I am going to attempt to speak of the unspeakable.
Enlightenment is very misleading because it implies that you can reside in a place of being unenlightened. Everyone is enlightened because it's who everyone really is, it's the part of you that is never changing and is always present.
Everything around you may change. Your thoughts, perspectives, beliefs, environment, body, people. Everything you observe changes, but you as the observer is always-present-never-changing. As far back as you can remember, you can always remember feeling the same, the same you, even as everything around you changes.
The reason people don't think they are enlightened is because of the thoughts around the idea of it and every idea that is held. I could tell you that enlightenment is natural, simple, and obvious. The moment I tell you that, the mind tries to understand it "How is it obvious? What am I missing that is so obvious?"
Every word I use to describe this, the mind will attach to the words and seek meaning. Words are for the mind, therefore enlightenment can not be describe into words. Hence why it is massively misunderstood. It's not something that can be understood by the mind. It's unteachable and unlearnable.
People have many ideas about what enlightenment is, what it looks like, how it's achieved, etc... even right down to the qualities of 'a person who is enlightened'. An enlightened person only looks this way..., only does things this way..., doesn't do this..., doesn't say this..., has this..., doesn't have that.., doesn't eat that, only needs this much sleep... etc. People want to make 'the enlightened' into someone they can look-up to, the person that want to become. Hence all the limitations of what and who you desire 'the enlighten' to be. In this way, you have a direction to move. As a result you exclude everybody that doesn't fit that description , especially yourself, but it's yourself (who you really are) that is already enlightened, even right now in this moment.
I know I had those thoughts when I stumbled upon the idea of enlightenment recently, but that is only the mind trying to understand enlightenment. The mind can never-ever understand enlightenment or the enlightened, simply because it's not limited to molds, frameworks, or experiences.
Ever-Present
I could say that I experienced/experience/experiencing enlightenment, but it's not an experience. All enlightenment is, is who you are. Enlightenment is ever-present-never-changing and that is who you are. 'An enlightened person' is one who resides in this space that is ever-present-never-changing (that's all that is required). They observe their thoughts, people, environment, the world and are not affected by observing it.
For example, let's say you are very close to a volcano and the volcano starts erupting. Hot lava is spilling out and pouring down the hill to where you are. The mind will say "Run". Through a familiar pattern, people will have that thought and immediately attach to that thought. The moment you attach to this thought than it feels like "Run! Or you will die!". The feeling of fear.
However, you have a choice to observe thoughts and not attach to them (this is you, ever-present-never-changing). 'The enlightened' will observe the thought "Run" and never become attached. They will see the thought as being compared to a cloud that they are observing. 'The enlightened' has many choices on what to do about this situation (yet it all depends on the conditioning that of the body/mind of that individual), but let say they start running.
The person feeling the fear, will be having all kinds of thoughts as they are running. "I don't want to die.", "I have so much to look forward to.", "How close is the lava now?". Being attached to each of these thoughts, the fear than becomes panic.
'The enlightened', *might/or might not* continue to have all kinds of thoughts, but if they do, they see them all like clouds and never attach to any of them. They will remain ever-present. Since they are present, they notice opportunities that the person in fear will not.
Some people might label these opportunities as miracles, but they are no more miracles than life itself. It's comparable to a person who saves a life just moments before that person could have died. If you interview the person that saved another life, after the situation has passed: "How did you do that? How did you know what to do?". That person will think nothing of it: "I just did it, there was nothing to it." The reason is because they were not thinking, it just naturally occurred. There are many other labels that this natural occurrence is called: instinct, intuition, insight, higher-self, etc. 'The enlightened' always remain in this ever-present state.
How?
This ever-present state in which everyone is, is just simply and naturally observed. Once it's observed, it is realized as always there. The person who saved another life, didn't observe this, they just naturally became it. Yet, once you observe it, you realize you are it and can't not be it.
How does one observe it?
It's not a process or something that can be done. Most people think of enlightenment as something that can be reached or grasp through a process. None of that is needed because enlightenment is always there, ever-present, even right now as you read these words. Anybody can become enlightened because it's not a becoming, it's just who you are. It's usually sudden, spontaneous, and without cause since it's always there. I can give you techniques and examples (which I will continue to do), but it's not needed. All that is needed, is that you realize yourself as the observer of everything that is happening. You're not your thoughts, you're not your mind/body. You are this ever-present observer that never changes. Be with that observer.
The reason why nothing affects 'enlightened ones' is because they see through these affects. They recognize thoughts as what they are. Thoughts are nothing more than the imagination, coming from the tool of the mind that imagines things.
For example, when you have a thought that says "I am bored." Who is observing that thought? The ever-present-never-changing you. Therefore, how can you be affected by the thought of boredom? The only way you can be affected is by attaching to that thought and thinking that it's you who are bored. 'The enlightened' do not engage the thoughts as them. If I were to engage that thought once it arises, I would say to the thought: "You're bored huh? How can you be bored when you are only imagined?" and the thought would give me one million reasons why it's bored, in order for it to attach itself to me, as if I were it. This doesn't make thoughts bad, it's just the nature of the mind, it's a tool.
The same is true for any thought. Even the thought "I am happy" or "I am unhappy". 'Enlightened people' are not happy or unhappy, they just are. They are being who they are, never-changing-ever-present. They take the "dark" and the "light" of every opposite and combine them. Therefore either or choice is irrelevant. It's irrelevant because who you are is neither happy or unhappy. Who you are is never-changing and unaffected by any observation.
You may think: "Well that doesn't sound very pleasant, I like to feel happy." That thought derives from the mind/ego. That tool. When you attach yourself to the tool, you think you are the tool. Being who you really are (never-changing), you see the tool for what it is and when you see that, the tool feels as if it's dead because it has no affect on you. Since you attach yourself to this tool, you think you like being it, hence you like being happy. Who you really are, is content. Happiness is just an unfounded process of the mind. In the instant you achieve a goal, the mind will instantly think of another goal for you to achieve. Hence you can never be happy, never content. Who you really are is always content because you don't need to achieve anything in order to be who you are (ever-present) and that is freedom/bliss/struggle-free.
This continuous seeking is the mind. Rather you're seeking: happiness, money, peace, spiritual experiences, relationships, achievement, approval, a better moment, success, etc. It's all the mind trying to make things better. The mind will measure how well you're doing, by how you feel. Yet, if you feel happiness or suffering (and everything between), none of it is an indication of your progress. You have nothing to progress to. Who you really are sees that there is nowhere to go. The famous quote: "The kingdom of heaven is spread out across the earth, only people don't see it.", is very real. Heaven is realizing you have nowhere to go and nothing to do because none of it is freedom/content/bliss. However, the mind will hold a goal in front of you and that goal seems so much better because you're imagination/mind can't fathom the freedom/contentment/bliss of who you really are. There is no such thing as progress on an individual/mind/ego level. Experience is always moving, that is the nature of having experiences. Who you really are, does not grow through experiences. Who you really are is never-changing. Who you really are, doesn't need more experiences in order to find itself as 'being enlightened' or being who it is: ever-present, since it's very nature is 'enlightened'.
The Fabric of Life
The whole fabric of life becomes visible to 'the enlightened'. To explain this simply, I will use an example: Take a look at the palm of your hand. Your fingers are attached to your palm, making the fingers part of the whole that we call a hand. Now take a thin sheet and lay it over your hand. Next hold your hand, as if you are holding the hand of another, but hold your own hand. Keep the hand that doesn't have the sheet over it closed, to where the fingers of the hand, that doesn't have the sheet over it, are touching the back of your other hand. To where you can't see the palm of the hand that the fingers are standing up on because your other hand is in the way.
Next, imagine that the fingers of the one hand (that are standing up), are individual people. These individual people have different experiences, different thoughts, different perspectives, and different ideas about what they are observing.
The reason they seem to be individual fingers, is because you can't see the palm that they are connect to. Individual people are like this.
The reason I had you put the sheet over the individual people is because this is an example of what 'the enlighten' 'awareness' sees. The sheet represent the thoughts that the individual person is attached to.
For example, a person could be attacking out you out of a thought that says: "I am angry!". To 'the enlightened', even if the person is acting out that thought towards them, they never take it personally. It's difficult to take it personally when you see that they are only acting out an imaginary thought (based on the body/mind conditioning of their life). They see underneath this sheet of the thought. It's comparable to Halloween, when someone puts a sheet over their body and cuts out holes for the eyes, to pretend to be a ghost. It doesn't matter what that ghost is pretending to be (angry, upset, etc) since the ghost is not real. It's easy to see who the person is underneath the sheet (this ever-present-never-changing 'person'). It's just a story that the pretend ghost is acting out. It's just an act. 'The enlightened' see through the act (every act is an condition based on each condition that the body/mind experiences through their life). Instead they see that everyone is this same ever-present-never-changing 'person' and in this regard, every 'person' is the same. Every 'person' is them.
However, this doesn't mean there is no personality once 'enlightened', it just means that there is no attachment to any thoughts. There is no self of mind attachment, no thoughts of: "I am hearing....", "I am seeing...", "I understand...","I am experiencing...", "I did...". You no longer associate with these things as being you. You only realize yourself as the observer of these things. You attach yourself to nothing you are observing. Everything is just happening and you observe it happening. What is happening doesn't have meaning, the mind attaches meaning (everything does have meaning but it's a meaning the mind will never understand in it's searching). You see it all spontaneously happening and you take no credit for it what-so-ever. You only observe it naturally happening. Nothing changes expect 'you' observe everything happening, instead of attaching yourself to anything.
The reason people who attach to thoughts can't see this in the moment of a heated-argument is because this invisible sheet is not visible. They see the person as the sheet. The sheet seems very real and serious. It's a serious role they are playing.
However, at any moment, you can stop and see that all these thoughts derive out of the imagination. Even if you don't catch it in the beginning, you can still stop on/in any moment and choose to be an observer because 'this enlightened awareness' is always present. Underneath this sheet, 'everyone' is exactly the same since 'everyone' is ever-present-never-changing.
Conditioning of the Mind/Body
Everything that drives you forward to achieve something is only a condition of the mind/body of the event that transpired throughout your life. All the things you did throughout your life was nothing more or less than a process of all the conditions of life. Conditions are not bad/good, they are just the observing of what happens. It doesn't matter what took-place, it took-place because of these conditions and that's all (there is no individual you involved). Nobody independently makes a choice above this conditioned process. There is no blame, meanings, purpose (this is the mind assigning things to what is happening, the true nature of purpose is realize once the mind is not involved), there is only realizing these conditions happen. Anything that happens is the only thing that could happen since it simply would not happen.
For example, a person who commits an act of murder, doesn't independently rise above all these conditions and decide to commit a murder. They are not above the conditions. A person who commits murder, does so because of the conditions in their life (abused as a child, extreme painful circumstances, etc...) lead them to commit that act (to the 'enlightened' there was no "he did this..." involved, the only thing that was involved was the conditioning that lead to that event). There is no independent choice in the matter, nobody independently has control over any conditioning, the world operates the way it does and that is simply the way it happens. Nobody independently has any control over it. A series of conditioning happened that transpired thoughts and those thoughts later lead that 'person' to commit that act.
Even a murderer could 'become enlightened' (it's not likely but it definitely could happen) and once they are 'enlightened', does not necessarily mean that the thoughts or the acts of murder stops (it could and probably would since oneness would be sensed, but enlightenment can not be pined down with any limit or way of being). It just means that now they are the observer of this happening, rather than it's them that are thinking those thoughts or it's them that are committing these acts.
Another 'enlightened being' based on their conditioning, may lead them to think thoughts that they should do whatever it takes to put this murderer in jail. It doesn't mean that this 'enlightened being' is independently having these thoughts that later unfold the process of putting this murderer in jail (if that is the way beingness moves through them). Even that is part of the conditioning based on that 'person'. The only difference between an 'enlightened person' and a person who is 'not aware' that they are 'enlightened', is that the enlightened will come from a point of observing this happening, rather than thinking they are the one making this choice independently.
There are no limits or box that enlightenment fits in. Everything that happens, happens based on conditions. This whole world is a condition. That is the natural nature of this world. Nobody independently has control over any part of it. The choices 'anyone' makes, makes based on and around the mind/body conditions. You dream this.., you have allergies to..., you have these thoughts..., through a series of events you were lead to this..., you don't eat this..., you're addicted to..., etc... all these are conditions. It doesn't mean 'you' can't change them or won't, it just means everything unfolds based on conditioning and there is no "I" involved with any of these things. It doesn't mean you stop saying "I", it just means you realize yourself as who you truly are: the observer.
The Cause of Suffering
A while back, my conditions lead me to write an article about emotional needs. One of the needs was to feel unique, special, significant, etc... This is the cornerstone of all pain/suffering/struggling. People think they are unhappy because they suffer, but really they suffer because they put themselves the at the center of every experience, that's why they are unhappy. When you lose your sense of self, you are putting something else on center-stage and you feel happy (yet there is no you to do that).
For example, when you see a beautiful sunset and are struck with the beauty of it, you are putting the sunset at the center of your experience (or the expereince is causes the illusionary sense of the you to disappear). Happiness can occur no other way.
However, the result of this happiness is not the experience of sensing something that causes you to lose yourself. You can feel happy for no particular reason, nothing needs to change, but at every point you do feel happy, the result of it is because you are not the center. Most people will suffer even if they don't want to because they want to be the center. They want to remain the focus, the spotlight. That spotlight seems to be worth the suffering, even if it is subconscious.
You have to suffer in order to remain separate, in order to be unique. As long as you are unique or special, you are the cause of your suffering. That is the payoff, you get to feel unique/special/significant and this seems to override the suffering. You can deal with suffering as long as you can feel a sense of being specialness. It's worth it. It feels good to be number one, to be the leader of a club, to be the first one to cross the finish line, to be the master of your experience, it feels good to be the one that suffers the most (because you stand out from the crowd). People love that, it's worth the suffering that comes with it.
When you are gazing at a beautiful sunset or meditating, you no longer become special, you're not worried about if you are special or not because in that moment you don't matter.
Enlightenment can be realized by anybody, just be noticing that you are the observer of everything. Everyone has had brief moments of this in points of their life, but as soon as this is realized, you no longer are special, so the mind/ego quickly takes the spotlight again.
The only uniqueness you truly have is your personality. Every snowflake is the same, but none look alike. Every pine tree is the same, but none look completely alike. That part is the only true 'specialness' of anyone.
Meditation and Enlightenment
Being 'enlightened' is comparable to meditation. The reason people meditate is to access this ever-present-never-changing awareness (access who they are). Through meditation this is easy to do because 'you' stop the thoughts. Therefore, there are no thoughts to attach to. In a way, you could say that 'the enlightened' are in a continue meditation, since they never attach to thoughts (unless they do, but 'once enlightened' it's difficult to not eventually bounce back). Through meditation 'you' let go of everything, every thought, every belief, every truth, every perspective, every idea, every concept, all knowledge, all information. There is nothing to grab onto. There is nothing to understand. This is why meditation is considered a tool in order to reach enlightenment. In meditation 'you' can seemly choose to resist thoughts. Yet, you don't have to resist thoughts, in fact, resist nothing because to resist it your only making it real. Illusions don't have to be resisted since they are seen as illusions. The mind/ego is just an illusion, there is no reason to abandon the mind/ego, since it's an illusion. Observe the illusion for what it is and it will hold no form.
As a result, meditation is not needed to reach enlightenment (nothing is needed) because enlightenment is who you are now. However, if you're conditioning lead you to meditation, then it lead you there. After 'awakening' though, you will have no reason to use it. The reason most people use meditation is for the cause of the minds idea to it. This minds idea puts 'people' into a spiritual-slavery that they need it to feel that sensation. Once 'awakened', 'you' may use it, just to use it for no reason, just like relaxing in a chair. Yet if 'you' can't find that sensation in everyday living without meditating, then 'you' are missing the ever-present-always-there mark.
Right now there is a part of 'you' that lets go of everything (lets go of every thought, every belief, every truth, every perspective, every idea, every concept, all knowledge, all information, etc). In fact this part of 'you' doesn't have to let go of everything since it never grabbed anything in the first place, this is what makes it never-changing and it's ever-present because it's right there, right now in this moment and every moment. This is who you are, it's your natural true nature. It's the truth of you and in this sense, it's the only truth.
Mind Seeking Truth
Many people have spent their whole lives trying to seek/find truth. Yet, it can't be found because it is you. It's the mind/ego that wants to seek/find. It gathers all this information/knowledge and it always is climbing towards a goal. Yet, the truth of you can not be found by catching or grabbing onto anything.
This is why one 'enlightened being' said: "When you think you know everything, then you know nothing. When you realize you know nothing, then you know." Who you really are, doesn't think. If you're thinking (or attaching to thoughts) then you know nothing because the mind can't know. It's only when you let go of everything you think you know, then who you really are becomes obvious (where the mind can't travel).
The mind is like a monkey swing from branch to branch. This is all the mind knows. The mind thinks if it doesn't grab and catch the next branch then it will fall and hurt itself. It's right, it will feel injured but since it's imaginary, what does an injured mind matter to you? Let go of swing from brunch to brunch (let go of the search, let go of the all knowledge), your mind will be injured, but you and who you really are will keep falling into this groundless ground where real knowledge derives from (knowledge like the labels above: miracles, instincts, intuition, insight, higher-self, etc).
I have spent most my life searching for meaning and found things that resonate with me, ringing truths. The sayings like: "live in moment", "don't resist", "let go and let be", "we are all one", "what you believe is what you will see", "fear/ego is an illusion", "anything is possible", "love is all that matters", etc... but the way I thought of these things in my mind, is not at all the way it actually is. The reason these sayings resonate with many spiritual seekers, is because these are sign-posts and hints of this ever-present-never-changing 'awareness' ('awareness' of 'enlightenment'). Once the mind thinks it understands something, then it hangs onto the words. Since the mind has the words, you don't have to think about it (that's the minds job) and when you stop thinking about it, then the words melt-away and you are left with the energy of the words. The energy of the words (once they melt-away with the mind) is what causes you to resonate. This 'awareness' is always present, therefore it's not the words, it's not what is said, it's what's felt. You feel this because this 'awareness' is who you are.
However it's never what you think it is. Once 'you' 'become self-realized' (as being this 'awareness' of 'enlightenment'), you will wonder how you missed it. You will realize it was always there, always present and so much presence that you wonder how you were even present in this reality without noticing it (although that wondering will become obvious). It all becomes very obvious.
The Moment
Stop in this moment and ask yourself: "Who I am?". You can start by noticing who you're not. You're not your mind/ego or the thoughts that are produced. You're not your body (or at least how you think of it). You're not what you do (doing is of the mind). You're not your experiences. You're not your role (personal name, mother, husband, job title). Who are you? Notice who is present and who is noticing in this moment. Who is observing? You are that observer, never-changing-ever-present observer. Stay with that observer. Be only that observer. Observe your thoughts, observe them as the observer you are. You're nothing else but this observer, once with witness is seen, then it will 'open up', so stick with it.
At first the feeling of this might be strange, weird, disoriented, don't know what to do, insecure, unexpected and/or unexplainable, you might even label it as depression; since you always thought you were your mind/body. If you're experiencing this, it's because *the mind/the seeker* is dieing, as it tries to understand itself. Just allow yourself to settle into this observer. It will begin to feel more and more like home (stillness, centered, empty vastness, infinite void) and you will start to notice a whole lot more.
Many 'people' talk about 'enlightenment', but once you 'become self-realized' of it, it's easy to see 'people' who are only talking about it and 'people' who are 'self-realized' with it. Adyashanti is one person that my conditioning lead me to find, that is 'self-realized' as being 'enlightened'. Here is a link to his youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/Adyashanti Every video is called something different, but he is always talking about the same-thing: this 'awareness' of
'being enlightened'.
Beyond Failure
3 days ago
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