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How enlightened are you?

Geoff-Allen

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Tmac said:
So you think enlightenment and spiritual development are the same thing?
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Not necessarily.

Here's a little something I found recently -

One of the problems in explaining enlightenment is that we have to use words. Words are only symbols and don’t give the real understanding. The letters of a word are merely a code that the mind translates into meaning. Words only have meaning if you already have an experiential knowledge of what the words mean. If you were blind could you understand color through just words? Can you describe music to someone using only words? Can you describe the emotion of love only using the symbols of words? Words are only effective at communicating experience if the experience is already known. You know color, music, and emotion because you have perceived them directly. Enlightenment is not an experience that one already has a reference for and so a word description is not likely to be meaningful enough to convey an understanding.

Cheers.
 
Tmac

Tmac

Active Member
Geoff-Allen said:
Not necessarily.

Here's a little something I found recently -

One of the problems in explaining enlightenment is that we have to use words. Words are only symbols and don’t give the real understanding. The letters of a word are merely a code that the mind translates into meaning. Words only have meaning if you already have an experiential knowledge of what the words mean. If you were blind could you understand color through just words? Can you describe music to someone using only words? Can you describe the emotion of love only using the symbols of words? Words are only effective at communicating experience if the experience is already known. You know color, music, and emotion because you have perceived them directly. Enlightenment is not an experience that one already has a reference for and so a word description is not likely to be meaningful enough to convey an understanding.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Can an ignorant person ever understand intelligence, can the finite grasp the infinite? I am reminded of the lyrics from a song by the BeeGees, words are all I have; even then you would not be able to see what I see in the words I use but you would certainly see what the words me to you. If you were to stare into the dark long enough, you would begin to see things.
 
blü 2

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Tmac said:
So you think enlightenment and spiritual development are the same thing?
Click to expand...
The Enlightenment was the realization that reason takes precedence.

'Spiritual development'? 'Spiritual' can be something of a blah word. If you mean emotional development, first my wife and then my kids taught me that.
 
BilliardsBall

BilliardsBall

Veteran Member
Geoff-Allen said:
If you can live without caffeine,

If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him or her,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, gender preference, or politics,

Then you have almost reached the same level of spiritual development as your dog!
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The human condition! And thus, we need Christ.
 
Tmac

Tmac

Active Member
blü 2 said:
Ignorant's not the same as stupid. When I come to a topic about which I'm ignorant, I trust I still understand intelligence.
I seem to recall being told that Chuck Norris counted up to infinity.

Twice.
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Too lazy to think today, I get it, no problem.
 
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