What Is Enlightenment

“If it were your purpose to discover the deeper Knowledge that God has placed within you, and to follow that Knowledge and to be a vehicle for its expression in the world, if that were your definition of enlightenment, then enlightenment would be completely appropriate. But enlightenment, in the minds of many people, is something very different. It is a kind of personal exultation. It is an escape from life. It is a retreat from the world. It is a great ambition.” — The New Message from God

In many spiritual traditions, enlightenment is presented as the pinnacle of human existence. Its promises of untold bliss, peace, happiness and fulfilment have filled the minds of thirsty seekers for generations. As the mind tires of the world it seeks new pleasures to strive for. Spiritual enlightenment becomes the new ambition.

Enlightenment is not about you. It is surrendering to your true Spiritual nature and becoming a vehicle for its expression in the world. It is an opportunity to make a unique contribution to your race based on your own individual design and calling. The world needs what we have within us to give.

Re-uniting with our spiritual nature is the most effective way to be in the world. The Knowing mind within you cannot be influenced. It cannot be corrupted. Men and women that walk with Spirit effectively navigate the world. They are potent contributors.

Enlightenment is the reclamation of our relationship with the immortal aspects of ourselves – the part of us that is still with God. The mind and body become empty vessels from which Spirit can express itself.

Enlightenment is real but it has been grossly misunderstood. It is not about feeling good. It is all about giving. What gifts have you brought with you? Undertaking a spiritual practice that you did not invent for yourself is the best means of living a sacred life of contribution.

36 thoughts on “What Is Enlightenment”

  1. I have questioned this topic of enlightenment and what it means ! So many confusing people and opinions ,bliss ,no mind ,perfect harmony ,being ‘that ‘ as in the divinity we are ?? Iv spent lots of money travelled far ,but am still no closer ,many seem to be ,maybe just being the best person you can. Love ,integrity helping others will have to do ,,peace would be nice !!! I just feel stupid and lacking while others say I have my adhram within and they are masters of their mind and free !! Truth is hard to find for this being enlightenment far off oh dear clarity ,truth genuine assistance would be great !!!

    1. What is enlightenment ?
      Enlightenment is not a permanent state. No body in this world is enlightened 24 hours a day . Everybody experiences enlightenment when they looses track of time. This means if anybody is passionately involved in their work whether it is dancing, singing, driving, sports activities, office work, construction activities, studies or in any action or in any thought and only aware of what he/ she is doing, thereby not connected to the time and only connected with the present moment is enlightened. While experiencing enlightenment, there exists no past and no future., buy only present exists. This may happen to everybody irrespective of any teachings.
      The word enlightenment is misused by fraud gurus to cheat others by promising to give them enlightenment.. Enlightenment cannot be given to anybody by another person. It is only an experience. If one is fully aware of what he/she is doing, he/she is enlightened at that moment.

      Enlightenment is awareness of what is happening in the present moment.

        1. Enlightenment is not a state. It’s seeing and experiencing truth without the veil of illusion. Jesus said “I have come to bear witness to truth” not to be is a state of bliss. Only a truly awakened person anointed from above (Holy Spirit) can ever experience truth… this is enlightenment.

          None of the current “friends of Oprah” famous gurus are enlightened or ever talk about truth and what it means. They all explain consciousness, the mind, being one with an illusory Universe. All of them share one thing in common, all of them are business men selling books and spiritual retreats…. enlightened?

          The bible is a guide to enlightenment if you know how to read it with Cabala and metaphysics. Google The Metaphysical Bible (it’s free online) it will open your eyes to the secrets within the Bible or Torah.

          Seeing truth is permanent but there is no permanent state of bliss, life would not be possible.

      1. I’ve always felt the term ‘enlightened’ doesn’t tell us much, and doesn’t seem to be the term that was used, more of an (inadequate) translation, allusion to what it is. Personally I think the word ‘awakened’ says more about what it is, or at least points to it more directly. A have read, and experienced that ‘awareness’ after long periods of mediation, Taoist and Buddhist, and that stillness of mind and presence that at least reminds me of slowly, and sometimes rapidly, awake. It’s like dreaming and then realizing you’re awake, with all it’s clarity and our ‘dream’ state is revealed for what it is by comparison.
        With time and practice, at least for a time, that fully awakened state. I suspect ‘enlightenment , or awakening is first discovering that we are awake, perhaps for the first time, to even touch that for a moment changes us, because we are seeing through the illusion that us unawakened state.
        Personally I don’t believe it (generally) occurs through a flash of revaluation (or enlightenment) in a moment, but perhaps when one has practiced it long enough, we are able to ‘stay awake’ for increasing periods of time, and by continuing that, the awakened state becomes our ‘default’ state. Perhaps some do achieve a permanent state, which we could describe as being ‘awakened’ or ‘enlightened’ if you like. I can only guess based on that shorter term awakened state, and that it becomes easier to maintain it for longer, I can see, or guess, what it probably feels like to be in that state more than not, I imagine being permanently ‘awake’ is quite a thing, it doesn’t’ surprise me that there are very few who seem to have achieved that. In my limited understanding ‘awake’ describes it very well. I have only experience that state for relatively short periods of time, although it’s hard to tell unless you check your clock (which is just distracting 🙂 Stillness is not an adequate word either but that meditation does seem to bring about a stillness of mind that that opens our eyes, inner and outer. One of the paradoxes (as it seems to me), is Trying to become awake is self-defeating but practicing it can bring it about, apparently. In the end words become meaningless, none adequately describe it, because it is an experience not a place or an event, any more than waking up and realizing you are now awake, clarity and stillness even for a moment is well wroth the effort but every moment has a reward without value. Who would want to be asleep all the time after all 🙂 I think many people have experience that fleeting moment of it, walking in nature. The trouble is trying to describe a state of mind means we have to use words that are never adequate. It’s not a secret, it’s in plain sight we’re just daydreaming so we don’t notice it until it’s gone 😀
        Every time anyone tries to describe that feeling it becomes confusing, which is ironic as actually doing it is about clarity, and being ‘awake’. :). Don’t worry or try to become awake, it’s journey not a destination. Mind you I’ll probably see it differently next month, so just keep breathing and what happens happens or it doesn’t It’s a secret hidden in plain sight 🙂

        1. One can only describe aspects to enlightenment. It need not be said that no words are needed if one was in a state called, enlightenment, any attempt to do so would be an intellectual pursuit . Though enlightenment cannot be understood intellectually practices can help create space in our consciousness. The more space that is created through practice the more one becomes familiar with their own natural state, you alluded to this. Staying with the practice is what one must do!

      2. How would you describe the difference between the sirgun and the nirgun brahman? I would have to agree with you that it is more like a deepening than a journey. There are a number of false gurus out there for sure. If one is not there in a fully enlightened state (no time, no. self to experience anything), how does the person that remains become more aware/change by that experience? What can be measured?

    2. Hi, well you can become enlightened, as I am enlightened and was enlightened by the other side, so I know what I’m talking about, so I can help you, what you need are triggers, specific words to trick your memory into remembering enlightenment
      Let me know, it will cost you nothing

      Tre

    3. I have searched for truth my whole life. Why am I here? Why is there something other than nothing? I tried Transcendental Mediation for many years. I later came to believe what they taught was not the truth. I continued searching. I found my life became better, more grounded in reality becoming a born-again christian. Still searching I felt lead into the Catholic Church. There I became a better version of myself. The orthodox teaching is I believe the Truth. Even though now I believe it has been infiltrated by some bad individuals trying to bring it down and change it. A friend of mine said truth is the truth whether or not anyone knows it. Untruth is not true even if everyone believes it. That rang true for me. Ask God to guide you to the truth and keep asking until you know that you have found it. God bless you on your journey. Sincerely, John
      PS I just happened here. I don’t usually write stuff. I just identified with what you wrote and felt the inclination to write you.

  2. Enlightenment is the moment to moment experience of being you, whether you are five years old or 55. What happens is a cloud of dust and fog surrounds each one of us. Dusting and allow the sunshine to melt away the untrue of the inner soul is the process to the moment— experience of enlightenment.

    1. Enlightenment means seeing the world without illusion (Maya) seeing truth.

      Your “bliss” state is part of awakening but it is not yet enlightenment.

  3. The word “enlightenment” has always been a difficult one for me to deeply understand but now it’s becoming clearer by the moment…..to always be conscious of my choices! This opens up a happier language. Studying Steps to Knowledge has brought me to this more realistic enlightenment!

  4. Enlightenment, is when you know that you are He, and He is you. When you know that God is in you. When God and you talk all day long . When you can see and confess your sins openly to the Lord. .When you see Love for all the people around you. When you can help them and not be their judge . When you can accept things for what they are ,that it is all part of Gods work. When you can call evils for what it is.When your religion is LOVE … May GOD BLESS US ALL …
    LOVE Richard …

  5. Only to those things that we know can we be enlightened, yet to truly know ourselves most people stay blissfully ignorant. to afraid to face the demons of our own minds, we choose to live in fear, better to live life in the darkness of our own ego, than live life in the light of our own truth. Learning to bring balance in our thought between the ego, and our conscious, has bought to my own experience, a life where I know heaven or hell, is a choice of our own creation. Our fears are the staple diet of the devil, when we stop feeding/imprinting negative thoughts onto our consciousness, then we live in the light of God, in a world of peace, happiness, and love. x

  6. “Enlightenment is not about you.” Thank you for this. This is the understanding I am reaching, It is all about contribution, stepping beyond the separated self to embrace a larger picture.

    The comments from everyone here are very enlightening :)))

    As is the post itself, I might add.

  7. This is the first time I have spoken about this. When it happens it is so profound that there is no question something drastically shifted inside. I actually had absolutely no idea what happened to me. I was still struggling with meditation and deeply suffered from obsessive thinking that I resigned to just stay in that small calm space I had found inside. At this point I somehow disassociated myself from myself. I got out of my meditation and went to the bathroom like any other time. I then started to talk to people at work and was awestruck at what I was saying. It was not me, but I knew it to be the truth. I was at total peace and not in the mental sense,but deeper-in my soul. I felt energetic, I started to look around and the illusions were gone. I saw what was real. Life became very very clear. I had a deep sense of knowing that everyone is one, no different. It is incredibly humbling. When you know all is one you deeply understand that hurting others is hurting yourself. I understood the depth of what it takes to heal others and I knew despite years of knowledge and training that I had not even begun to scratch the surface.
    Bridgette’s post asked for the truth; anyone that claims to have the answers for you is deceiving you-their ego. Once this shift happens you deeply understand that all the answers you seek are within no one has them. Do not feel stupid, as you said. Look within you, stop ‘trying’ to find ‘it’. Whether traveling the world or your house, do that because it is fun! I had this shift, I believe, because I was not looking just trying to escape my torturous mind. My advice to you is live your life, listen to no one (including me 🙂 ) except the voice inside you. The answers you seek are there.
    Hope this helps! God Bless!

    1. Yup! Thanks Anonymous from January 7, 2015. Hate the word enlightenment, right along with the word god. Too much baggage around both and no common ground since most folks haven’t experienced the change of view. If they have, most are like you and don’t bother writing home about it. Many understand it intellectually but haven’t actually seen it for themselves. Just like armchair sports watching, anyone and everyone can talk the game, but few have actually played it. Enlightenment is exactly that, the light got turned on so reality is seen clearly. The problem is, someone who hasn’t had the light turned on yet doesn’t have a way of knowing what it looks like or even what’s there. If there is ANY question about the light being turned on, then it hasn’t been turned on.

    2. Your comment resonates with my experience too. I also haven’t spoken to anyone about it yet as it’s pointless trying to explain it to anyone as words cannot convey how it is. But as you say, there is no doubt about what has happened. All I can describe it as is that the self has vanished, imagine that nothing sticks anymore, the personal self exists no more as it was always an illusion – it’s a state of no-mind (thoughts are much much less) so there’s only the moment arising – no stories about this or that, no worries, no past or future exists anymore, the sense of self that existed before has become like a dream state – memories of my former life are distant and vague now. I wish other people could experience this too as they wouldn’t worry so much about the small and big stuff anymore. It’s a feeling of complete contentment and peace, like a constant meditation. I didn’t do or attain any of this – the illusion of the separate self just seemingly fell away. I had been a seeker of sorts for most of my life or since I was 15 (I’m 50 now). I stopped seeking for about 15 years during my marriage to an atheist and following the breakdown of my marriage, I began looking for answers again and picked up my spiritual quest – watching teachers online and met Mooji at one point. I also had a spiritual guru for a few years and I lived in his ashram but he was a con man I later discovered. Intense mental anguish and suffering was experienced for a number of years and then I had a strong feeling that something huge was coming into my life in the last few months. My mind produced all kinds of stories about what it could be that was coming, now looking back I see that this was it. As another commenter wrote here, no-one can make it happen for you – it is within everyone but seemingly only a few seem to attain this state, I have no idea why. It’s so close but I remember how out of reach it seemed – it’s a huge paradox and conundrum which drives the mind crazy. Non-duality teachers have some fun with it trying to point to it but as there’s no objective reality to it so it cannot be described in the same way that love cannot really be described adequately. I say to you folks looking for this – read poetry, mythology, look at art, listen to music, dance – there are clues all around you, you just need to take notice. Watching a cat is a good meditation too! Cats seem to behave asthough they are in this state most of the time. My cat has radically changed since this happened to me – I think they are somehow attuned to it. She follows me around and has become very affectionate when she was very aloof before. Have fun with your life and please don’t take things too seriously – it’s wonderful on the other side and you may just get to experience it too in this lifetime. Namaste!

  8. What is enlightment ? Is there a correct answer, to this question ? Are there correct
    answers to the many incorrect expressions
    found in poor grammar; including my own ?
    Throughout the history of these questions, there have been many people who attempted
    to answer them. Some important questions that we might ask ourselves in relation to the above questions, are, what do we truly know about these people ? What do we truly know
    about our selves ? What do we truly know about the nature of knowing ? What do we truly know about the nature of that which
    is known? What do we truly know about the
    nature of the process involved in knowing.
    How do we truly know that we are even asking the right questions ? Perhaps, we might begin, with attempting to truly know
    ourselves. Who or what, is the knower ? Who or what, am I ? What do we truly know for sure ? We must begin with our selves. We cannot postulate the truth ahead of time. In our present states of understanding, or ignorance , we might not recognize the truth;
    even if it was staring us in the face , even if it
    were right under our very nose. In relation to the question, of what is enlightenment, perhaps, we should begin first, with trying to find True Self Definition ? The process of True Self Definition, must in all honesty, involve a retreat from untruth. Retreat from
    false assumptions, beliefs, and other such motivations; and the foundations upon which
    they rest. We must attempt to find ways and
    means of doing this self corrective retreat from untruth. Not only within our own self
    processing, but also in researching the processes of development involved in
    the various traditions, as well as non-traditional sources; and the implications
    of such, in relationship to True Self Definition, and True Self Search. One, example to which the above paragraph points; is the example of what the Buddha had to say about self; in the oldest Buddhist
    Scriptures, which are contained in a body of work called the nikaya, or something close
    to that name. He used annata, or anatman, as an adjective, and not a noun. The point of this example, is to stress the importance of
    honest investigation; not only in relation to the various writings on and about enlightenment, but also concerning your own self investigation; your own self search ; your own search for Truth. There is an old saying that I would like to share with you. It is from one of the spiritual traditions ; perhaps, it is from one of the Zen traditions. Although, it may at times be a convient hiding place for ignorance and fraud,; there is
    still within it, an honest finger pointing at the
    moon of this question, and topic. So, here is the saying—–He, or She, Who Knows, does not speak. He or She, Who Speaks, does not Know.———-Meaning of course, that Enlightenment, or whatever it is called, can never be adequately put into words. At best, the words may serve as fingers pointing at the indescrible moon of this question and topic. At best, they may serve as warnings about various dangers, pitfalls, and self deceptions. At best, they might serve as encouragement for those involved in the search. At best, they might serve as a sign post of direction, for those
    whose curiosity is already of this characteristic , but not yet, quite
    conscious, as a direction. What is Enlightenment? Perhaps the answer to this question, resides within the experience of True Self Realization, or simply, True Realization ? The answer to the primary question, may involve the persuit of a true direction. A direction of retreat from untruth,
    in the search of True Self Definition. If you are Truly interested, you might investigate
    the idea of retreat from untruth———-or even self enquirery——– Best wishes, and apology, for my obvious lack of formal education

    1. The opening of your post reminds me of the philosopher Wittgenstein; You might enjoy or be interested.

      https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f1lEwh030hM

      Nietzsche, also.

      https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYxecbGotUwLODYN7mcPhILw3JoJPYg1

      What you call your “obvious lack of formal education” is not, in my opinion, obvious at all. But such a comment leads me to suspect that you may not yet have encountered some of the participants in the historical conversation that is western philosophy and science. However, my recommendations do not imply an agreement with you on my part that your ignorance is apparent; I always find it interesting when I discover someone else articulating ideas similar to (or intriguingly different than) my own. If you do, as well, I mention these references just in case you haven’t discovered them.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Point

    2. Everyone and everything is made of light. Remembering that we are enlightened is easy, nullifying the thoughts that block this awareness, not so easy. Enlightenment is not in any way restricted on Earth, to me that’s ridiculously funny to even consider. The light came and I disappeared 35 years ago and my life has been wonderful. In comparison to life before enlightenment, it’s blissful all the time, happy for no reason, and never suffering.

  9. I am very happy to see this website. I know what is enlightenment i.e, I experienced it. It is for Experience, not for knowing and discussing. I speak only with the deserved ones.
    I met a couple who came from France in Bengalore. I heared about them. They came to India to get Enlightenment. But they could not get a right Guru to guide them. After my speach about enlightenment, I told them that They can get Enlightenment in France, in their own house. They decided to leave India and go back to France. You can OR any one, at any age can attain Enlightenment and continue their job and family. No need to have KAVI cloth and No need to start Ashrams.

  10. It is the resolution of all opposites, you’ve polished the mirror of self until it reflects true the light of creation, you are a universe.

    It is the creation of an ideal, the very best you that can be imagined. Then you strive to become, to live up to that Ideal. It will take you to a door that it cannot pass, the Ideal was created by you, even with all of it’s noble aspects this ideal contains a part of you that must let go and willingly sacrifice itself so you can pass through the door and become the qualities of the Ideal you’ve created.

    We tend to become attached to the Ideal we’ve created, it is something that may have been with us a long time, we talk with it in silence, it’s a guide to help us do the right thing, you may even call it God. The catch is, our ego has helped create this Ideal, all these noble aspects that we think our Ideal is built on contain a lot of -us-. Are you willing to sacrifice your ego’s construction of God to experience unity… we stand in our own way, and it is good. It can be a difficult journey, at every turn you will face yourself. In the end you have to love your fellow man more than you love the image of your self.
    H.W.
    take care all-

  11. I’m very glad to have found this site, I like reading about your Enlightment experiences and how everyone interprets them. I want to say that sometimes “Enlightment” happens to you without even seeking or meditating. I experienced Enlightment as a teenager and never understood what had happened to me, it was beautiful, I reached the light. It was so bright and happiness and peace covered “me” when I reached it. I’ve had other experiences lately, I’m not sure how to call them. My soul just came out of my body when I almost got hit by a car. During my last experience I was seeking for the truth, I just needed to understand why these experiences “happened to me” I asked GOD and he heard me. He gave me a light that now I carry in my heart and I have to make it grow. It’s called LOVE, but it’s not for oneself.

  12. Liked this site…

    Late one evening a few years back, stuck in a traffic jam for a few seconds I felt boundless like I had no body, and I was everywhere. When I breathed it was as if I was inhaling the sky, the stars, everything. This is the best I can describe this experience. Those few seconds however have had a tremendous impact on me. For one, I know 200% that there is a God. I know with equal certainty that whatever I prayed to, loved and feared was not God. I have felt him, and to box him in a temple, name or form is blindness beyond compare. No one can change this conviction now. From that day on I have stopped praying the way I used to and certainly don’t fear any God. I also know you can experience the divine anywhere, even in the traffic mess of an Indian metro! I had found my Himalaya there.

    But it wasn’t until recently that I met a teacher who could guide me through meditation and towards spirituality. Enlightenment as I understand it today, is about being able realize that God is within you and to be able to connect with that God.

    Vishakha

  13. Enlightenment is funny. Lol. I became enlightened literally 3 days ago. Lol. For me, there were no hallucinations or things like that. Just a simple, Aha moment. I was watching Conversations with God the movie, based on Neale Donald Walsch’s lives and how he started writing books of the same title. I suddenly had a clear realization of What is Love and why it is the Answer. It was just a simple understanding that, truly, Love is the Answer. I realized like I had never did before that, truly, I am Love and God is Love and that, this is truly Who I Really Am. It was so simple that I almost laugh at myself for missing it all this time. At that moment i also thought of the Rosicrucian images of a cross with a red rose at its center and another one with a red rose enveloping the cross:
    https://adbbe37d256fe370d9de-8f83da7037a217777a8f16a2bc81a397.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/rose_cross.jpg

    https://mkayla.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/cruce-rosea1.jpg

    These symbols were simply a confirmation of my realization. The red rose symbolizes the Love (God, Who I really am, consciousness) and the cross symbolizes my physical form. After all that realization, I was so clear in my being that life is all about coming from that inner vortex of infinite Love which is my core (Red Rose) as you interact with the outer world. Everything I have ever read from spiritual books about love and the the hear and God, suddenly made perfect sense and was fully understood. The truth is hidden in plain sight. The secret is an open-secret Lol. That is why I feel like laughing at myself and everyone who is seeking enlightenment. It is incredibly simple. Whenever we hear teachings about love we seem to think that there is some hidden meaning that we need to figure out from those words; we think those teachings are symbolic, but they are just straight forward truth we seek. Love is the Answer.

    1. Well here i sit about to journey on a part of my life that i htought would never surface ever again. my thoughts on all your thoughts are the same as usual truly none of you have let your ego go so you really have no clue what the heck your talking about. Anywho i say this with much love and respect as much as i can muster,and i should of stuck with just simply telling all the negative nancys to stop degrading others zbut look at me im a human just as all of you. peace and love …………………….

  14. enlightenment can only be 1 thing.. and then not even that. the absence of untruth. there is nothing to know. you can’t explain what enlightenment is other than this: the absence of untruth

  15. Unless one is enlightened who knows what “enlightenment” is. I experienced divine love and a deity that entered me. It spoke to me and I experienced higher realms. I would think this was getting close to enlightenment, which might be a kind of merging of the individual soul with a level of consciousness that knows no boundaries. It supercedes all seamlessly. This would be who is described as Jesus in the Bible. And yet, it also shows definitely that evil befalling us in this world is sometimes unavoidable, but plays itself out in the divine plays of life.

  16. Enlightenment is a word that humans use.

    En light mens “ to walk with true compulsion in the kind and body. A truly enlightening human would have proved to have Self released the plasticity in their 🧠 “

  17. Hi, well you can become enlightened, as I am enlightened and was enlightened by the other side, so I know what I’m talking about, so I can help you, what you need are triggers, specific words to trick your memory into remembering enlightenment
    Let me know, it will cost you nothing

    Tre

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