Enlightenment is hard to sell. Most people don't want the real thing. It's too stark, too simple. But it's what is real. It can happen in a millisecond, when you finally drop all of your concepts. Are you willing to drop all of your beloved concepts? -- paraphrased fragments of teachings by Anam Thubten (author of "No Self, No Problem")
Two aspects of meditation: “ ...Just learning to switch thoughts from negative to positive is not enough, helpful though it may be for the time being. A direct insight is needed into the moment-to-moment inner drama taking place in thought and image." And: "The mystery, the essence of all life is not separate from the silent openness of simple listening... Sitting quietly, without desire and fear, beyond the sense of time, is vast, boundless being, not belonging to me or you. " -- Toni Packer, teacher and author
"To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things." -- Dogen Zenji, 13th century
This is an excerpt from Rabbi David Cooper speaking on enlightenment, it resonates with me, you can read the entire newsletter at: http://www.rabbidavidcooper.com/june2010?___store=default
Still, with all the discussion or hope to achieve enlightenment, nobody knows for certain what this means. It is clear in the Buddhist model that one is no longer encumbered by greed, hatred or delusion; that one no longer struggles with desire, revulsion, doubt, restlessness, or sloth and torpor; that one completely understands the implications of impermanence, no-self identity, and the suffering that results from any of these things. The suttas suggest that the Buddha and thousands of his followers were enlightened, but in our times, it is difficult, if not impossible, to find, for certain, an enlightened being—even though there are some “winks” of projection or assumption that certain teachers have achieved that level, even though none of them are allowed to talk about it.
There are two additional words that are synonyms for enlightenment: one is to be “awakened,” and the other is “realized.” Each of these words has a suggestion of the meaning built in. There is a “light” experience in enlightenment, a primordial light of consciousness, the light of creation (“let there be light”), which is not a physical light like that of the sun, but a primordial light of consciousness which esoterically is what the entire universe is built upon. Getting to that light, and having it purify and clarify this being would be a wondrous thing. So, enlightenment would be something like living in the purity of the clear consciousness.
Awakening means to come out of the slumber of our confused lives. Awakening is often associated with light. The metaphor of light and darkness goes well with that of wakefulness and sleep. One of the foremost and most popular modern spiritual teachers is Adyashanti, who lives in California. In his book, THE END OF YOUR WORLD, he stresses the idea of “spiritual awakening” rather than enlightenment. He points out that awakening can come quickly, but often comes in spurts, and that moreover it often is not sweet, and mellow or blissful. Rather, awakening can arise with emphasis on growth and the necessity of cleaning up one’s act. As he says: “As we become more conscious, we begin to see that there are consequences…to everything, and they get bigger and bigger…” so that we discover in many ways that turn out to be “…not in harmony with what we know is true.” So, in this context, enlightenment is not the end of the line but often the beginning of a transformed life that realizes the continuum of ongoing careful and skillful behavior.
I tend to be drawn more to the idea of realization, a realized being. To realize is to discover something that may have been sitting all along right in front of us. It is not something new, and moreover it is not something flashy, like a bolt of lightning that strikes us. Indeed, it is ordinary, easily missed. The paradigm for this idea comes out of the biblical story of Jacob, who has a dream that is well-known of angels going up and down a ladder (Jacob’s Ladder), and after his visionary dream, he exclaims: “God was here and I didn’t realize it! How awesome is this place!”
This is an excerpt from Rabbi David Cooper's newsletters, speaking on enlightenment, it resonates with me. I particularly like the very last line. God was here and I didn't realize it! How awesome is this place! So as I look around during the most mundane portions of my day, I try to remember-how awesome is this place, because my friends-despite all the bullsh_t, look around you, it really IS.
You can read the entire newsletter at: http://www.rabbidavidcooper.com/june2010?___store=default
To Love and Light. kristyne
Awakening is a process of letting go to go forward. One must first stop grasping and learn to embrace. This is a process. Not a destination. It is full of lumps and ouches and tears. Then in the last moment as the thorn of negativity is pushed out and transmuted a moment of grace follows. This is the enlightnenment... the moment of Grace. With each Awakening and the following Grace--- eventually each 1 step leads to the next 1 step. And after awhile those next 1 step amounts to walking a path.
Awakening leads to enlightenment... enlightenment can indeed happen in a moment... but when this occurs it is rarely permenant. First the work of awakening must occur.
The Awakening creates a shift in perception. The perception that we are all seperate begins to be proved wrong. ---And Unity Consciousness begins to be shown and the understanding begins to take form. The phrase; 'We are in this together.' becomes an understanding. This is where many are at in thier awakening.
Awakening is also messy. If one has ever watched a birth without knowing that what was happening was necessary one would think the end was near --- but in fact (for most) the beginning is just crowning and showing itstelf. Life is moving forward and self-actualizing with the Birth. Messy to watch and full of beauty if one understands the process.
--fairyfarmgirl
This one seemed to fit here (from Stuart Perrin's "Becoming Happy" video series)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kguDBX4c3QA&feature=related
http://www.stuartperrin.com
It cannot be put more beautifully than that.....Love Billy
Great videos Chris..Thank You...