Enlightenment. What is it and how do we know when we have achieved it?

Enlightenment seems to be something many search for but what exactly is it and is it the same for everyone?

How do we know when we've found it, is it like an electric light bulb moment that you just know or is it a slow journey that you eventually arrive at?

To me enlightenment is the connection with our inner being that is totally at peace and full of absolute love and joy. For me its not a superhuman accomplishment, it is something we can all reach. It is a feeling of oneness and to not feel seperated from our divine creator.

Ive had moments in meditation of great clarity and a connection with universal love and joy but is this enligtenment? Is is enligtenment or just a moment of hightened awarness?

Can we even hold onto this awarness in our fast busy world? Ive had days when Ive not even been meditating but still felt a total connection to something within me, an inner light or force, but this will fade eventually into the background to resurface in quiter moments.

If enlightenment is achieved is it possible to allow it to co exist with our self that has to deal with the pressures of life in the 21st century?

So what is enlightenment to you, have you achieved it and if so how did you achieve it?

reply to post by Mr Green


For me "Enlightenment" is having the knowing of a great many things that most do not know. It means knowing how to do things such as astral travel, telepathy with other like minds, developed research skills that allow one to learn things faster than most. It means a developed brain that processes more information that most others do. It means being totally free from any dogma. There is more, this is but a few things.

Knowing yourself.

When you realize we are all like snowflakes...

It's really not specific point, but rather a feeling IMO

Originally posted by autowrench
reply to post by Mr Green

 

For me "Enlightenment" is having the knowing of a great many things that most do not know. It means knowing how to do things such as astral travel, telepathy with other like minds, developed research skills that allow one to learn things faster than most. It means a developed brain that processes more information that most others do. It means being totally free from any dogma. There is more, this is but a few things.

Is astral travel really enligtenment though? To be able to seek out other dimensions, is this really enligtenment or just a skill learnt by opening your psychic awarness? I think psychic awarness is different from enligtenment, yes the two are closely linked but many who astral travel are not fully enligtened.

Yes being free from any dogma I can see.

reply to post by autowrench


I agree about the dogma comment.

They say if one sees the lifting of the veil for even a second, it changes them for a lifetime. I do believe this is very true. You can get warm and fuzzy feelings various ways, but when a striking moment of clarity really hits it is NOT subtle. It is utterly awe inspiring and life changing.

It changes how you see the world, and it changes how you judge experiences. If it leaves you feeling like it is your destiny to "fix" things, or change the world, then imo that was not a moment of true enlightenment. The true moment of clarity is realizing everything is perfect just as it is, it is a feeling of utter bliss, and understanding, but it goes beyond feeling, it is like experiencing a whole new reality.

If you are not sure if it happened, it didn't. It will knock your socks off when it does.

Even though something burns brightly, doesnt mean at times it does not dim and it doesnt mean that if you add more fuel to the fire it gets brighter. simple way to say it but this is how i see it

Originally posted by Sonya610
reply to post by autowrench

 

They say if one sees the lifting of the veil for even a second, it changes them for a lifetime. I do believe this is very true. You can get warm and fuzzy feelings various ways, but when a striking moment of clarity really hits it is NOT subtle. It is utterly awe inspiring and life changing.

It changes how you see the world, and it changes how you judge experiences. The true moment of clarity is realizing everything is perfect just as it is, it is a feeling of utter bliss, and understanding, but it goes beyond feeling, it is like experiencing a whole new reality.

If you are not sure if it happened, it didn't. It will knock your socks off when it does.

I guess in this case Im still on my journey towards it. I have had moments of immense clarity , feelings of bliss, joy and love that did indeed seem to come from another reality, but the fact I need to ask if Ive achieved it must mean I have not. I look forward to the moment the veil is completely lifted.

reply to post by Mr Green

Is astral travel really enligtenment though? To be able to seek out other dimensions, is this really enligtenment or just a skill learnt by opening your psychic awarness? I think psychic awarness is different from enligtenment, yes the two are closely linked but many who astral travel are not fully enligtened.

I stand corrected. I learned to astral travel after leaving all church teachings behind me for good, and reading a lot of old books. Enlightenment did not come until years later. I do think enlightenment is directly connected to knowledge though, for knowledge brings power over those who do not know. This is how TPTB control us all. they know, and we do not. An enemy cannot be defeated without having to knowing of their ways and plans. If we as a people really want to defeat these evil powers, then we must know who they are, and what they are planning for us. They want to escape, and leave us to our own devices as the Earth destroys itself, and begins anew. Knowing what's going on around you is very important to me.

Originally posted by autowrench
reply to post by Mr Green

 

I stand corrected. I learned to astral travel after leaving all church teachings behind me for good, and reading a lot of old books. Enlightenment did not come until years later. I do think enlightenment is directly connected to knowledge though, for knowledge brings power over those who do not know.

I think your right, to truely reach enligtenment we need to move away from religious teachings and learn more about our spiritual depths. To be deeply religious does not always mean a person is enligtened. However Im sure some very religious people have found enligtenment through their religion.

I too do not think enligtenment is linked to knowledge. We can "know" a lot about many things but still not be enlightened. I also think the enligtened people dont constantly try to tell us all about it, because they truely know in their hearts its a very personal journey and something they cant really teach others to achieve.

reply to post by Mr Green


I agree with you on this. I have known many religious people, some are enlightened, and some are just mind controlled. for instance, in simple terms: A person who thinks everything in the Bible is true is mind controlled, and a person who reads and looks beyond the Bible is enlightened. I was told as a child never to read into the "occult," for that was a "works of the Devil." I soon learned why I was told this too. I was also told that all of my questions could be answered by reading the Bible. They, of course, were not answered, but many more questions came to bear! Religion was not invented to enlighten, but to control. and...it works too!

Originally posted by autowrench
reply to post by Mr Green

 

I agree with you on this. I have known many religious people, some are enlightened, and some are just mind controlled. for instance, in simple terms: A person who thinks everything in the Bible is true is mind controlled, and a person who reads and looks beyond the Bible is enlightened.

I agree to actual question our reality is the first step towards more awarness. To question and look beyond what we are told is the "truth" and to look behind this "truth" is such a rewarding thing to do. Just because we are told something is the truth does not mean it is. To start to question everything around us is probably the first step.

To me when the veil is lifted, and enlightenment is achieved,

I realize, how much I DO NOT KNOW, and will NEVER know, not on this level of existence.

Your just getting a peek, not even a peek, almost nothing, just a shadow, maybe nothing.

What have you found that is profound?

What do you know that others don't?

What have you experienced that others have not experienced before you?

I do know that there is a limit, to our understanding.

Personally I haven't heard anything new in ages, everything is recycled.

From Christopher Wynter,
Enlightenment comes when your third eye is at one with your turd
eye and you can see your own poop

Edited to say;, Well you asked.

[edit on 103131p://bSunday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
To me when the veil is lifted, and enlightenment is achieved,

I realize, how much I DO NOT KNOW, and will NEVER know, not on this level of existence.

I agree with that completely. We are here in this moment as part of an illusion, and I think the only rule is "there are no rules" at least not any that humans can be sure about.

Anyone that claims to know "the path" and will teach you how to get there is working off ego.

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
To me when the veil is lifted, and enlightenment is achieved,

I realize, how much I DO NOT KNOW, and will NEVER know, not on this level of existence.


[edit on 103131p://bSunday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Thanks but the fact that your saying you need to move to another existance to fully understand your enligtenment means you do actually understand more than some. Some people arnt even fully aware of this existance never mind the possibilities of others. You realize there is more to this life, you realize you will never get answers to these questions in this life, but you seem to have accepted this and know you will find these answers but on another level.

Yes many may have experienced what you have before , it is nothing new, but there are many that have not. You may not have found anything new in ages but your awarness is still with you dont you think?

Originally posted by Sonya610

Originally posted by Stormdancer777

Anyone that claims to know "the path" and will teach you how to get there is working off ego.

REPLY TO Sonya610 :-

Agreed but why do many say without a master or guru the path can be hard, not impossible but hard. Some pointers at least can be of benefit surely? I guess its knowing the difference between an individual who just wishes to help and one that wants to lead and teach you through their ego. Its a very difficult path to tread, to talk about these things without lecturing to others or putting your own beliefs onto them.

Ive seen it happen before, people end up chatting about these things, then without them really knowing they become dependant on that person, almost spiritually dependant, they no longer follow their own path, they follow their new guides path, who probably knows no more than them.

Its about self awarness and confidence. Having the inner strength to know your own heart and follow it.

[edit on 11-1-2009 by Mr Green]

In the words of Anthony De Mello

Before we discuss this, let me tell you a story. Somebody once asked,
"What is enlightenment like? What is awakening like?" It's like the tramp
in London who was settling in for the night. He'd hardly been able to get
a crust of bread to eat. Then he reaches this embankment on the river
Thames. There was a slight drizzle, so he huddled in his old tattered
cloak. He was about to go to sleep when suddenly a chauffeur-driven
Rolls-Royce pulls up. Out of the car steps a beautiful young lady who says
to him, "My poor man, are you planning on spending the night here on this
embankment?" And the tramp says, "Yes." She says, "I won't have it. You're
coming to my house and you're going to spend a comfortable night and you're
going to get a good dinner." She insists on his getting into the car.
Well, they ride out of London and get to a place where she has a sprawling
mansion with large grounds. They are ushered in by the butler, to whom she
says, "James, please make sure he's put in the servants' quarters and
treated well." Which is what James does. The young lady had undressed and
was about to go to bed when she suddenly remembers her guest for the night.
So she slips something on and pads along the corridor to the servants'
quarters. She sees a little chink of light from the room where the tramp
was put up. She taps lightly at the door, opens it, and finds the man
awake. She says, "What's the trouble, my good man, didn't you get a good
meal?" He said, "Never had a better meal in my life, lady." "Are you warm
enough?" He says, "Yes, lovely warm bed." Then she says, "Maybe you need
a little company. Why don't you move over a bit." And she comes closer to
him and he moves over and falls right into the Thames.

Ha! You didn't expect that one! Enlightenment! Enlightenment! Wake up.
When you're ready to exchange your illusions for reality, when you're ready
to exchange your dreams for facts, that's the way you find it all. That's
where life finally becomes meaningful. Life becomes beautiful.

There's a story about Ramirez. He is old and living up there in his castle
on a hill. He looks out the window (he's in bed and paralyzed) and he sees
his enemy. Old as he is, leaning on a cane, his enemy is climbing up the
hill -- slowly, painfully. It takes him about two and a half hours to get
up the hill. There's nothing Ramirez can do because the servants have the
day off. So his enemy opens the door, comes straight to the bedroom, puts
his hand inside his cloak, and pulls out a gun. He says, "At last,
Ramirez, we're going to settle scores!" Ramirez tries his level best to
talk him out of it. He says, "Come on, Borgia, you can't do that. You
know I'm no longer the man who ill-treated you as that youngster years ago,
and you're no longer that youngster. Come off it!" "Oh no," says his
enemy, ''your sweet words aren't going to deter me from this divine mission
of mine. It's revenge I want and there's nothing you can do about it."
And Ramirez says, "But there is!" "What?" asks his enemy. "I can wake
up," says Ramirez. And he did; he woke up! That's what enlightenment is
like. When someone tells you, "There is nothing you can do about it," you
say, "There is, I can wake up!" All of a sudden, life is no longer the
nightmare that it has seemed. Wake up!

Somebody came up to me with a question. What do you think the question
was? He asked me, "Are you enlightened?" What do you think my answer was?
What does it matter!

You want a better answer? My answer would be: "How would I know? How
would you know? What does it matter?" You know something? If you want
anything too badly, you're in big trouble. You know something else? If I
were enlightened and you listened to me because I was enlightened, then
you're in big trouble. Are you ready to be brainwashed by someone who's
enlightened? You can be brainwashed by anybody, you know. What does it
matter whether someone's enlightened or not? But see, we want to lean on
someone, don't we? We want to lean on anybody we think has arrived. We
love to hear that people have arrived. It gives us hope, doesn't it? What
do you want to hope for? Isn't that another form of desire?

You want to hope for something better than what you have right now, don't
you? Otherwise you wouldn't be hoping. But then, you forget that you have
it all right now anyway, and you don't know it. Why not concentrate on the
now instead of hoping for better times in the future? Why not understand
the now instead of forgetting it and hoping for the future? Isn't the
future just another trap? Source

I think Anthony De Mello explains it perfectly

Great Topic S&F

Yes the second story I get, but in the first it does quite clearly say the tramp got into her car and travelled to her house...so how can they be still on the Thames

He never left the embankment

It will click don't worry, I would highly recommend the book by Anthony "Awareness" there is also some of his work on YouTube. It's a real wake up call indeed.

Originally posted by psycho81
He never left the embankment

It will click don't worry, I would highly recommend the book by Anthony "Awareness" there is also some of his work on YouTube. It's a real wake up call indeed.

You mean it was a dream, the tramp had a dream....oh sorry Ive re read it HE fell into the Thames not HER!! HE fell in, yes this alters this whole story now..sorry I didnt read it right.

My take on enlightenment.... Knowing and understanding the beauty within things such as fresh dog poo and evil bankers...

Nope I'm nowhere near reaching enlightenment - but I'm fairly open minded so that's a good start.

[edit on 11/1/2009 by Now_Then]