• What is Enlightenment?

  Spiritual enlightenment is a term that means the achievement of liberation and profound spiritual realization. One can arrive at this state of being spontaneously, as in the cases of St. Paul of Tarsus, and more recently, Eckhart Tolle, or through dedication to practices of various spiritual disciplines within the wolrd's major religions. It can mean various things, depending on the spiritual tradition, however there is a commonality of an inner transformation that is not affected by external events.

  In the Buddhist tradition, as illustrated by the practice of Thich Naht Hanh, the practice of mindfulness meditation is focused on developing compassionate enlightenment which affects both the practitioner and his community. Enlightenment, known as salvation in the Christian tradition, may also take on this meaning as an emulation of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

  Enlightenment may also mean achieving a mental and/or embodied awareness that remains balanced and focused, and is not distracted by thoughts. In this case, the enlightened can be guided by a heightened development of fatth, as in the contemplative Christian tradition, or an inner embodied awareness, such as is developed in the Taoist and Indian] Yogic traditions.

  Ken Wilber, a modern American philosopher who bridges both Eastern and Western traditions in his prolific writings, describes enlightenment as the achieving conscious awareness that integrates the several layers of being that encompass being human.

• Books on Enlightenment

  1. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
  2. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
  3. Buddha Mind, Buddha Body: Walking Toward Enlightenment, 2007 by Thich Naht Hanh
  4. The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation, 1999 by Thich Naht Hanh
  5. Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
  6. New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
  7. Relaxing Into Your Being by Bruce Frantzis, (a Taoist meditation guide)

• Quotes on Enlightenment

  • Thich Naht Hanh:
  • "The Seven Factors of Awakening are mindfulness, investigation of phenomena, diligence, joy, ease, concentration, and letting go."
  • "There is no enlightenment outside of daily life."
  • Thomas Merton:
  • “Faith is a light of such supreme brilliance that it dazzles the mind and darkens all its visions of other realities, but in the end when we become used to the new light, we gain a new view of all reality transfigured and elevated in the light itself.”
  • We have what we seek, it is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us.
  • Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu
  • '"He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.'"

• Mahalo Related Links

  Buddhism | Jesus of Nazareth | Philosophy | Christianity | Hinduism | Taoism | Yoga | Qigong | Tai Chi

  • Mindfulness Meditation | Jon Kabat-Zinn | Thich Nhat Hanh | How to do Centering Prayer | Thomas Merton | Ken Wilber

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