PREFACE
The Transmission of Truth, A Manual for Enlightenment Masters was based on the
talks given by Charles Berner at the first Enlightenment Master’s Training Course in
1977. A slightly revised version, published in 1981, was used for the training of en
lightenment masters since then. In 1977 Berner gave up giving Enlightenment In
tensives and devoted himself to meditation. In the years that followed, a deeper and
clearer understanding of what enlightenment is emerged from his contemplations on
the nature of Truth, and he realized that The Transmission of Truth contains some errors
about enlightenment and how Enlightenment Intensives should be conducted.
When he told me his new understanding of enlightenment, I felt that it was a
unique description of the Truth that was very close to enlightenment itself. It was un
like anything I had ever heard or read before and it resonated with my own experience.
I felt it was important to try to pass it on to other enlightenment masters and those
wanting to become enlightenment masters. With Berner’s new knowledge as my guide,
I wrote the chapter on enlightenment in my own words and revised the entire manual.
I have tried to give a clear explanation of what direct knowledge, consciousness, en
lightenment, and the true individual are. Because these are difficult concepts, I have
presented them in several ways, hoping that if you do not get them in one way, you
will get them in another. Reading the chapter on enlightenment brings up a lot of the
mind because the ideas contained there are so close to the Truth itself. The situation
is similar to doing the Enlightenment Technique. For this reason, several readings may
be necessary in order to understand the chapter. Persist even if you begin to go uncon
scious. If an idea is not clear, it may be clarified in the next paragraph. It is possible to
become enlightened simply by hearing or reading the Truth if you are open to it.
The new information in ‘Why a Master Should Say What Enlightenment Is’,
‘Why a three-day Enlightenment Intensive?’ ‘Using only the instructions Who and What
on an Enlightenment Intensive’, and the ‘Introduction’ was given to me verbally by
Charles Berner. Other changes in the conducting of Intensives were made under his
direction. ‘Direct Knowledge and Enlightenment in Spiritual Growth’ was written en
tirely by me. I take responsibility for any errors in the presentation of Charles Berner’s
work in this manual.
To keep the old material consistent with the new, I have put this new edition
in the third person. Some chapters of the old manual have been removed, including
the one on long Enlightenment Intensives, which are no longer recommended. The
remaining chapters have been revised and reorganized.