Author: Steven Aitchison (382 Articles)
The owner of this blog. Proud father, doting husband, blogger, hire me as freelance writer, and addiction worker
Are we all born to be enlightened, are some people there to help others become enlightened, do we really care about being enlightened and what the hell does being enlightened mean?
I would like to try and answer some of those questions here, but let me start by saying that enlightenment is a purely subjective experience and I cannot tell you what it means I can only tell you what I think.
What is enlightenment?
With all the books I’ve read, the TV programs I’ve watched, and the seminars I’ve attended about self help and spiritual awakenings etc enlightenment has been described as a state of being. There are some books that describe it otherwise and it is the latter of the two groups definition I will be working with. So my definition of enlightenment is:
Enlightenment is a brief awakening of the mind when all prejudices and discriminations are momentarily set aside, and the world around you becomes a source of wonder.
The emphasis here is on ‘brief’. I don’t think it is possible to be in a constant state of enlightenment but I do believe we get a glimpse of it from time to time and we can learn to experience more of these brief moments. The trick is recognising the glimpses.
Have you have had an enlightened experience? It’s an experience hard to describe to people, one in which you were happy with your lot just for being alive, just for having the people in your life and just for having the intelligence to appreciate it all. It’s like momentarily waking up from a state of grogginess to a state of heightened awareness.
Think of the time when you first get out of bed in the morning, really groggy, you stumble about with your eyes half closed, you’re groaning as you try and fumble for the bathroom light, you stub your little toe off the end of the bed, the light from the bathroom hurts your eyes and eventually after half an hour or so you are able to function well enough to have a conversation. Now, think of the time of day when you are at your peak, usually just before lunchtime, all your senses are working properly, you are able to do lots all the things you need as you go about your work day, you are in a state of heightened alert and your brain is in gear and ready for the rest of the day. Enlightenment moments are the difference between the first scenario I described when you first get up in the morning and when you are at your peak in the middle of the day. We are all half asleep in our lives and we are waking up year by year with little moments of enlightenment.
An example of one of my enlightened moments is when I first awoke from having a lucid dream. Lucid dreams are the dreams when you consciously wake up in your dream, you know you are dreaming but you continue to stay in the dream and you can actually control it, it’s amazing. I woke up that morning amazed, astonished and full of wonderment at the power of the mind, the brain and the possibilities of this amazing type of experience. I was elated and the world suddenly became a source of wonderment. I looked at people with deep compassion, I looked about my home town and the beauty of it’s architecture , it’s art and it’s sense of culture. I was on cloud nine for about a week and it was truly amazing, the world never looked the same after that and the people in it would never be the same. I was much more confident and felt I had a place in the world and had something to contribute. I didn’t concern myself about how people would react to me when I spoke or did certain things I previously thought they might disapprove of, I was totally myself and loving the experience.
That’s just one example of one of my enlightened moments and it changed my life forever, that’s how powerful an experience like this can be. To you it might sound a little out there and you might not understand what I am talking about but when you have one of these experiences you will know exactly where I am coming from.
5 Keys to enlightenment
- Recognise that enlightenment is a purely subjective experience, nobody can tell you how to become enlightened as it is your own inner journey.
- Learn to recognise the little moments when you do become enlightened as they are moments you suddenly grow as a person and your brain suddenly plugs you into another part of the universe.
- Don’t go chasing enlightenment as it comes to you when you least expect it. It could be something as simple as seeing your baby walk for the first time, feeling compassion for someone, reading a book, kissing your spouse. Don’t chase it but learn to recognise it.
- Write your enlightenment moments down in a special book. You might only write in that book once a year but you’ll be glad you did.
- Try and resist the temptation to tell everyone about your enlightened experience as nobody will understand it and they will think you are losing your mind, which will detract from the experience itself. By all means tell the people who are closest to you and the people who really understand you but not your work colleagues or your drinking buddies, trust me they will think you are losing it. J
I would love to hear you stories of enlightened experiences so feel free to leave a comment about your experience of enlightenment.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that in order to feel or be “enlightened”, we must first go through some sort of experience (typically negative) in which we learn the value of all that we have been given. In order to appreciate things more and realize how special we are, sometimes this requires us to step back from everything and look at the bigger picture. More often than not, we are forced into doing this through mere experience. I know that I live my life completely different today than I did a year ago all because of something personal that I had to go through. Each day I am thankful for all that I have been blessed with (not to sound religious) and I try to make the maximum use out of each day.
Hey Steve,
I do believe that true enlightenment is a state of being or being in a state of happiness irrespective of external factors.
But most of us are very far away from reaching that state since it takes a lot of effort to not be distracted by our surroundings.
I’m one of those people you described who just have rare glimpses of this enlightenment (which I call “happiness”).
But these glimpses have recently increased in frequency since I try to meditate daily and do yoga.
This morning I had a really amazing experience while driving to work. Somehow I felt this immense attachment to everything in the world, the grass, trees, animals, human beings. I felt extreme bliss and it felt limitless. I wanted to hug the trees and roll over the grass.. Everything was perfect.
But the moment I reached work and started working, I came back to the normal state.
I am an Indian and our culture believes that the natural human state is of happiness and bliss. We let the external factors and desires/anger etc affect that natural state.
Steve – “Enlightenment is a brief awakening of the mind when all prejudices and discriminations are momentarily set aside” great explanation, but to be truly enlightened, shouldn’t we always put aside our prejudices and discriminations?
I’ve had these amazing moments of at-oneness-with-the-world when seeing the light of understanding come on in my students’ eyes or when I’m working on a manuscript and get into a perfect zone of thought flowing to page or while sitting in the sanctuary in the Church of Loretto in New Mexico. These moments can’t be forced. They come forth when we are so truly engaged that the rest of the world disappears ever so briefly.
I have had a few “semi” enlightening experiences, and I’d like to share one.
When I first entered college, I think I must have gone through some sort of existentialist phase. I remember one night being unable to sleep, my mind racing through a wild train of thought that led me to understand that experience isn’t just what happens to you, but also the emotional label that the experience is given. Most of us give the emotional label of our reaction to the experience.
I realized that your experiences could be shaped into something completely different if you took a more proactive approach to the emotions you experience.
Getting caught in the rain stinks for some people, but I choose to find rain calming and soothing. When their rainy days have them down, mine keep me uplifted and joyous to have the rain in my life.
Thanks for a great post! I hope my comment has some sort of significance.
Enlightenment is a brief awakening of the mind when all prejudices and discriminations are momentarily set aside, and the world around you becomes a source of wonder.
What an interesting definition. Based on this then, I would think that young children are some of the most enlightened people in the world. After all before they “learn” certain prejudices, they’re completely accepting and approach the world with such wonder.
As for me, having tried Zen Meditation I’ve discovered that just the act of centering and focusing on each breath I took was an incredible way to achieve clarity. It’s really quite amazing how a simple act like sitting and breathing can raise one’s level of awareness. It really has made me see the world with more wonder. It’s something you might want to try some time.
Thanks for this article. I’d add that those moments of clarity seem to happen, at least for me, when my mind stops thinking. In a few brief moments, when the stream of thought has stopped, I’ve seen that the purpose of thinking is mainly to help me struggle and compete against others. I also saw that the whole act of thinking assumes we are separate from, and in many cases enemies of, each other. In moments of clarity, when that illusion of separation is gone, we can actually feel safe and even welcome here in the world.
In my opinion, to be enlightened, you need to be compared by someone lower than you. BTW the article was good and it sure helps me clearing my thought about being my self.
—————
dissertation proposal
Enlightenment for me is a very personal thing, when your gut makes a snap decision for you. I can think of an example from my sister – for months during her bachelor’s degree she was flipping and flopping between whether or not to stay with her major of computer science or transfer to the field of economics. It was a big decision that would undoubtedly affect the rest of her life, and the far ’safer’ choice would’ve been to stick with computer programming since it was something she knew well. Then, during one random day she was sitting in a computer programming class when her mind suddenly cleared (or, as I refer to it, her mind snapped :p) and in the middle of the class, she just packed up her books, walked out of the class and straight into the student’s registrar building to change her major to economics. To this day she still doesn’t know why she made such a brash move (or why she didn’t at least wait until that lecture ended instead of making a scene!), but she’s made the right choice, I think. She loves her career now and hasn’t looked back since!
candy
carrieanddanielle.com
I am a young woman in my 40’s currently experiencing a Major Spiritual Awakening after 17 years of Practice, Teacher Training and 30+ years of Dance. Willing to share knowledge of The Keys to Enlightenment, Meditation, Kundalini & Third Eye Awakening as Exchange for Housing. I hold a Doctorate Level equivalent in Mind/Body Somatic Therapy & Meditation with also a Degree in Computer Science from NYIT. Experienced with OSHO Meditation. Other Skills: Business Consulting, Nutritional Counseling, Office Work & Cooking.
Lived at last Sebastopol location for 9 years. Excellent Communication Skills. Excellent References. Non-Smoker/No Pets.
Looking For: High Vibrational Calm Women, Couple or Community
People that are Balanced with their Feminine & Masculine.
People that Believe that Men and Women are equal as an easy premise.
People that are
Honoring, Gentle, Loving, Fun, Respectful, Free Thinking, Good-Great Communicators, Appreciative
I have a few occassion whereby things are against me. However, when I see them in perspective and change my mindset and attitude towards them, I suddenly felt relieve knowing that they are temporary. This form of enlightenment is wonderful, and it gets better with practice.
I don’t know that enlightenment is always brief though. My experience has always been that there are stages of enlightened being. For example, there’s no going back from certain levels of being. Once I began to meditate and see the world clearly, there’s certain day to day regressions, but for the most part, I’ve reached a higher level of experiencing life.
At the same time, I must continue to meditate in order to reach those states.
I’ve had a few of these sorts of enlightenment experiences, and I love the feeling of freeness that they give you. It doesn’t matter what’s going on or who you’re with, you are just at peace and happy with your lot in life.
In my opinion, to be enlightened, you just need to learn to enjoy the simple things of life. Happiness isn´t in the outside, but deep inside in your own mind.
Thank you for expanding the meaning of enlightenment. For me it is the feeling of peace in your mind and happy for what you have. I mean you appreciate every little things in life that mean a lot.
I’ve been reading a lot about enlightenment but mostly from Eckhart Tolle’s perspective. His definition is a little different to one you use here – he describes it as no longer being attached to things in the material world. I think of it as just being peaceful on the inside no matter what’s happening on the outside – not an easy thing to do but getting slightly easier over time.
Peoples had different opinion about enlightenment. But for me, it is the full happiness in your life that you don’t have to worry about anything. In short being contented in life.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on enlightenment. I think it’s something that you can expand with age, experience and faith.
-J
“Don’t chase it but learn to recognise it.”
…probably the best tip among great tips. Thanks for sharing.
I love that definition of enlightment and the description of your experience. I feel so much the same way about those moments of recognition.
I think everyone has to go on their own personal journey through life. We can all experience something similar, but we each put our own interpretation onto something which is difficult to understand.
Enlightenment is something that yourself will discovered. Having a peace of mind and happy life.
I have had one of these moments of enlightment, the only problem is when I came to it, I have decided to leave my wife, who I have not been in love with for some time and have fallen in love with a woman from work, and oh, I recently found out my wife is pregnant. I would appreciate a response to this situation. Above it talked about not chasing these, and after a very deep conversation with the other woman, when I was all done with the vision of us together, I came down just as quick and for the first time asked myself, “What am I doing”
I for one find that to acheive any lasting success in life one must strive for enlightenment. It’s difficult and it’s scary… but to spend life seeking enlightenment will enrich your business and personal relationships to all new levels..
Chris
http://www.fivestarsmortgage.com
I had an experience like this that lasted for several months. I felt very confident, very content and looked at the world with a sense of wonder. I became extremely rational about everything. I came to fully understand that I will die so the only point to life was to completely enjoy it while you are here. I did enjoy it, I looked at only the beautiful aspects of the world and filtered out the ugly. I looked at people who were caught up in the day to day grind with a sense of sadness for them. I notice that many people are miserable and wanted to help them. I found that people were coming to me for personal advice. I had the ability to find the root cause of problems, even my own.
This was several years ago but one of the most interesting times in my life. It ended when a very important person in my life past away. I fell into a state of depression for a couple of months and couldn’t seem to get back to the place I was before.
Donk
Hi, I can’t help commenting on this…
>Enlightenment is a brief awakening of the mind when all prejudices and discriminations are momentarily set aside, and the world around you becomes a source of wonder.
Nope. Enlightenment is none of this. Enlightenment is not “a brief” awakening, nor is it an “awakening”. First of all, enlightenment is to realize ones nature as prior to anything temporary, hence it can not in any sense be “brief”. Enlightenment is never “brief”, either it is there or it is not. You can have “brief awakenings” of many kinds, but be assured they never have anything to do with enlightenment. Second, “enlightenment” is not an awakening of “the mind”. Mind is relative (ever changing) and enlightenment is realizing your true nature as non-relative because it is a pure non-manifest nothingness. Thirdly “enlightenment” is not a state of “wonder”, simply because “wonder” is within the realm of duality and indeed because any “wonder” will be a condition of duality, and enlightenment is prior to duality. Nor is enlightenment in any way “wonderous”. It simply IS. Enlightenment is Pure Being, and Pure Being is unmanifest, hence enlightenment is neither “brief”, an “awakening”, “of the mind” or related to “prejudices and discriminations”. If it was “wonderous” or a matter of “wondering”, there would be duality and this is not in the nature of enlightenment.
> 1. Recognise that enlightenment is a purely subjective experience, nobody can tell you how to become enlightened as it is your own inner journey.
Nope. Enlightenment is totally and purely non-subjective and it certainly is not an “experience”. In enlightenment there is no longer a subject (hence no one to have an experience), and since enlightenment is realization of ones true nature as unmanifest, enlightenment is prior to any journey.
> 2. Learn to recognise the little moments when you do become enlightened as they are moments you suddenly grow as a person and your brain suddenly plugs you into another part of the universe.
No, no, no. There are no “little moments” when a “you” becomes enlightened. And enlightenment is not something you “grow” into and certainly enlightenment has nothing to do with “a person” or a “brain” becoming “plugged into another part of the universe”. My above comments should suffice as comments to this also. But please, please, please grasp the fact that anything you can in any way consider to be “you” and anything you can in any way consider to be “a momentary experience” and anything you can in any way consider to be “growing” has nothing to do with enlightenment at all.
3. Don’t go chasing enlightenment as it comes to you when you least expect it. It could be something as simple as seeing your baby walk for the first time, feeling compassion for someone, reading a book, kissing your spouse. Don’t chase it but learn to recognise it.
Well, yes and no. Certainly enlightenment can not be chased, since enlightenment is pure unmanifest being and any chase is within the relative. But this stuff about “learning to recognize it” is nonsense. In enlightenment there is no one to recognize enlightenment. And enlightenment is certainly not something acquired through learning. And enlightenment has nothing to do with any kind of experience, or event, no matter how sublime.
The rest of your points are OK, but they have nothing to do with enlightenment. They are merely nice guidelines for living a non-conventional life with non-conventional experiences and non-conventional insights. But, as I have said above, enlightenment has nothing to do with experiences or insights, nor with how the subject “you” live your life.
Enlightenment IS. Either you are IT or you are not. If you are IT, you will be within the realm of what has been said above, if you are not, you will be within the realm of the five points set up by J and think enlightenment is something you have to grow into and attain through gradual experiences and growing insights.
The fact is, nothing can be said about enlightenment except that it IS. The closest you can ever come to say what enlightenment is, is that it is what IS after you go beyond the realization that you, as individual, are NOT. Enlightenment is not “nothingness”, since this implies absence. Enlightenment is not something you grow into, since this implies change of something non-enlightened into something enlightened, and you MUST realize that in enlightenment there is no longer a someone that has become something. An you also MUST realize that enlightenment is NOT something you get or reach or grow into, it is realizing WHAT YOU ALREADY ARE.
Check out http://www.lovebliss.eu
Jan
Your last suggestions is the best. My drinking buddies would think I flipped my rocker. I do find enlightening moments like you said, in “brief” glimpses. Those days seem to be what I live for at times. It is an awakening experience. It usually happens when I am on holiday. It comes to me at the oddest times usually when I am really enjoying myself. It is a great experience.
Enlightenment is not a brief moment. Either you are enlightened or you are not.
Toni
Enlightenment can come in a variety of ways. It could be something as simple as walking down the street and seeing the clouds party on an overcast day to reveal the sun. It could be complicated as reading some of John Locke’s quotes such as “Reason is natural revelation.” I like what’s stated in the original post because of how he explains how one gets glimpses of enlightenment rather than solid perceptions of such. I’m a true believer that if someone wants to move forward with decisions that will either make or break your next set of “forks in the road,” one should be able to open his/her mind to what would be running into including counterpoints while getting to that next decision.
Enlightenment is all about feeling good from inside. There are no tricks or shortcuts foir that. This is a daily practice.
Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. Have courage to use your own understanding!
The enlightened state is one of amazing wonder, it’s as if the veil has been pulled down and you’ve been allowed to get a glimpse of the beauty all around us. You feel a sense of oneness and for a brief moment you can vividly recognize you’re a important piece in the infinite universe. This level of consciousness has tremendous significance to our personal growth and mental evolution!
I guess this just goes to show how diverse we have become, even in our apparently consolidated culture. Each of us have our own definitions for each and every word we use, hence, the great variety of opinions on the subject. In so much, even though the destination (enlightenment) is the same, how we find it for our selves is a path as unique and abundant as the stars in the sky and one that only we can tread individually.
It seems to me that everyone here has had some insight into the notion of enlightenment. If it is enlightenment you seek and you are willing to do what must be done to reach it, then read each and every comment above. When reading, remember that we all impose our own limitations from our life experiences to some degree. Do not let the limitations or assertions of right or wrong interfere with the underlying concepts that feel right to you. Pick out the pieces of each comment that appeal to you. Once you have grasped those concepts, as you see them, write them down in your own words. This is a good starting point. From here on, when you search and explore enlightenment, follow the teachings or insight that give you these same feelings. This will keep you closest to your own path.
Best wishes on your Journey
Tracy
Okay I’ll tell you what enlightenment is, no it’s not a big deal it’s nothing to be honest. When you realise that your no longer in control of your life and the being that is looking out of my eyes is none other than god himself, yet I am still the same person. It’s called Non Duality.
Enlightenment is describe as having a spiritual awakeing.Once you are awake you realize your surroundings as very much different to what you thought life was. You begin to understand the divine will of the spirit.You also know that you come from the spirit by being enlightened,and life takes on a new meaning.You would have to have suffered greatly to be enlightened enlightenment comes from suffering.Or suffering enough to realize you don’t have to suffer anymore it is all a state of mind.
ys its very much required in latest trend to change thought as per requirement.
There is no right or wrong way of defining enlightenment. As someone here said ‘It just is’…..as in any ’state’ of our being, we all have our own definition and our own ‘enlightenment’ we will call our own.
this is really nice keys for enlightenment, its help me to change my thought. thanks.
Enlightenment is being totally and utterally ALIVE with your Self. It is at the moment the mind stops and only silence prevails. And one completely knows the Self and self. It is the blending of the higher Self with the lower self and balancing the polarity of the masculine and feminine.
It is feeling completely full of your true divine Self and nothing else. As if all your cells a full of energy. Enlightenment is building a relationship with yourself. I hope this helps. . .Namaste, Paula