I’m not sure where the term “Monkey Suit” comes from, but it seemed appropriate for this piece – as you will see if you read on.

Back in the good old days, before comedy died, the late-night talk shows were actually funny and entertaining. The guests were there to be interesting, informative and, sometimes, provocative.

Ah, for the good old days. Will we ever see them again?

My memory goes back to Johnny Carson – but later, Dave Lettermen and Jay Leno were also appealing hosts. That generation is gone and the modern hosts have lost touch with reality and comedy and are merely mouth-pieces for the Liberal Globalist agenda. Sad.

Anyway, I believe it was Jay Leno who had a particularly interesting guest, one night – a comedian named Louis C.K.

Louis is a very funny and thought-provoking man, but he has his personal flaws and has since become a victim of Liberal Cancel Culture. If you expect your favorite, edgy comedian to be trustworthy enough to babysit your kids, you might be in for some disappointments in life. Edgy comedians, like good artists in general, are on the fringes of society looking in. If they were just like you, they would not be funny. They would be like the modern, unfunny, social justice clowns that only say things of which their elitist patrons approve. Not comedy.

Look, you must be aware that just about every celebrity and public personality – good, bad, left or right – has one or more of the following three afflictions:

  1. Diagnosed mental health issues which might include depression, narcissism, and hysterical personality disorder among other, common ailments. (Some issues are apparent even if undiagnosed).
  2. Substance abuse issues and other compulsive behavior.
  3. Sexual deviancy.

Louis C.K. was no exception. And, one day, for reasons of their own, after being a prominent comedian for decades, the entertainment elite seized on his well-known issues and decided to cancel him. It happens.

Despite his very real flaws, he is a funny and interesting entertainer.

On the show, Leno asks him about comedy, because, after all, the man is an expect comedian. He talked about jokes and what makes a good joke and told a story about a joke his 7-year-old daughter made up for him. Before being “cancelled” Louis C.K. was in the comedy business for 25 years and knows exactly how jokes are structured, but his daughter’s joke surprised him.

Here it is:

Question: Who didn’t let the gorilla into the ballet?

Answer: Just the people who are in charge of that decision.

OK, why is this joke funny and relevant? Well, according to Louis, there are two reasons:

  1.  the answer is unexpected and
  2.  the story is easy to visualize.

Perhaps Google will allow you to find a video of the actual, very funny story being told – though, I think it’s been dropped down the “memory hole” to, you know, protect the public from being offended by reality.

Any way, this is how I recall it:

People are lining up to see the ballet. A gorilla in a tuxedo (a monkey suit) is walking in the line, looking down at his smart phone, pretending to text, trying to avoid attention.

Gate Keeper: Hey you. No, no, no – you’re not getting in. Yeah you – yes, the gorilla – I’m talking to you. You’re not getting in.

Gorilla: (looks up from his phone, confused) Why not?

Gate Keeper: Because you’re a gorilla – I don’t even have to say anything else.

Gorilla: But don’t I get credit for talking, using a phone and getting dressed up to see a ballet? Doesn’t that buy me any credibility?

Gate Keeper: No. It’s a long show – it’s 3 hours – you’re not going to make it. You’re OK now but half ways through you’re going to start jumping up and down and pounding on people. That’s just the way you guys are. I won’t be burdened with that — not again.

If a gorilla kills everyone at the ballet once – shame on the gorilla; but twice …

OK, you can see why Louis C.K. would tell this story. It’s weird, unexpected, funny and very visual. You can picture the poor gorilla standing there in his monkey suit, just trying to get some culture – but NO -the authority, the gate keeper, the decision maker will not allow it because of what MIGHT happen. Hmm. You might also get an idea of why Louis was cancelled if he promoted ideas like that. But, now, why would I include it here? I’m supposed to be talking about meditation, spirituality and enlightenment – what’s with the joke?

This story works on a lot of levels – whether you’re a liberal or conservative. Is the poor, peace loving gorilla being blocked, unfairly, by The Man? Maybe due to prejudice or stereotyping? Or, is the man trying to protect people from the potentially violent action of a real Gorilla? And which is the Liberal and which is the Conservative?

The story also works on a spiritual level and here’s why.

There are a lot of individuals who pretend to be Spiritual, pretend to be Awake, pretend to be Enlightened. They set themselves up as leaders and influencers of various movements and ideologies. They tell people what to do. They dress the part, repeat the proper catch phrases, carry the right props and signs and try to get into the “Big Show” – they try to claim equal status as the traditional, time-tested authorities of the past. But if they’re not really Enlightened, if they’re not truly Awake, they can’t fake it for long. These primal, materialistic frauds who are just in it for the social status and the celebrity rewards might fool people for a while, but they will eventually be exposed for the savage, rapacious beasts they are – but how many people will be hurt before they are found out?

You see, the people lined up with the Gorilla trying to get into the ballet, don’t notice that he’s a Gorilla – they are fooled by the monkey suit and the fancy smart phone. They’ll even take his side against the “authoritarian” gate keeper who tries to protect people from the charlatan. The gate keeper knows from experience that eventually the violent predatory nature of the beast will emerge and wreak havoc on the community, despite the fancy clothes and accessories being flaunted. But as for the people – they want to buy into the fantasy of an exotic guru in their midst. Perhaps at one point the fake Mystic was sincere – who knows?  

Who, exactly is the designated Gate Keeper for Enlightenment? Who are the people in charge of the decision regarding the authenticity of modern gurus?

In some traditions, the head of the particular order is in charge. The Master of the temple or school decides if the disciple has attained Enlightenment or not. No one can claim to be a teacher of the truth unless the established Master approves of the claim.

 This is not the case in the modern Western world, however. Here it is mostly a self-assessment. Just about anyone can say they are Enlightened. Anyone with a little charisma and charm can gain a following and pretend to be a spiritual master.

There’s about 5000 years of recorded history that describes authentic Enlightened individuals and exposes the frauds. Take note of the difference.

If, in the story, the ballet represents the social elite, there would be no problem – the Gate Keeper would welcome the Gorilla into the theatre where he would fit in well with the fake intellectuals and society frauds that congregate there.

But in our view, the ballet doesn’t represent the social elite – it represents the true beauty of Enlightenment. Those who would defile that beauty should be kept out. The fakers might look calm and peaceful on the outside, but they will not be able to maintain the façade indefinitely. Eventually these pretend masters will expose themselves as frauds through word or deed.  They might not jump up and down on chairs or pound people to death – but in time they will reveal their true nature and their cult group or following will collapse in disgrace.

So, who are the Gate Keepers of Enlightenment in our society?

There really aren’t any trusted, independent sources. It’s important for each of us to evaluate the claims of self-professed spiritual masters, ourselves. The Lord Jesus warned us long ago to avoid the so-called teachers who do not practice what they preach. And He condemned the teachers who do everything they can to get disciples and then make them twice as fit for hell as they are themselves. Notice who they associate with. Are they promoted by Hollywood idiots or political maniacs? Are they preaching a message that tramples on all traditional values, morals and ideals of honor and decency? if they are swinging with other, known, gorillas – they are probably gorillas – (and by this, I mean the mythic, savage, primordial beasts – not the gentle forest and mountain primates we all love).

You must look past the clothes, the accessories, the jargon and the elitist connections of those trying to influence you in a spiritual way. You must train yourself through study and meditation to see into the heart of the so-called teachers or masters that scream for your attention.  There’s about 5000 years of recorded history that describes authentic Enlightened individuals and exposes the frauds. Take note of the difference. Anyone can claim to be a spiritual master, but to prove it they must consistently act like masters. In the modern world, with so much information – real and fake – available to you, you’ve got to become the Gate Keeper to your own spiritual bliss and discipline yourself to look past the glamour and deception of those who would seek to control or claim your soul.