What Is Enlightenment? (Creator, soul, grace, agnostic, Almighty)

[Lightkeeper]

Do all religions have a concept of enlightenment? What is enlightenment? Is it awareness of God or awareness of one's Higher self"\?

[cardero]

Enlightenment is the opposite of ignorance.

[martha]

To me, enlightenment means that one has reached a point in existance where one becomes aware that there is something greater than one's self, greater than all of the collected beings in this existance.

Suddenly much is made clear to the soul. There is a certain acceptance of life and the ebb and flow of life. There comes a knowledge that we are all truly created exactly the same, no matter what color the flesh is, no matter the shape of eyes or food consumed. The bottom line is we are all the same. No one has chosen their existance or the place where we will live out our life, but if one believes that we do choose then that in itself is enlightenment.
I believe that there is a greater power in the universe that guides, to a great degree, how we should live and interract w/others. I believe that this goodness is imprinted on our soul at conception and it is up to the soul to seek it out, for it is constantly around us.
Enlightenment is the knowledge of the Creator's love for us and His desire that we become one and happy with Him.
Even if one is an Athiest, or Agnostic, there must be a certain sence of the granduer of life. That is enlightenment, beloved. If you believe that you are the master of your destiny, that is also enlightenment. As a Christian who believes in God unreservedly, I understand the doubts and uncertanties, for I have had them also. I know that God has knowledge of our thoughts and He understands that even though some think it is only of ourselves, it is truly the unrealized knowledge of His imprint on our souls. All of the philosophy in the minds of all the people in this world won't mean a thing until we come face to face with the great Creator. It is my belief that we all will come before Him. Please keep this thought in the back of your mind, for when our time comes to face Almighty God, we will be somewhat prepared to say, " My God, forgive me, for I didn't truly understand, please have mercy on this soul who believed itself to be enlightened."

I look forward to the response of my brothers and sisters here at Rf, regarding enlightenment. My response is only my enlightenment given me over these some fifty years.

Joyfully,
Martha

[Sunstone]

I think the Christian equivalent of "enlightenment" would be grace. The song Amazing Grace rather nicely alludes to the transformative aspects of enlightenment.

[Lightkeeper]

I think enlightenment is a state of knowing everything is as it should be.

[SoulTYPE]

Enlightenment can also be where another helps one see the truth/meaning/explanation of something.. and yes religion CAN have such a thing.

[Master Vigil]

Enlightenment is nothing but understanding. Total understanding, and sometimes that means understanding that one will never understand.

[chuck010342]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

Do all religions have a concept of enlightenment? What is enlightenment? Is it awareness of God or awareness of one's Higher self"\?

Enlightenment is a period in history. It is a reaction to the medieval period where the Catholic church had the run of things. Enlightenment is, from a philosophical point of view, a praise for humanism

[Seyorni]

"Enlightenment" is a concept of, and the goal, of eastern religions -- Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of enlightenment does not exist in ordinary Christianity/Judaism/Islam. It is a "state of consciousness." The West has appropriated it and uses it for ideas quite different from it's real, original philosophical meaning.

Most of us are in third state consciousness. We percieve three physical dimensions and experience a fourth as a sort of perceptual lens or brake. We experience only one time at a time, one place at a time and are forced by the fourth dimension -- time -- to proceed along a sort of narrow, one-way filmstrip of life, viewing one frame at a time. We are incapable of percieving the unity of creation.

An enlightened person, eg: one in 7th-state consciousness, percieves multiple dimensions, perhaps 11. He is incapable of percieving time, place or diversity. He experiences past, present and future simultaneously. At any given moment he is experiencing the entire life of every conscious being that ever lived/lives/will live, anywhere in any universe. He is incapable of distinguishing between self, Napoleon, a fountain pen, the original atom of the big bang, or the dark cinder of the (future) burned-out Sun. He is the unique, timeless, placeless, omniscient Universal Consciousness. To 3rd-state beings, an enlightened person appears as a contented psychotic. He is in reality a consciousness billions of times more different from us than we are from, say, flatworms.

[may]

. One dictionary defines "enlighten" this way: "To furnish knowledge to: instruct; to give spiritual insight to." It defines "enlightened" as: "freed from ignorance and misinformation." Spiritual enlightenment from Jehovah is supplied by means of the accurate knowledge of his Word, the Bible. That is what enables us to know who God is and what his purposes are. "God is he who said: ‘Let the light shine out of darkness,’ and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate them with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6) so the truths in God’s Word free us from ignorance and misinformation. Jesus said: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."—John 8:32.