Enlightenment is closely connected with the search for the meaning of life . In different religious schools and philosophical schools there are different understandings of this uneasy question. They gather people's attempts to understand what a human being is and why it exists on this planet.
What is enlightenment?
In ordinary life, enlightenment is understood as revelations that a person received, a different view or a new understanding of familiar things. In philosophical schools and spiritual practices, this phenomenon has a different meaning. In them enlightenment is directly associated with the meaning of life, therefore it receives a paramount role in the life of each person. From this point of view, enlightenment is a way out of the ordinary, awareness of oneself as part of the universe, higher wisdom, higher existence.
Enlightenment in Christianity
The concept of enlightenment in Christianity differs significantly from the interpretation of this concept in Eastern practices. Enlightenment in Orthodoxy is an attempt to realize the Divine essence, to approach God as close as possible and to fulfill His will. To the enlightened men of faith include such saints: Seraphim of Sarov , John Chrysostom, Simeon the New Theologian, Sergius of Radonezh, etc. Thanks to a deep understanding of God's will and humility, these saints were able to achieve enlightenment, which manifested itself in the healing of the sick, the resurrection of the dead and other miracles.
Enlightenment in Christianity is inseparable from the baptism of the Holy Spirit and is associated with the purification of man from all sinfulness and the filling of his essence with Divine love. In the opinion of Orthodox spiritual fathers, only the Most High knows when a person is ready to become enlightened. In this matter, you have to completely rely on God and not try to achieve it yourself. The fact that a man has become enlightened can be recognized by his actions: they will be humble and aimed at the benefit of people.
Enlightenment in Buddhism
Unlike the understanding of enlightenment in Christianity, enlightenment in Buddhism is connected with the emotional sphere of a person. According to the Buddhist tradition, this state is accompanied by a feeling of unimaginable happiness, next to which ordinary earthly happiness is felt as suffering. The state of enlightenment is difficult to describe in human language, therefore, it is spoken of only with the help of parables or metaphors.
The enlightenment of Buddha Shakyamuni was the first in the history of Buddhism. Shakyamuni was able to achieve liberation and go beyond the familiar world. The main force of the Buddha on the path of enlightenment was meditation. It helps translate spiritual thinking from logical understanding to personal experience. In addition to meditation, Shakyamuni pointed to the importance for enlightenment of such methods as knowledge and behavior.
Enlightenment in Islam
As in other religions, in the center of Islam is enlightenment - a fan. Allah chooses the person to whom he will let go of enlightenment. The criterion of readiness for a fan is considered to be a person's desire to reach a new stage of his development and readiness for it. Open to the influence of Allah, man's heart admits a new world. The enlightened person discovers in himself the super-abilities with which he is ready to serve people, and the superlove to all living things.
Enlightenment myth or reality?
Enlightenment from a scientific point of view is the discovery of something new or a different look at familiar things. From this position, enlightenment has nothing supernatural in it and is the usual work of our mind. In spiritual practices, enlightenment has a different meaning and content. It is connected with higher forces and helps people to find spiritual balance and realize their destiny on this planet.
Enlightenment is a reality for many religious people who have devoted themselves to serving God and people. Using the example of enlightened spiritual teachers, one can learn to expand the limits of one's consciousness and open one's heart to the influence of higher powers. For people who are not interested in the spiritual side of life, enlightenment can seem like a myth. This view may be due to the conservatism of thinking and the lack of knowledge related to this issue.
The psychology of enlightenment
The path to enlightenment often begins with dissatisfaction with life and its place in it. Reading smart books, psychological lectures and seminars on self-development, conversations with wise people can help a person get closer to answering the questions of interest, but all this is just the beginning of the journey. Personal constant search for their life vector once lead the human brain to a new understanding. The road to enlightenment often takes a long time, and sometimes even a lifetime. The reward of this path is a renewed mind and harmony with the world.
Enlightenment or schizophrenia?
However strange it may seem, spiritual enlightenment and schizophrenia have three similarities:
- Depersonalization is the deliverance from one's own self.
- Derealization is the perception of the surrounding world as unreal, fuzzy.
- Mental anesthesia - a decrease in the strength of emotional experiences.
To distinguish between these two phenomena, the following components should be analyzed:
- The reason . The cause of schizophrenia is often negative emotions and feelings . The cause of enlightenment is the desire to make the world better, to become a more spiritual person.
- Voices . In schizophrenia, a person hears voices calling for aggressive or inappropriate actions. An enlightened person hears a voice from above, calling for good or perfection.
- The mission . In schizophrenia, a person's interests revolve around his Self, even if the patient sees himself as someone else. An enlightened person seeks to help others.
Signs of Enlightenment
Adherents of Buddhism say that it is impossible to describe in words what happens at the moment of enlightenment. This is due to the fact that emotions and feelings experienced in the process of enlightenment are incomparable with our usual emotions. Among the signs of enlightenment are the following:
- spiritual priorities begin to dominate the material;
- periodically there are altered consciousnesses, in which new truths or their depths are revealed to man;
- there are unusual abilities for creation, creation, healing;
- the character changes, positive thinking appears, bad habits go away;
- an enlightened man sees in everything divine wisdom.
How to achieve enlightenment?
A person who wants to achieve enlightenment must go through such steps:
- With all my heart I desire enlightenment . To do this, you should put enlightenment of consciousness as the main priority.
- Trust in the issue of enlightenment to higher powers . Only God knows when a person is close to enlightenment.
- Try to give your life under the control of the divine forces . Approach God through humility and deepening of contact with the help of prayers or meditations.
- Engage in self-development, work on your character . A pure heart helps to be more receptive to the influence of the Spirit.
Ways of human enlightenment
Spiritual teachers of various religious movements believe that enlightenment techniques are only a tool that does not give any guarantee of success. Enlightenment - individually, it comes unexpectedly and has no exact cause. Such techniques can help to find a direct path to enlightenment:
- prayer;
- fast;
- relaxation;
- meditation;
- techniques of self-knowledge;
- purification of consciousness;
- yoga-nidra technique;
- getting rid of the negative past;
- the repetition of the names of God.
How to live after enlightenment?
Enlightened people are not transferred from this sinful planet to another. They have to continue to live among the same environment in the same locality. Only some of the spiritual teachers who have attained enlightenment go to desert areas, but often this is done only for a while. The mission of enlightened people is to bring new knowledge and a new understanding of life to the world. After enlightenment, new abilities can be discovered that need to be used to help others around them.
Enlightened people note that after their spiritual experience, it becomes much easier for them to live in this world. Their Ego and desires cease to control all actions. All the necessary things are done without laziness and apathy. Life becomes more harmonious and understandable. The person stops worrying and nervous, as he begins to realize the essence of his life and his mission.
Books on Enlightenment
About enlightenment and how to achieve it, many books have been written. All of them help to find their own way in this matter and to rise to a new stage of their development. The top 5 best books on enlightenment include:
- Hawkins D. "From despair to enlightenment . Evolution of consciousness ยป. The book describes practical methods how to come to the realization of the meaning of its existence.
- Eckhart Tolle "The power of the moment now . " In this book, a person who has passed the path of enlightenment, in a simple and interesting language, talks about how he went to enlightenment and what includes the awareness of life.
- Jed McKenna "Spiritual enlightenment: an evil thing . " In the book, many myths that grew around enlightenment are debunked. The author tries to help the seekers of awareness to find the right way and start moving along it.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj "I Am That" . The author pushes people to think about their true destiny. He forces us to look inward and realize the necessity of studying our inner world.
- Valery Prosvet "Enlightenment for half an hour . " The author suggests that readers pay attention to themselves and do their self-development. To do this, the book describes a variety of techniques, techniques of self-knowledge and work on themselves.