to fall into mooji’s spiritual dungeon. this site is as fraudulant as mooji for promoting him under the heading enlightened.

    absolutely shameless.

  8. If you go to see Mooji and he doesn’t sense an urgency in you for freedom (mukthi) , then your experience with him will be just like the one you describe. You will imagine he has a great way of expressing timeless truths that absolutely need to be communicated. You will wish Mooji well. You hope that the more serious practitioners will realize that real work needs to be done.

    You will have missed it.

  9. Hi, I don’t know who Mooji is , but I guess he is enlightened.
    Different people react differently with a spiritual teacher. Some like to be near Him, some like to connect from far and some don’t believe in Him. It’s ok. Each to their limit.
    For me , I can connect from far, by hearing online. It’s enough for Spiritual energy to flow and uplift me. It’s not a matter of belief.
    But for some , they are not as fortunate. They need to be near. Some have the feeling to touch. So each to his need.
    Ultimately, the journey within happens when You go inwards, to your very Soul. The spiritual teacher is only a mirror to your Soul. 🙏

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