Paul Bibby
When was the last time you got in touch with your inner spirit vegetable?
If it’s been a while, you may need to ‘Enlighten-Up’.
Local comedian, musician and ‘all round spiritual dude’ Hanuman Dass (aka Robert Grayson) is launching a new show at the Rainbow Centre in Mullumbimby which encourages locals to do just that.
Kicking off on December 9 Enlighten-Up is an irreverent exploration of the overly-earnest world of spirituality.
‘One of the most serious problems in our spiritual life is taking ourselves too f***ing seriously,’ Dass says.
‘This is a kind of silly satsang where the object is just to loosen up a bit and have fun together as a group.
‘The sessions are intended to be fun, gentle and experimental and set up a goal-free, agenda-free and free-play space for spontaneity and connection.’
The show will feature comedy, live music, group singing and a meditation session which Dass says ‘might get a bit silly’.
Each session will also feature a special guest, with local comedian Greg Sullivan set to feature in the first instalment. The Echo’s own Mandy Nolan will feature in the show’s ‘second coming’ on December 16.
‘There’s all this stuff coming out about the great spiritual deities and masters being much more ‘up’ than we thought,’ he says.
‘Osho was quite playful by all accounts. Then you’ve got the laughing Buddha. Even Jesus wasn’t as serious as they’ve often made him out to be.
‘The idea [of the show] is for people to connect in frivolity. It’s much easier to look at your shadows in a humorous situation.’
‘I mean they have rubber chickens but do they have rubber tofu?’
These and other important questions will be explored during the 90-minute show which Dass hopes will become a regular fixture at the centre.
Enlighten-Up will take the stage on December 9 from 11am to 12.30pm.
Entry is by donation of $15 to$20 with those in fancy dress receiving benign smiles and a small discount.
For more information contact Dass at [email protected] or check out the Enlighten-Up Facebook page.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
