What Is Enlightenment?
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/natasha-dern/enlightenment_b_825365.html
"There is no enlightenment outside of daily life." -- Thic Nhat Hanh
What is this enigmatic and exalted state called "enlightenment"? Why is everyone so enamored by this word? Why is everyone so eager to attain it? Does anyone really understand the essence of it? Many speak of it as if they do, and while others use it to enhance their status. I have been in the presence of such people, and I am always astounded at the level of ignorance guiding their behavior. Such people are nowhere near awakened, let alone enlightened, and this includes both teacher and student. It is like the blind leading the blind. The irony is that the effort they expend on becoming enlightened only impedes the realization that they already are. Enlightenment is not something you do; it is about being.
This beingness seems to be the hardest lesson to master, for it involves a gradual, developmental and cumulative process of growth through steps and stages. It emerges as a natural consequence of allowing, rather than by any egoic effort to attain it, because it involves surrendering and the ultimate dissolution of the ego in order to realize it. You can read the world's greatest mystical and spiritual literature, become very knowledgeable on techniques, rites and rituals, and yet remain completely unchanged. Accumulation of knowledge is not enlightenment, and neither is the prowess of mystical vocabulary the proof.
What we need is a new definition of what enlightenment means within the context of modern existence. The popular version is depicted as a sudden state of rapture and ecstasy, accompanied by luminous light and visions, an end of suffering and the dawning of bliss, thus permanently enlightening the aspirant. All this may very well be true, but does this depiction really explain what enlightenment is?
This state of beingness is easy to attain or maintain in an ashram, monastery or somewhere up in the mountains far removed from the challenges of modern life. There's nothing wrong with pursuing a monastic life or dedicating your life to simplicity and seclusion; this has its time and value on the journey. But how much of that pursuit is authentic, versus escaping the demands of the world? When you live in seclusion, you bet it's easier to maintain a consciousness of love and compassion.
So what is enlightenment? How about coming down from that mountain and putting your unity consciousness to the test amidst mortgage payments and credit card debt, divorce lawyers and aging parents, nasty bosses and health problems, wars and poverty? Such conditions, as the alchemist knows, burns away the dross to reveal who we are not. Yes, in the midst of the madness we awaken, grow comfortable with our dualistic nature and develop mystical stamina so that we can handle our sobriety. Illusions are like drugs and enlightenment is like rehab.
An enlightened person neither seeks the light, nor remains inactive in the darkness. Their goal is not enlightenment, but of conduct toward self, life and others. When you're in the presence of such a person, no verbal exchange is necessary to know who you are dealing with. Such people can serve in monasteries or stock markets, run corporations or run for office, walk the desert or walk to work. They have the ability to see things as they really are, to accept what is and remain open to all of life. This is done not out of naiveté or denial, but out of profound understanding of how life really works.
"After enlightenment, the laundry." -- a Zen proverb
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Thanks for sharing. It reminds me of the Zen saying, " 看山是山，看水是水；看山�是山，看水�是水；看山还是山，看水还是水。"
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most of us live our lives foolishly seeking consolations of love than enlightenment
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some master once said of enlightenment.
when you walk into a dark room and you switch on the light, you can see everything in the room.
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we are just like seeing without the aid of light in a dark room, deluded and clouded with ignorance and craving. once we attain enlightenment, we can see things very clearly isnt it.
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I have a question. once we attain enlightenment, we are arahants isnt it. if we want to be a Samasam Buddha, we need to practise perfections for aeons before we are ready to be a Buddha isnt it.
when a person attain enlightenment, can he still go practise perfections and delay his Nirvana and strive to be a Buddha and continue to come into Samsara to practise for aeons?
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Actually, I don't know whether I am enlightened or not...
I mean, how do you know if you are enlightened
Lol
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do you see things as they are now in life, like when you switch on the light, you can see everything isnt it.
if you were to lose 100, how do you feel? to the enlightened, he/she is not moved even if he/she were to lose $1000.
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Originally posted by 2009novice:
Actually, I don't know whether I am enlightened or not...
I mean, how do you know if you are enlightened
Lol
There are past and present practitioners who have written descriptions/accounts of the various stages of realization. I suppose you can compare against those. But if I'm not wrong, you still need to have a living teacher "test" you to ascertain the stage you're at.
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Originally posted by Fcukpap:
most of us live our lives foolishly seeking consolations of love than enlightenment
"most of us live our lives foolishly seeking consolations of love than enlightenment"
Whoa, this is one of the coolest statements I've heard in a while. Well said lor... :)
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Originally posted by 2009novice:
Actually, I don't know whether I am enlightened or not...
I mean, how do you know if you are enlightened
Lol
its ok....to see enlightenment...just need to see 3 things....
a sick woman who is pregnant, an old man waiting to die on a bed, a repentant man who gave up everything to seek the truth
perhaps
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Originally posted by realization:
"most of us live our lives foolishly seeking consolations of love than enlightenment"
Whoa, this is one of the coolest statements I've heard in a while. Well said lor... :)
Haha ya lormaybe after knowing that sometimes love suck then they know what is impermanence
lol
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
I have a question. once we attain enlightenment, we are arahants isnt it. if we want to be a Samasam Buddha, we need to practise perfections for aeons before we are ready to be a Buddha isnt it.
when a person attain enlightenment, can he still go practise perfections and delay his Nirvana and strive to be a Buddha and continue to come into Samsara to practise for aeons?
具足無é‡�行願，安ä½�一切功德法ä¸ã€‚é�Šæ¥å��方，行權方便。入佛法è—�，究竟彼岸。願於無é‡�世界æˆ�ç‰æ£è¦ºã€‚諸佛剎ä¸çš†èƒ½ç¤ºç�¾ã€‚è¬å–„幻師，ç�¾çœ¾ç•°ç›¸ï¼Œæ–¼å½¼ç›¸ä¸ï¼Œå¯¦ç„¡å�¯å¾—。æ¤è«¸è�©è–©ï¼Œäº¦å¾©å¦‚是。通諸法性，é�”眾生相。供養諸佛，開導群生。化ç�¾å…¶èº«ï¼ŒçŒ¶å¦‚電光。裂é”見網，解諸çº�縛。é� 超è�²è�žè¾Ÿæ”¯ä½›åœ°ï¼Œå…¥ç©ºã€�無相ã€�無願法門。善立方便，顯示三乘。
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Sorry but the author doesn't seem to be enlightened to me. She is describing a state, an experience, but not a realization. Then she is trying to integrate that experience with daily activities, which is not bad - but it is not an insight or realization into our true nature. She failed to describe what enlightenment is. What she experience is probably like an experience of I AM but not yet the realization of I AM, thus it is not yet even Thusness Stage 1.
Here is a good article that talks about enlightenment, though it is not complete enlightenment (this is Thusness Stage 4):
Steven Norquist Article - “What is enlightenment, no, I mean really, like what is it?”
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Originally posted by 2009novice:
Actually, I don't know whether I am enlightened or not...
I mean, how do you know if you are enlightened
Lol
When you realize your essence, you can no longer doubt it.
Before birth, Who am I?
Contemplate until you realize it without a trace of doubt.
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
I have a question. once we attain enlightenment, we are arahants isnt it. if we want to be a Samasam Buddha, we need to practise perfections for aeons before we are ready to be a Buddha isnt it.
when a person attain enlightenment, can he still go practise perfections and delay his Nirvana and strive to be a Buddha and continue to come into Samsara to practise for aeons?
An Arhant still can practice perfections, of course.
Whether an Arhant can 'come back' is another issue altogether: In Theravada, nothing is said about it, so it is assumed (the standard position of Theravada) an Arhant can never return. In Mahayana, the mindstream continue to manifests.
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
I have a question. once we attain enlightenment, we are arahants isnt it. if we want to be a Samasam Buddha, we need to practise perfections for aeons before we are ready to be a Buddha isnt it.
when a person attain enlightenment, can he still go practise perfections and delay his Nirvana and strive to be a Buddha and continue to come into Samsara to practise for aeons?
THE BODHISATTA IDEAL By Venerable Nârada Mahâthera
The Abbisamay�lank�ra-Āloka, a later Samskrit work, a sub-commentary to the Prajn� P�ramit�, states:-
"The great disciples (SrÄ�vakas), having attained the two kinds of Enlightenment (i.e., of the SrÄ�vaka proper and the Pratyeka Buddha) with and without residue, remain with their minds full of fear, since they are deprived of great compassion and highest wisdom (uru karunÄ� prajnÄ� vaikal-yena). Owing to the cessation of the force of life, produced by the previous Biotic force, the attainment of Nirvana becomes possible. But in reality (the HinayÄ�nist saints) are possessed only of that seeming Nirvana which is called the Nirvana resembling an extinguished light. The births in the three spheres of existence have ceased, but, after their worldly existence has taken an end, the Arahants are born in the most pure sphere of Buddhist activity in the unaffected plane (anÄ�sravadhÄ�tu), in state of perpetual trance and abiding within the petals of lotus flowers (padmaphutesu jÄ�yante). Thereafter the Buddha AmitÄ�bhÄ� and other Buddhas resembling the sun arouse them in order to remove the undefiled ignorance (akilishta ñÄ�na). Thereupon the Arahants make their creative effort for Supreme Enlightenment and, though they abide in a state of deliverance, they act (in the phenomenal world) as if they were making a descent to hell. And gradually, having accumulated all the factors for the attainment of Enlightenment, they become teachers of living beings (i.e., Buddhas)."
http://web.archive.org/web/20080605024645/http://home.earthlink.net/~mpaw12/id23.html
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Originally posted by sinweiy:
THE BODHISATTA IDEAL By Venerable Nârada Mahâthera
The Abbisamay�lank�ra-Āloka, a later Samskrit work, a sub-commentary to the Prajn� P�ramit�, states:-
"The great disciples (SrÄ�vakas), having attained the two kinds of Enlightenment (i.e., of the SrÄ�vaka proper and the Pratyeka Buddha) with and without residue, remain with their minds full of fear, since they are deprived of great compassion and highest wisdom (uru karunÄ� prajnÄ� vaikal-yena). Owing to the cessation of the force of life, produced by the previous Biotic force, the attainment of Nirvana becomes possible. But in reality (the HinayÄ�nist saints) are possessed only of that seeming Nirvana which is called the Nirvana resembling an extinguished light. The births in the three spheres of existence have ceased, but, after their worldly existence has taken an end, the Arahants are born in the most pure sphere of Buddhist activity in the unaffected plane (anÄ�sravadhÄ�tu), in state of perpetual trance and abiding within the petals of lotus flowers (padmaphutesu jÄ�yante). Thereafter the Buddha AmitÄ�bhÄ� and other Buddhas resembling the sun arouse them in order to remove the undefiled ignorance (akilishta ñÄ�na). Thereupon the Arahants make their creative effort for Supreme Enlightenment and, though they abide in a state of deliverance, they act (in the phenomenal world) as if they were making a descent to hell. And gradually, having accumulated all the factors for the attainment of Enlightenment, they become teachers of living beings (i.e., Buddhas)."
http://web.archive.org/web/20080605024645/http://home.earthlink.net/~mpaw12/id23.html
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is it concurred by the Buddha? diferences between master and Buddha teachings are different, because masters knowledge and power are not the same level as the Buddha.
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during then, they are at least a third stage arhat. at least. to write something according to Buddha's teaching.
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Originally posted by sinweiy:
during then, they are at least a third stage arhat. at least. to write something according to Buddha's teaching.
not enough. their knowledge pales in comparison to the Buddha. Buddha is perfect because he has undergo his perfections and thus is Sammasam Buddha.
I mean can read it and make up your mind, but then have to be careful to treat it as being taught by the Buddha.
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“What do you think, monks? Which are more... the leaves in my hand or those above the sisapa forest?" The Blessed One was staying near Kosambi in the sisapa forest when he picked up a handful of sisapa leaves and posed this question.
"Few are the leaves in your hand, Bhante answered the monks, "compared to the abundant leaves above the sisapa forest."
"It is so indeed, monks," said the Blessed Or "In the same way, vast is the knowledge that I have directly realised but not revealed. But why did not reveal it?" The Buddha explained that it was because such knowledge was not conducive to total liberation from the sufferings pertaining to the endless round of births and deaths. (Sisapavana Sutta, SN 56:31).
true, though we don't have to know all. just know those that are conducive to total liberation from the sufferings pertaining to the endless round of births and deaths is enough.
ps: btw the link above i gave from Venerable Nârada Mahâthera is from pali canon.
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
is it concurred by the Buddha? diferences between master and Buddha teachings are different, because masters knowledge and power are not the same level as the Buddha.
According to Mahayana sutras, yes.
Thubten Chodron:
In the Sanskrit canon, or at least in the Tibetan tradition, when you have arhatship without remainder you abide in meditative equipoise on emptiness for a long, long time. So consciousness still exists, the person still exists, it's merely labeled in dependence upon those aggregates, which are not tainted aggregates, but not completely purified aggregates. Although they're free from ignorance, so they're untainted. Yes, they would be untainted. They still have the cognitive obscurations but they would be untainted. So you abide in the nirvana for eons in your meditative equipoise until eventually the Buddha wakes you up and says, “You have to work for the benefit of sentient beings, your job isn't really done.” So that's from a Mahayana viewpoint, what's happened to the arhats.