Enlightenment What it is, What Its not, Thoughts and Essay Writing Assignments
We are all looking for Enlightenment. What does that mean though? According to Websters, Enlightenment is definfined as: a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering. This is our first downfall in our pursuit of enlightment. We think that is means that we feel nothing. The is the biggest delusion we have. To feel nothing, to be comepletely detached is the way that we experience enlightenment.
The next biggest deception that we have bought into is that
As we have discussed being present and feeling things this is the most important time to be aware. When you are in search for enlightenment how will you know you are there if you are not feeling. How much time do you spend trying to find the right practice?
You have to be able to laugh, be present in all you do. Even in the negative emotions. You dont have to dwell in any of these emotions but you have to be feel them. Now think of a time where you thought you had an enlightened moment. It can be a huge spiritual affair, or it can be something much more subtle. This can be a reiki attunement, or completeing a task that you had stuided and worked for such as a degree or education.
Now write down all of the things that you are looking for out of enlightenment. What would you want out of being enlightened. What would your life look like? Would you be care free? Or would you just simply be able to be ok with all things.
That is a piece that I had to learn very much. When I first started my path of spirituality I was hurt. I had so much abuse growing up, I had a left a relationship that cut me deeply, and I felt that spirituality meant that I would find a place where I would not feel anything. Where I would be cut off from the entire world.
I was very "wise" to some, but to many I was a cold, disconnected person who could not touch anything in life as it made me feel things I didn't want to. I have a friend who is still in the same situation. If its negative she cant handle it. She goes out of her way to not feel anything negative. She will not watch negative movies, listen to negative songs. If she is going down the street she hears any of these things and she shudders to herself. Makes a judgment about the person or the situation and sometimes it will even effect her for a few days.
This is not enlightenment. This is avoidance. Each person has a story and they are fufilling it to the best of their ability. When we make judgements about others path to enlightenment, even our own, that is when we crete a longer road to the path to enlightenement. So many of us think that enlightenment that we will be sitting in a state of bliss that does not move. If you can not move through life with the state of enlightenment have you reached enlightenment?
Carl Jung said: "Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity."
Another down fall that we come across is thinking their is a recipe that exisist out there that will unlock all of the secrets to enlightenment. There are so many paths and within each path there are many different ways of doing things. Even within in one church there are people who do things in different ways. Interupt texts differently. What we are looking for is one way that fits all. That way we can compare our story to someone else's and make sure we are ok.
Carl Jung Said: "The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. "
Deepak said: “God descends to earth like fresh spring rain, and at every level his grace is received differently. For some it feels like love, for others like salvation. It feels like safety and warmth at one level, like coming home at another.”
Write your own thing, now that you have finished this lesson, and what would you like your quote to be about enlightenment. What does it feel like to you? Write it out.