Enlightenment

[Balthazzar]

I don't understand the concept of enlightenment, nor why anyone would choose it if what I've read of it is anything remotely accurate. Can anyone explain the benefits?

 

[The Hammer]

if what I've read of it is anything remotely accurate.

What have you heard?

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

I don't understand the concept of enlightenment, nor why anyone would choose it if what I've read of it is anything remotely accurate. Can anyone explain the benefits?

I’m not a fan of the word “enlightenment” regarding spirituality and, I also think there’s a tendency to approach the concept in a rather odd way.

The term refers to a worldly life, lived in accordance with the insights from a spiritual epiphany - an awakening to a new way of understanding existence. It is the conduct that follows a eureka moment -an a-ha experience- regarding the relation between what to our naked eye may appear so and so, but from then on is understood as this and that. And the this and that of it, changes one’s entire approach to everything.

“Enlightenment” therefore, is not something to aspire to because it is not something that is achieved. Enlightenment is something that happens. It may be argued that there are ways by which such happening can be encouraged, but many are those who spend years chasing the experience without it ever taking place and, it is not as uncommon as perhaps thought, that people who have done anything but the opposite, are baffled by its sudden occurrence and the overwhelming rebirth that it results in.

As to its “benefits”, they do of course exist (mainly, a deep trust in life and the serenity which that brings) but to the world in general, they may well go unnoticed and far from everyone will “love” the changes in a transformed person.


Humbly,
Hermit

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I’m not a fan of the word “enlightenment” regarding spirituality and, I also think there’s a tendency to approach the concept in a rather odd way.

The term refers to a worldly life, lived in accordance with the insights from a spiritual epiphany - an awakening to a new way of understanding existence. It is the conduct that follows a eureka moment -an a-ha experience- regarding the relation between what to our naked eye may appear so and so, but from then on is understood as this and that. And the this and that of it, changes one’s entire approach to everything.

“Enlightenment” therefore, is not something to aspire to because it is not something that is achieved. Enlightenment is something that happens. It may be argued that there are ways by which such happening can be encouraged, but many are those who spend years chasing the experience without it ever taking place and, it is not as uncommon as perhaps thought, that people who have done anything but the opposite, are baffled by its sudden occurrence and the overwhelming rebirth that it results in.

As to its “benefits”, they do of course exist (mainly, a deep trust in life and the serenity which that brings) but to the world in general, they may well go unnoticed and far from everyone will “love” the changes in a transformed person.


Humbly,
Hermit

Yeah, my spirituality is of the natural secular Western tradition through philosophy and thus I "transcribe" other traditions for sprit, when I try to understand it.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I don't understand the concept of enlightenment, nor why anyone would choose it if what I've read of it is anything remotely accurate. Can anyone explain the benefits?

In addition to what @Hermit Philosopher states above, it’s liberation from the bonds of what one perceives to be 'real.' Freedom from suffering. An 'enlightened' being is largely unaffected what appears in this perceived reality.

Seeking 'enlightenment' can be a choice, but the experience of liberation is not. There are ascetics that spend their whole lives seeking it, but never experience it. And then there are those that have a spontaneous experience going about day-to-day life, embrace that experience, and work to stabilize themselves in that perspective.

From the perspective of 'enlightenment,' there was never anything to be enlightened to. Nothing to become. One has always been that, but was only ignorant to it.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

In addition to what @Hermit Philosopher states above, its liberation from the bonds of what one perceives to be 'real.' Freedom from suffering. An 'enlightened' being is largely unaffected what appears in this perceived reality.

Seeking 'enlightenment' can be a choice, but the experience of liberation is not. There are ascetics that spend their whole lives seeking it, but never experience it. And then there are those that have a spontaneous experience going about day-to-day life, embrace that experience, and work to stabilize themselves in that perspective.

From the perspective of 'enlightenment,' there was never anything to be enlightened to. Nothing to become. One has always been that, but was only ignorant to it.

Yeah, I get what you are saying. I just do the liberation from the bonds as a skeptic through absurd.

 

[PureX]

I perceive it as a kind of conceptual transcendence.

Around the turn of the last century someone wrote a book called "Flatlands". In it, all the characters were two dimensional shapes living on a two dimensional plane. And at one point in the story, one of the characters gets knocked off the plane, and out into three dimensional space. Where it is now able to observe and understand the two dimensional world in which it had been living in a whole new way.

That, I think, is an extravagant example of enlightenment. An example of conceptual transcendence that resolves the paradox of one's previous concept of truth and reality.

It's not usually something one achieves by trying. It's more of an "eureka! moment" that happens once one has accumulated enough of the right questions and information for it all to suddenly sort itself out and be recognized.

 

[Balthazzar]

In addition to what @Hermit Philosopher states above, it’s liberation from the bonds of what one perceives to be 'real.' Freedom from suffering. An 'enlightened' being is largely unaffected what appears in this perceived reality.

Seeking 'enlightenment' can be a choice, but the experience of liberation is not. There are ascetics that spend their whole lives seeking it, but never experience it. And then there are those that have a spontaneous experience going about day-to-day life, embrace that experience, and work to stabilize themselves in that perspective.

From the perspective of 'enlightenment,' there was never anything to be enlightened to. Nothing to become. One has always been that, but was only ignorant to it.

Freedom from suffering seems a bit far reaching if not somewhat unachievable and less secure in terms of development. I'm fairly sure suffering is part of the life experience and helps to navigate our courses. The same would be true for its opposite. They create a channel ... so to speak. I'm curious how one can be enlightened yet ignorant when the term implies an enlightened or deeper understanding of life, unless you're referring to the channel concept and the suffering seems less severe, being just part of life and development.

 

[syo]

I don't understand the concept of enlightenment, nor why anyone would choose it

There are times when to human head glows. Then it gets dark. Then it glows. Like a firefly but with longer periods.

 

[Balthazzar]

There are times when to human head glows. Then it gets dark. Then it glows. Like a firefly but with longer periods.

Light bulb analogy? You are referring to the difference between darkness/blindness and light/seeing right?

 

[syo]

Light bulb analogy? You are referring to the difference between darkness/blindness and light/seeing right?

I talk literally. The head either glows or it's dark. Look at photographs. With no photoshop.

 

[Balthazzar]

I talk literally. The head either glows or it's dark. Look at photographs. With no photoshop.

Brain waves and activity then?

 

[syo]

Brain waves and activity then?

I suspect it's a place located inside the brain. The glowing might be a malfunction of that area.

 

[Balthazzar]

I talk literally. The head either glows or it's dark. Look at photographs. With no photoshop.

I do question whether brain activity ever ceases and goes dark then reemerges with activity for longer periods of time. You'll need to explain how you meant your literal post to be perceived if not analogous.

 

[syo]

I do question whether brain activity ever ceases and goes dark then reemerges with activity for longer periods of time. You'll need to explain how you meant your literal post to be perceived if not analogous.

Look at a colorful picture of a person and notice the face. Does the face look too bright? Or dark?

 

[metis]

I don't understand the concept of enlightenment, nor why anyone would choose it if what I've read of it is anything remotely accurate. Can anyone explain the benefits?

With me, it primarily deals with awareness, namely getting things down to the nitty-gritty, including my own thoughts. With the latter, why do I have them and where do they come from and why? If I "hate" something, why do I hate it? If I "love" something, why do I Iove it?

Then, once I better understand what's influencing and driving me are, I can then work from there.

 

[Balthazzar]

Look at a colorful picture of a person and notice the face. Does the face look too bright? Or dark?

You're being humorous then? Light on light off?

Juke box hero - Foreigner

Only with light instead of rain -

 

[syo]

You're being humorous then?

I am dead serious.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

With me, it primarily deals with awareness, namely getting things down to the nitty-gritty, including my own thoughts. With the latter, why do I have them and where do they come from and why? If I "hate" something, why do I hate it? If I "love" something, why do I Iove it?

Then, once I better understand what's influencing and driving me are, I can then work from there.

Know thyself .
It’s part of it, for sure.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Look at a colorful picture of a person and notice the face. Does the face look too bright? Or dark?

That just has to do with how light is reflecting at that moment and how the camera captures the light.