The Myth of Enlightenment.
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Enlightenment is the final destination for every sincere spiritual seeker, it is the panacea of spiritual life but, what is Enlightenment? Is it a state or something beyond?
I will give my view on it, which is surely not based on the scriptures or religious texts.
For me enlightenment is the state of awareness, such awareness in which the trees will not “trees” it will become something else, it will become a replica of whole nature when you see them, you will be able to look beyond into the ordinary things, they will no longer as earlier, and moreover you will not be the same, you will change forever and for sure.
But one cannot narrate what is enlightenment? Why?
the answer is simple yet complex, how could you define sweetness of sweetmeat, it is like that, the one who experiences it, cannot tell you even if he/she desires.
Enlightenment is a profound mystery, and the best definition may be found in the actual experience of your own shifts in consciousness.
Just as it’s more nourishing to eat an apple than read about one.
It can be more rewarding to explore the movements of your own awareness than to try to understand these things mentally. While definitions of such things can be helpful, it can also be beneficial to not have too many concepts, which could interfere with your actual experience. It’s a good thing that language isn’t so fixed or defined when it comes to spiritual unfoldment.
Maybe the best definition of enlightenment is no definition. Then there is only what is found in your own direct experience of awareness. But one who experiences does not remains the same, his perception changes and when the perception changes, everything changes.
As nature has created you, it must have something for you and you are alive at this moment, it means nature wants you to be here, right this moment, and nature does not discriminate, it gives us all the chances.
The need is to listen what nature wants to say to you, listen to the inner voice, and we will find that the nature is amazingly supportive.
but what we do? we keep asking and asking more, I want this, I want that, how many of us are happy with for what we have?
Right now when I am typing this it means I have access to the internet, I sitting somewhere comfortably in the home or in my gadget I am typing this post, how many have this fortune? I often ask it to myself.
Be grateful for what you have. and I am grateful for what I have, as my life has been that roller coaster ride which itself is fascinating.
from brothels to temples
I have been everywhere
from booze to holy water
I have drunk all.
from walking miles on foot
and flying in the airplane
from eating in roadside shops
to the exotic restaurants
I experienced all
if we are grateful only then Nature will show interest.
The one who gives, receives in return and nature has given so much to you, the air you breathe is free! Can you live without air? No!!!!!
Gratitude is the first step towards enlightenment.
To Be Free from the Passions and the desires and to be calm, is the second step to enlightenment.
You cannot be calm if you are not free from passions, and you cannot be free from passions if you are not calm. They both go together and one has to work for both together.
Why were are so tense? Why is there so much anxiety and anguish? Why we are not that calm, collected and centered?
So many passions go on pushing us to various directions, as we are being pulled in many directions, hence we become fragmentary, and we are torn and split. Our center is lost.
We have forgotten completely who we are. Watch. When we are greedy for money, who are we? We are just a greed for money and nothing else. When we are angry, ego is hurt, who are we? We are just anger, a wounded ego, nothing else.
When you are full of sexual passion, who are we? We are just sexuality or libido, nothing else.
When we are ambitious and want power, prestige, respectability, who are we? We are simply ambition and nothing else.
Watch, and we will find many passions in us, but we are yet to find who we are.
All passions pulling us apart, and each passion goes in its own way, and we are tied to our passions.
It is not bad to have desires, if fact we are born out of desire, in any given moment we want one thing or other, at the same time I am typing this, and I strongly desire that someone will read this, but no universe will turn upside down if no one reads.
But, the case is not the same in most of the cases and I am not claiming that I am a saint. In fact I am that average Joe which desires for the whole world, but I can’t simply will not cross my limit to fulfil my desires, if any of my desire is not fulfilled It will affect me for a while but surely I will not be lamenting for whole of my life, neither do I will do something which not suits my moral code of conduct. (My moral code of conduct does not comply with the so-called ethos of society.)
I know when to stop and where to stop when drunk.
Whether we desire money or we desire anything else, whether we desire some person or desire enlightenment, whether we desire prestige, power, respectability, or if desire dhyana, Samadhi, meditation, enlightenment, desire at its core is same; the nature of desire is the same. Desire means desire, and desire brings misery if it is fueled by strong passion.
The universe runs according to laws of nature and the one who understands the laws has no prejudice in his heart. He has nothing to hanker after. He is not hampered by the thought of the way, nor is he entangled in karma. No prejudice, no compulsion, no discipline, no enlightenment, and no going up through the grades, and yet in possession of all honours in itself.
The real seeker is also not even hampered by the thought of the way, because he is not going anywhere, so there is no question of the way. He is simply here. When we are going somewhere we need a way. When we understand, you simply enjoy being in the moment only. No past, no future this moment alone is enough.
There is nowhere to go, so what is the point of a way, a path, means? There is no end, no goal, nowhere to go. A desire less person simply says,
‘Whatsoever is, is. Whatsoever is happening is happening. I accept it and I go with it. I have no other mind. If this is what is happening, I will simply delight in it. I will enjoy it. I will be with it.’
absolute desire is darkness. When you light a candle of understanding, desire disappears. And when there is no desire, there is enlightenment. That’s what enlightenment is.
Love and Gratitude.
JAYANT OM.
