Happy New Years everyone. As this is traditionally the time that people review the previous year of their lives and look at ways they wish to improve for the next year, I thought it would be a fitting day to post this.
This is my take on it, please don't think that I know any more than you do on the subject.
The definition of enlighten is the acquirement of knowledge and/or understanding of something. That something can be anything, even coffee. If you were to learn more about the process of making coffee than you do now, you would have been enlightened in that subject. But when someone uses the term enlightenment in the context of a spiritual or mental state, generally we are talking about complete understanding of reality and everything it encompasses. In this regard, reaching enlightenment would be the knowledge and understanding of all things. To be fully aware and understand all that is and how it all works together.
“Man know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God”
Pythagoras
When we think of a being that has “the knowledge or understanding of everything”, the word God or the cultural equivalent is often conjured up. Interestingly we see a common theme when looking at the teachings of many different religions and spiritual practices, that is the path to God, the divine, the universe or enlightenment is with in ourselves. It seems a lot of them agree that each of us contain this infinite knowledge and the ability to access it. I believe its is possible for everyone, and that there are probably many “right” paths to attain this state.
A common idea or belief I see prevalent is that of the state of enlightenment being the end goal. Many people talk about wanting to “achieve” enlightenment as if it is the top promotion one can attain in life. In my experience this is far from the case. The state of enlightenment is often short and fleeting, lasting a moment. Also we bring almost none of the experience back with us. Enlightenment in its fullest sense a moment of clear and complete understanding of the universe, but it is not possible for us to hold on to all or even most of that information. If we could attain a state of complete knowing and understanding, what would be the point of carrying on in life? Essentially we would be in a "God" state, and life would fail to mystify us with its magic. I feel that this state is something that we probably have a chance to access after death, in some way and form or another. In that reason I feel like being out of that state and learning to appreciate the beauty, wonder and amazement of not knowing the what's and the why's in the universe is the true point of being here.
Why is reaching this state so important then? Why have so many people throughout history sought to experience this state if its antithetical to the point of life? The realization of this state can have many benefits. It can help to remind someone of the beauty of the universe. It can help remind them they are in control of their feelings, thoughts and actions and ultimately their reality. It can wake them up inside and be a catalyst for drastic change. For many, achievement of this state is not the end of a journey but the beginning. It can start them on a new path in their life. The real work isn't in achieving enlightenment. That can be done through many different methods. The real work begins after, working to integrate the experience into their life. To define what it means to them, and how it will change they way they live the rest of their life in this universe.
