The theory of enlightenment

[ThatGirl]

What does it mean to be enlightened?

Would you want to achieve it?

What do you think you would be able to see?

 

[Eldanen]

To exist is enlightenment. I have already achieved it. I want to see what I see.

or: There is no enlightenment, do whatever the heck you want that gets you off in life.

I don't believe that enlightenment can solely be love light and happiness like it's always made out to be by super-giddy new agers, most certainly. If you look at buddhism and meditation studies much, you'll find an interpretation that enlightenment comes from being totally detached from all things in life, good and bad. I guess you could interpret this as escaping the wheel of karma. Of course, I don't really do spirituality. Life is meant to be lived, baby! Not coddled over and strived for.

 

[Lady_X]

hmmm...i see it as being connected with all things and understanding a higher truth...not detached and separate...but part of the same universal truth....but maybe i misunderstand the question??

 

[Rainman]

What does it mean to be enlightened?

Would you want to achieve it?

What do you think you would be able to see?

I like this question TG. I have tried and so far have 'seen' nothing. However, doing the research into correct meditation etc, I learned that you're not supposed to 'look' for anything. Only to concentrate on your breathing and evreything else will find its way to you. The word 'enlightenment' has been glorified and people now see it as a state of euphoria which is the wrong way to interperate the word or the practice as it leads you towards a wrong way of thinking going into and during the meditation. The word 'enlightenment' should be interpreted simply as lifting a weight off ones mind to have a lighter less heavily burdend mind of thoughts, a simplicity and relief, rather than a gong and awe consuming light of knowledge. Although the light of knowledge is found through meditation it is a gradual process (varying from person to person) and takes time like a sunrise rather than a bolt of lightning. So to achieve progress one must be dedicated to a daily routine of the practice.

 

[zago]

Life's a whole lot better when you aren't looking for enlightenment. If you want me to explain further I can, but that's really all I've seen.

 

[ThatGirl]

Life's a whole lot better when you aren't looking for enlightenment. If you want me to explain further I can, but that's really all I've seen.

Yes please

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

What does it mean to be enlightened?

It has to do with redefining your identity through experience, rather than through thinking, in order to relate differently to pain and pleasure.

Would you want to achieve it?

Ohhh yeah!

What do you think you would be able to see?

It's not so much what you see as what you don't see. You don't see your projections, labels, and associations when you open your eyes and ears. Instead you experience reality just as it.

 

[The Ü™]

What does it mean to be enlightened?

The sensation of having the lights turned on.

Would you want to achieve it?

Yeah, it has many benefits.

What do you think you would be able to see?

The contents of the room, such as the buttons on my remote, or exactly what position I am aiming for the toilet when I go to take a piss, and perhaps the stairs which I could avoid falling down on.

 

[Rainman]

The sensation of having the lights turned on.



Yeah, it has many benefits.



The contents of the room, such as the buttons on my remote, or exactly what position I am aiming for the toilet when I go to take a piss, and perhaps the stairs which I could avoid falling down on.

Funny though, in a figurative sense your spot on.

 

[zago]

Yes please

I searched for enlightenment for about a year, and towards the end of the year I realized that I always had a hell of a lot more fun when I wasn't worried about how to become enlightened. I would find myself drifting off in thought, laughing to myself, and feeling relaxed. When thinking about enlightenment, I always felt like something was missing and I must do the right thing to obtain it.... but what is the right thing? This made me feel fearful, guilty, inferior, etc. etc.

I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when someone trustworthy said two things:

1: "if you are thinking, think! The very problem is that you are punishing yourself for thinking!"

So I tried giving this a whirl, and I couldn't. I was like "ok, I'm just gonna let myself think now................... trying to let myself think................. come on zago, think and be carefree............. THIS ISN'T WORKING!"

2. "people always want an authority so they don't have to be responsible for their own actions."

So I tried living without any authority; I refused to accept even myself as an authority (knowing that I have been wrong in the past and probably will be many more times). The only possible way to do this was to silence my thoughts.

I found that if you try to force something, you won't get it at all. When my thinking experiment failed, I decided to silence my mind. It was my only option. Look for the space between thoughts, and maintain it. Without words, there can be nothing missing.

At first I felt dumb (and disappointed) in my mental silence, as if I were giving up my intelligence. Over the weeks I have grown to like it a bit more, but as always, forcing it too much tends to drive me crazy. Sometimes I just let myself be myself--angry, rude, judgmental (see my contributions to INTPc for examples of this)--but I guess I am more OK with that now.

If you think something is wrong with you, you have created a perfect standard by which people should live. I live alone now, I'm in a new city, and I have no friends. I could see that as a problem, like I need to make friends or something will be missing. Actually, I have found that I quite like living alone. Whoever said that life had to be lived a certain way? If I am content, I am living a good life. Who cares what people say?

One more thing: I don't think I would have been able to silence my thoughts if I hadn't meditated for 10 weeks. I don't meditate any more, but what I found is that it is nearly impossible to silence thoughts. The mind jumps from one subject to the next, and you can't stop it. The best you can do is stop following the ones that do arise, and not yell at yourself for having them in the first place (because that's more thinking).

 

[Rainman]

I searched for enlightenment for about a year, and towards the end of the year I realized that I always had a hell of a lot more fun when I wasn't worried about how to become enlightened. I would find myself drifting off in thought, laughing to myself, and feeling relaxed. When thinking about enlightenment, I always felt like something was missing and I must do the right thing to obtain it.... but what is the right thing? This made me feel fearful, guilty, inferior, etc. etc.

I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when someone trustworthy said two things:

1: "if you are thinking, think! The very problem is that you are punishing yourself for thinking!"

So I tried giving this a whirl, and I couldn't. I was like "ok, I'm just gonna let myself think now................... trying to let myself think................. come on zago, think and be carefree............. THIS ISN'T WORKING!"

2. "people always want an authority so they don't have to be responsible for their own actions."

So I tried living without any authority; I refused to accept even myself as an authority (knowing that I have been wrong in the past and probably will be many more times). The only possible way to do this was to silence my thoughts.

I found that if you try to force something, you won't get it at all. When my thinking experiment failed, I decided to silence my mind. It was my only option. Look for the space between thoughts, and maintain it. Without words, there can be nothing missing.

At first I felt dumb (and disappointed) in my mental silence, as if I were giving up my intelligence. Over the weeks I have grown to like it a bit more, but as always, forcing it too much tends to drive me crazy. Sometimes I just let myself be myself--angry, rude, judgmental (see my contributions to INTPc for examples of this)--but I guess I am more OK with that now.

If you think something is wrong with you, you have created a perfect standard by which people should live. I live alone now, I'm in a new city, and I have no friends. I could see that as a problem, like I need to make friends or something will be missing. Actually, I have found that I quite like living alone. Whoever said that life had to be lived a certain way? If I am content, I am living a good life. Who cares what people say?

One more thing: I don't think I would have been able to silence my thoughts if I hadn't meditated for 10 weeks. I don't meditate any more, but what I found is that it is nearly impossible to silence thoughts. The mind jumps from one subject to the next, and you can't stop it. The best you can do is stop following the ones that do arise, and not yell at yourself for having them in the first place (because that's more thinking).

Meditation is all about silencing your thoughts so you were correct in doing so. The way to focus the mind is by concentrating on the breathing, that's how you focus the mind away from deviating thoughts, keep it on your breath. Of course it is difficult like any challenge but it gets easier the more you do it.

 

[zago]

Meditation is all about silencing your thoughts so you were correct in doing so. The way to focus the mind is by concentrating on the breathing, that's how you focus the mind away from deviating thoughts, keep it on your breath. Of course it is difficult like any challenge but it gets easier the more you do it.

Eh. When I silence my thoughts, I am meditating... so I guess I lied when I said I don't meditate any more. I just don't see it as meditation. The only thing I improved at in my 10 weeks of breathing meditation (20 minutes twice a day, every day, half lotus position) was not scolding myself for drifting off. Subconsciously, though, I was looking for results. I wanted to see if time passed differently, or if I could enter an altered state. I was looking for signs of improvement.

 

[Kanamori]

This link has an interesting theory about enlightenment.

 

[Rainman]

Eh. When I silence my thoughts, I am meditating... so I guess I lied when I said I don't meditate any more. I just don't see it as meditation. The only thing I improved at in my 10 weeks of breathing meditation (20 minutes twice a day, every day, half lotus position) was not scolding myself for drifting off. Subconsciously, though, I was looking for results. I wanted to see if time passed differently, or if I could enter an altered state. I was looking for signs of improvement.

I think the idea of enlightenment is pretty blown out of proprtion. Its not so much you will witness god in a green garden. It simply is lifting the heavy burden of thought and unessecary concern off ones shoulders, your being lightened and feel lighter and less weighed down by your own false thinking and silly concerns about material gain. When you get to a certain level, the material takes a backseat as your spiritual self is thrust forward to the forefront and the 'enlightened' one sees life as it should be seen. A passing game in which we are here to learn and play but not be bogged down by its demands. 10 weeks isn't that long really it could take a lot longer for you to start recognising truth. Just saying, unless anything did improve for example you became more relaxed and at ease with yourself and the outside world. I know meditation certainly had an effect on me and the way I percieved the world. However I wasn't and am still not consistent and find myself slipping back into my old mindset but I usually always go back to it, its the sticking with it that's the tough part. So many distractions for me namely alcohol and the occasional puff.