What Is Enlightenment?
There are few mysteries in this world that are as ancient as the mystery of spiritual enlightenment. What is spiritual enlightenment? For thousands of years the quest to reach enlightenment has intrigued people.
Some say it is understanding or knowledge. Others say it is wisdom. Some say it is the ability to heal others instantly. Others point to the Bible and say it is about creating miracles. Here and there, various groups define it as the ability to love, or maintain continuous peace of mind, or become a millionaire, or cast out devils.
Enlightenment itself is just what the word implies – to become light. Spiritual enlightenment is to reach the state of enlightenment by developing the deeply enfolded spirit that lives within you, bringing it to the surface and living from the center of that Spirit-Self. This Spirit-Self is the eternal part of you that never dies, is always aware, and is the source of the expanded capacities mentioned above – deep knowledge, intuition, the ability to heal or create miracles, an encompassing love, extraordinary peace, and the capacity to transcend death.
Most people are familiar with Jesus, who was trying to teach the basics of enlightenment to a group of fishermen and holy women by demonstrating it in real time. There have been other great teachers, but they are not abundant in today’s world. Yet we are capable of figuring out much of what has been given to us and putting it into practice.
Enlightenment is the end of suffering and the entry into peace and joy. It is the ability to move through the day with a watchful attentiveness, always present in the moment and watching to see what is needed in any given situation because there is an inner willingness to give.
Enlightenment is freedom – from the past, from old habits, from tradition, and from choices and decisions that result in sorrow or frustration. In Buddhist teaching, enlightenment is the ability to transcend one’s ego, the body, and all attachments to the material world. This is often interpreted as being willing to be poor, but nothing could be further from the truth. Attachment to the material world results in continuous, grasping efforts to get more money, more power, bigger houses or cars, fancier clothing, etc.
Paradoxically, detaching from these things does not necessarily mean you can’t have them. It just means that you are in a state of mind that has not closed down to everything except the thoughts and actions that will bring money, power, or cars and houses. When you open yourself , these things will come to you easily if you want them or need them. Why? Because you are able to see a much broader palette of possibilities and opportunities and thus can gently and lovingly position yourself so that they unfold right in your lap – where you will typically use these gifts to make life better for all. When people are not worried about where their next meal is coming from, they have the time and space to become aware of enlightenment and learn about the incredible Spirit that exists within them.
