Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment;
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self needs strength.
– Lao Tzu
What does Enlightenment mean to you? One of the Enlightenment is well known philosophical movement of the 18th century that emphasized the use of reason to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms. See here, Age of Enlightenment for more details.
When we say “enlightenment” most of us means, enlightenment as in being aware or understand the subject. It is just like light bulb switching on, but in our mind and soul. In Hinduism and Buddhism, enlightenment means – A blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana.
This article is my contribution to Eric’s Personal Development Campfire and my version of enlightenment in spiritual and religious sense and what it is to be enlightened and how we may achieve the enlightenment in our life.
I decided to write a small poem, haiku or whatever you may want to call it, here is an Ode to enlightenment!
Everyone of us united together some ways
Not surprisingly as we are same species
Loving and learning as we move along
Intuitions and gut feelings from within our heart
Guiding light that lead us in our path
Heart and mind being in harmony
Tomorrow will be better than today
Engaging us to better ourselves
New discoveries to find contentment
Meditating and calming our inner overwhelm
Enlightening our spiritual soul
Now to alleviate our mind from pain and suffering
Today is the best day to start!
In simple words, The enlightenment is the condition of being informed spiritually: edification, illumination. Enlightenment has its roots in various religions and spiritual sense as well.
Siddhattha Gautam was a prince who became a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism. He gave up all wealth, kingdom, his wife and child to find enlightenment to end pain and suffering he saw around him. After many years of searching for answers, he tried to find enlightenment through near total deprivation of worldly goods, including food, practicing self-mortification at point of near starving himself to death.
Once he was sitting under a pipal tree, now known as the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, Gautam Buddha vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. After 49 days meditating, at the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment; Gautama, from then on, was known as the Buddha or “Awakened One.” Buddha is also sometimes translated as “The Enlightened One.”
Siddharth Gautam, commonly known as the Buddha, is said to have achieved full enlightenment, known as perfect Buddhahood. You can find more about Buddhahood click here . In many Buddhist traditions, reaching full enlightenment is equivalent in meaning to reaching Nirvana.
According to Wikipedia, In Theravada Buddhism, enlightenment refers to a unique experience which wholly transforms the enlightened individual from their previous condition in life. The Buddha, is said to have achieved enlightenment, as are others reputed to have attained Buddhahood.
In the Zen Buddhist tradition, anyone is capable of achieving enlightenment. In Japanese, kensho is the name for an enlightenment experience where one realizes the non-duality of the observer and the observed, while satori is the term for a flash of sudden understanding or awareness. These are experiences along the path to full enlightenment.
Mahayana Buddhists equate enlightenment with discovery of one’s Buddha nature. It is a state of complete emptiness, a passage beyond the material world into a thought-transcending realm of non-duality and unconditioned-ness. It is a state where the ego and self have been transcended.
In Hinduism the word moksha is similar to enlightenment and Nirvana. Moksha means “release” or the liberation from life and suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and rebirth (reincarnation). Hindus believe that many of us are reborn as a various animals, humans and insects until we gain moksha, the final stage after being enlightened.
The word ‘enlightenment’ also has parallels in the Abrahamic religions: in the Kabbalah tradition in Judaism, in Christian mysticism, particularly in Gnosticism, and in the Sufi tradition of Islam.
How do we find enlightenment in our own life right now?
While there are no simple and clear cut ways to attain the enlightenment, here are a few ways that will help us guide in the right direction to be enlightened in our lives.
- You can not look for enlightenment, it comes to you when you are ready.
- There are no specific ways that works for everyone, there are many ways.
- Meditation, Breathing rituals can sure help start in right direction.
- Practice being in conscious state or being aware of our surrounding and lives.
- Try to be free from material world as much as possible.
- One does not need to suffer in order to find enlightenment but for a few pain and suffering has made them more conscious.
- Give love unconditionally, when your heart and mind are in harmony.
- Let go of fear and possessions in your life.
- Relax and achieve cosmic awareness of mind at your speed, when you are ready. Enlightenment will come you.
Check out other related articles:
Giving Thanks: How Gratitude can Improve your life
101 changes: Change 8: Stretch you comfort Zone
Preeti AKA Zengirl
What is the Personal Development Campfire?
Imagine all your favorite personal development bloggers gathered around a campfire. Campfires are great center pieces of relaxed and free flowing conversations. Think of all the wonderful conversations and the wealth of topics that might arise. That’s the idea behind the Personal Development Campfire. Your favorite bloggers all gathered together discussing a new topic every month. (Bloggers click here for details on participating in the Personal Development Campfire.)
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