You're enlightened – now what?
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You're enlightened – now what?
1–10 of 239 posts
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#2Most enlightened people don't even know they're enlightened.
The ones who arrived there without conscious effort, through some intense concentration on some other aspect of life, simply lose their angst. Asked to explain, they usually have some kind of muddled folk mysticism about how it happened. Very few of them teach.
I know of well attested enlightenment from an olympic-grade swimmer, and a guy who really liked fly fishing, for example. The swimmer counted breaths while swimming, very much like one particular zen practice.
The desire to go out and teach is much more a side-effect of the people that were trained in schools founded by people who decided to go out and teach: the desire to teach is not embedded in the enlightenment experience for most people.
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#3"To understand is to forgive." -Blaise Pascal
Now, go chop wood and carry water.
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#4"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."— Zen Kōan
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#5I honestly don't get the point of the article. Is it supposed to be a jab at the modern mindfulness wave? Or is it actually speaking of "enlightenment" as it's understood in most spiritual practices, in which case none of the questions even make sense?
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#6Most enlightened people don't even know they're enlightened. The ones who arrived there without conscious effort, through some intense concentration on some other aspect of life, simply lose their angst. Asked to explain, they usually have some kind of muddled folk mysticism about how it happened. Very few of them teach. I know of well attested enlightenment from an olympic-grade swimmer, and a guy who really liked f…
That doesn't really jive with what I've read about "enlightenment", particularly from the study summarized here:
https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/10/21/the-pnse-paper/
In that, it describes people as outwardly exactly the same as before, but their internal experience changed dramatically. This sounds to be the opposite of what you're describing.
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#7Very good article. This also applies not only to "the enlightend" but especially those who think they are "enlightend" or so to say, know better. It doesn't has to be on an existential level. Even things like climate, privacy, politics... How do you establish that _your_ view is the one? Food for thought.
edit: and the biggest question is: How do you know you are right? I think t he answer is: you can't. Not you alone. You need to discuss it with others and see what works out (probably?). Therefore respect of others and their opinions is very important for me.
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#8Wow this guy has no idea what enlightenment is... #KaliYuga
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#9'If anyone should think he has solved the problem of life & feels like telling himself everything is quite easy now, he need only tell himself, in order to see that he is wrong, that there was a time when this "solution" had not been discovered; but it must have been possible to live then too & the solution which has now been discovered appears in relation to how things were then like an accident. And it is the same for us in logic too. If there were a "solution to the problems of logic (philosophy)" we should only have to caution ourselves that there was a time when they had not been solved (and then too it must have been possible to live and think).' - Wittgenstein
Re: You're enlightened – now what?
#10I'm a little confused what this article is trying to say besides being on a peak state high doesn't mean much when it comes to really changing things. Don't get self-deluded about yourself by having a peak state experience.
If we are saying "enlightened" as in a general broad category of shift in mentality/emotions/peak state then that's one thing. If we're talking about a technical term that is used specifically within certain traditions then that's a different thing. I think it's very problematic that in a lot of people conflate the two as the same thing.
Even Buddhists who spend the decades realizing enlightenment still continue training to deepen. It's still possible to re-enter delusion after awakening.
And most real meditation masters I know do not make any claims about enlightenment meaning you're now a great ruler or CEO or something. That would be the Halo Effect.