Do you feel enlightened?

[Spiderman]

Do you feel that you have found your purpose, God's will (or whatever you want to call it)? Do you feel you have sufficient understanding?

Do you often feel confused like you don't know why you're here or what you're supposed to be doing?

I'm just curious if the average person here seems to go through life knowing what to do. If so, I admire you and envy that quality.

If you don't feel you have found your purpose, or go through life feeling lost or not knowing what to do, is that something that weighs heavily upon you or something you don't care much about? I suppose a person can be content with life even if they don't feel they have found their purpose. (I cannot.)

 

[BSM1]

I have found that there is absolutely no purpose for my life (to believe a Deity would need me or any other to accomplish a damn thing is the height of arrogance). I also found that there is no plan, no rhyme, or no reason to life, there just is. We have little, if any, control over the outside forces that bombard our daily lives. The only power we have is how we respond to those forces and to the concurrent consequences of life. So all we really have is the Now and nothing else. We simply just need to be with every breathe we take and quit wasting time and probably sleep wondering who we are. BTW those that think they have a purpose in life seem to come to that conclusion after the fact.

 

[Spiderman]

I have found that there is absolutely no purpose for my life (to believe a Deity would need me or any other to accomplish a damn thing is the height of arrogance). I also found that there is no plan, no rhyme, or no reason to life, there just is. We have little, if any, control over the outside forces that bombard our daily lives. The only power we have is how we respond to those forces and to the concurrent consequences of life. So all we really have is the Now and nothing else. We simply just need to be with every breathe we take and quit wasting time and probably sleep wondering who we are. BTW those that think they have a purpose in life seem to come to that conclusion after the fact.

You seem content with that philosophy and your degree of enlightenment. Best regards and A happy New Year to you

 

[Sunstone]

Do you feel that you have found your purpose, God's will (or whatever you want to call it)? Do you feel you have sufficient understanding?

It's interesting how you're defining "enlightenment" as understanding one's purpose in life. That's radically different from how the term is normally used.

 

[Spiderman]

It's interesting how you're defining "enlightenment" as understanding one's purpose in life. That's radically different from how the term is normally used.

Enlightenment covers more than that yes, but that is still part of being enlightened. An enlightened person isn't confused about their purpose

 

[Spiderman]

I also defined enlightenment as "understanding"... Understanding encompasses purpose, insight, prudence, wisdom, discretion, and more, at least as I understand the virtue of understanding to be

 

[Twilight Hue]

It's interesting many people associate enlightenment with a feeling or a cognitive extrapolation of the term.

Like something's there.......

 

[Spiderman]

Enlightenment can mean far more than how im using the word. I'm not using the word the same way a Buddha would. A person can know their state in life, responsibilities, and what to do with their time and still feel unenlightened and clueless regarding other topics.

A person can be enlightened on different issues... I'm curious to know if the average person feels enlightened about their state in life and if they feel they know what they are supposed to be doing with their time, energy, and talents.

 

[MonkeyFire]

The purpose of life is to liberate yourself from death, and rebirth.

 

[Spiderman]

The purpose of life is to liberate yourself from death, and rebirth.

How would you say (without copying and pasting anything) how to do that in a paragraph or two

 

[bobhikes]

Do you feel that you have found your purpose, God's will (or whatever you want to call it)? Do you feel you have sufficient understanding?

Do you often feel confused like you don't know why you're here or what you're supposed to be doing?

I'm just curious if the average person here seems to go through life knowing what to do. If so, I admire you and envy that quality.

If you don't feel you have found your purpose, or go through life feeling lost or not knowing what to do, is that something that weighs heavily upon you or something you don't care much about? I suppose a person can be content with life even if they don't feel they have found their purpose. (I cannot.)

I voted no on the poll but I would have voted yes to being enlightened.

Knowing what life is about, understanding life itself is enlightenment and the search for those answers brings clarity and peace to your life; however, it does not give you all the answers. Enlightenment only give you the ability to face the questions with confidence. The main thing I learned is that life is constant change and constant choice. I can not know my future any more today than I did before enlightenment. I can be more confident and less stressed with each change and decision. Enlightenment gave me a peace I didn't have a confidence I needed for my future life but it did not give me the answers. It wouldn't be life if you were able to get all the answers.

 

[Spiderman]

I voted no on the poll but I would have voted yes to being enlightened.

Knowing what life is about, understanding life itself is enlightenment and the search for those answers brings clarity and peace to your life; however, it does not give you all the answers. Enlightenment only give you the ability to face the questions with confidence. The main thing I learned is that life is constant change and constant choice. I can not know my future any more today than I did before enlightenment. I can be more confident and less stressed with each change and decision. Enlightenment gave me a peace I didn't have a confidence I needed for my future life but it did not give me the answers. It wouldn't be life if you were able to get all the answers.

I would have thought an enlightened person would know what to do with their life. No matter how much insight, wisdom, and understanding I received in prayer, meditation, and studying, if I didn't know what to do with it, (or feel I knew my purpose) I wouldn't feel enlightened.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

Do you feel that you have found your purpose, God's will (or whatever you want to call it)? Do you feel you have sufficient understanding?

Do you often feel confused like you don't know why you're here or what you're supposed to be doing?

I'm just curious if the average person here seems to go through life knowing what to do. If so, I admire you and envy that quality.

If you don't feel you have found your purpose, or go through life feeling lost or not knowing what to do, is that something that weighs heavily upon you or something you don't care much about? I suppose a person can be content with life even if they don't feel they have found their purpose. (I cannot.)

When I was religious, these questions tied me up in knots. Once I stopped being religious, I realized that the whole time, the belief fed and reinforced those questions. . . Just so it could answer them for me.

But luckily there is no purpose to life. We're free to be as good as we want to be. It's okay. Let it go.

 

[bobhikes]

I would have thought an enlightened person would know what to do with their life. No matter how much insight, wisdom, and understanding I received in prayer, meditation, and studying, if I didn't know what to do with it, (or feel I knew my purpose) I wouldn't feel enlightened.

And yet tomorrow your life will change, and you will receive more understanding in prayer, meditation and studying and then again tomorrow. I know my life will always change and am prepared to deal with those changes whatever they are. I no longer need to pray, meditate but I may need to study just because of a new situation.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

If we were an enlightened species, I don't think we would have such things as war & addiction & violence & entertainment & suicide ...

Interesting question though! The number of truly enlighteneed beings is a small percentage of the population - so far.

Cheers

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I feel everyone's growing spiritually. We can juggle words around but we are all human, all on earth, with two eyes, ten fingers, and two legs (context please). So, we aren't aliens to each other.

Do you feel that you have found your purpose, God's will (or whatever you want to call it)? Do you feel you have sufficient understanding?

After awhile, I figured out I don't need a purpose. Everything in life goes in a cycle. So, purpose is trying to get to a destination that I can't see. I figured out what I want my purpose to be, is to know more of my family. I don't have many friends and they are dropping. It takes awhile to get beyond knowing someone as a stranger. I would like a wife some day and until then, right now it's specifically leaning on family while we are all still alive.

No, I don't have sufficient understanding. No one on my mother's side of the family like's to tell us anything about our family line. My father's side has a healthy understanding of who we are. I finally seen and know who my great grandparents are. Now I need to go further back. I don't know how but I'll figure it out.

Do you often feel confused like you don't know why you're here or what you're supposed to be doing?

No. I feel more why am I still here. What more is there left to do. I think of taking my life but remember my sister's face at my grandmother's funeral and that keeps me from thinking more about it. For now, I'm fine with solving the puzzle. I try not to fret if there is a piece missing since I don't know if there is. I like The Buddha's view, though, to be comfortable with life and death. Things we can't change. If I had a huge purpose, that would be it. Being comfortable with uncertainty.

If you don't feel you have found your purpose, or go through life feeling lost or not knowing what to do, is that something that weighs heavily upon you or something you don't care much about?

What weighs heavy on my mind is not knowing my family.

What I don't care much about, I honestly don't know. I feel like a dead zombie.

 

[Twilight Hue]

The purpose of life is to liberate yourself from death, and rebirth.

Life death and rebirth is only for those clinging on to such things. We all let go anyways...... There's nothing at all to liberate.

 

[YmirGF]

I can't really answer the question because of what I see as misconceptions about the ideas in play. For those who think that enlightenment is the panacea of understanding, you're in for a bit of a disappointment. That does not mean that one is without direction. It also doesn't mean that one knows exactly which way to turn, but again, that does not mean that one does not sense a direction to take. In the simplest of terms, we all have a piece of the "puzzle" tightly clutched in our little mittens and enlightened moments only really allow one to see more of the surrounding puzzle pieces and how they fit together. Again, if one is expecting understanding of cosmic proportions, available at all times, in all situations, they are seriously setting themselves up for a radical setback.


Oh, I voted, an emphatic "yes", but utterly refuse to get drawn into the implications of my purpose.

 

[ajay0]

I suppose a person can be content with life even if they don't feel they have found their purpose. (I cannot.)

It's unfortunate but that's the way things are. Why can't a person be content with life even if they don't feel they have found their purpose !

This is because of the emphasis on intellectual understanding at the expense of experiential understanding that modern education drills deep into our minds at a young age. And modern education is widespread amongst the masses compared to past generations.

Modern education is purely materialistic and is focussed on material development and gain. There is no scope for spiritual development in it. And the old spiritual-religious systems of the world are primitive, inadequate for satisfying the spiritual needs of people, who are not content with being a mere organic machine in a mechanical world.

Intellectually we are quite developed compared to our ancestors, but in terms of consciousness , we are poorly developed in comparison.

 

[Tabu]

Do you feel that you have found your purpose, God's will (or whatever you want to call it)? Do you feel you have sufficient understanding?

Do you often feel confused like you don't know why you're here or what you're supposed to be doing?

I'm just curious if the average person here seems to go through life knowing what to do. If so, I admire you and envy that quality.

If you don't feel you have found your purpose, or go through life feeling lost or not knowing what to do, is that something that weighs heavily upon you or something you don't care much about? I suppose a person can be content with life even if they don't feel they have found their purpose. (I cannot.)

I was very much disheartened and disappointed with life until the Brahmakumari Gyan ( knowledge) and Rajyoga ( connecting with the divine), this provided purpose, meaning , reason , happiness , excitement and bliss in my dull , grieved and hopeless life.
Remembering God and reassuring ourselves with his beautiful names and qualities brings so much joy . One of His beautiful name is " Remover of sorrow bringer of Happiness" .
I think much of our sorrow and disheartening is because we think God is cruel , ready to punish and a hard task master, which isn't so , and this realization and reassurance came to me after the BK study.
Also with Bk knowledge we learn to forgive and have good wishes to all and even those who hurt us or put us in a miserable situation. A heart filled with love is definitely an happy heart..
BK knowledge also provides us with an aim an objective in life and means to reach that lofty objective . This study also cleans all previous dirty baggage's and makes one's vessels ( brains) clean and receptive to this pure knowledge which replenishes souls after which no thirst remains.