Enlightenment is that state of being that is experienced as bliss. The phenomenal thing about this state is, that it requires nothing from an outside source in order to be.

It is our natural state that we yearn to go back to, therefore it is highly sought. It is not something we can achieve but must realize....we are.

There are two steps involved in the process of realization enlightenment:

1) Detachment from the physical realm - This is done emotionally not physically

2) Alignment with I AM.....enlightened

What sounds simple is not easy and it can be assumed that all people will go through a period of feeling a loss. This is due to the fact that we have identified ourselves with being a mother, a sister, our job, our body and so on. We believe we have a purpose and we believe in that purpose, but the purpose we gave ourselves separates us from others. Once the period of loss has passed, one awakens to a new life and a new understanding: We are all ONE.

Signs of Enlightenment:
1) One is no longer searching
2) One can experience Love, Peace and Joy
a) without any valid reason
b) without any outside cause
c) all at the same time
3) One no longer worries or fears
4) One no longer reacts unconsciously
5) One is free from Suffering
6) One's "hunger" is stilled

What holds most people back from realizing this state of being, is that they are holding onto concepts they have investment in. One has to want enlightenment more than the need to be right or fear loss.

__________________
May your awareness be perfection

Nice post , i would like to contribute to this.

Enlightenment is a tool that opens up a persons mind and broadens his or her vision by breaking the barriers of conservative mindedness, pre-concieved concepts and hatred.

Reading is very important and without reading a person cannot acquire awareness and knowledge about anything. After reading the most important thing is practical environment.

A person living in different regions of this world has much more exposure than the 1 who just sits at home and reads about different people.


There is a hell of difference between knowledgeable and uneducated person.
Just as there is difference between a fertile and barren land. You cannot benefit from a barren land but can benefit from fertile land in the similar way you cannot benefit from an uneducated and mindless person but will definitely benefit from educated and knowledgable person because a knowledgable person has a treasure of knowledge which doesnot endup.

I hope this helps,

Ah, but one must also be aware that even enlightenment can become an attachment that might lead to suffering. I'm just nit-picking.

Nice post.

Shalom,
Vern

LOL Yeah I can see that. But true enlightenment is freeing; Even entlightenment then does not matter anymore. I just think it is amusing to see how we search and search, and are trapped by this searching. I also find it amusing that once you realize there is nothing to search, but only to realize; we find ourselves already there : ) I can laugh now, a few years ago I was not laughing. I was too busy seeking.

__________________
May your awareness be perfection

I don't know that I would characterise enlightenment as something that is static and that there will be no more searching ... Enlightenment is more of a process or dynamic and doesn't mean being stagnant...

- Art

__________________
"it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God."
- Johannes Kepler

What would you be searching Art, and for what purpose?

You can't be more than full.

__________________
May your awareness be perfection

Thanks for the post/topic, V! I guess I'm still in the stage of looking for what I already have! I do have my moments, though!

1. Slow Down – stop and smell the flowers once in a while. Stop piling on unnecessary responsibilities.

2. Simplify – Clear the air. Clean off your desk. Take inventory of yourself. UNDERSTAND what you want to UNDERSTAND.

3. Balance – In order to UNDERSTAND, you must balance and align ALL three aspects in your life. These are, respectively, Mind, Body, and Soul. Give equal time and consideration to ALL three aspects of your BEing. No one part should exceed the other. Harmony of Mind, Body, and Soul is a major teaching of UNDERSTANDING.

4. Escape – Get out from under the world. This is hard to achieve because you live in it and the world is constantly pressing back. DO NOT push back. Let it go around you. Some Masters suggest letting it pass through you, but I wouldn't recommend this when you are just starting to UNDERSTAND. DO NOT let people bother you with their negative intentions or biting words. Negativity means nothing to the person who has UNDERSTANDING. Traditions, judgments, opinions, attitudes, faults mean nothing to someone who fully UNDERSTANDS the ways of LOVE and HARMONY. BE considerate with your new UNDERSTANDING. And do not BE condescending to people who do not quite understand yet.

5. Practice – Practice makes perfect. If a belief is found to BE a TRUTH and this TRUTH leads to higher UNDERSTANDING – and it agrees with you – it must BE practiced. This is a TRUTH and an UNDERSTANDING. The more you practice, the better you become at it. Rest assured there will BE a moment when you can lighten up on practice. Then it just becomes a practice of maintaining or upholding an UNDERSTANDING.

6. Application – Apply what you K(NOW) to your life. Apply the TRUTHS and UNDERSTANDINGS of the Universe. Share your UNDERSTANDINGS with anyone who is interested. DO NOT force your own UNDERSTANDING on anyone. UNDERSTANDINGS are K(NOW)N to BE discussed and explained, never to BE solicited or argued. If someone is not interested in your UNDERSTANDINGS, LET THEM BE! They may not BE ready for such UNDERSTANDINGS and this should BE fine by you. The one who TRULY UNDERSTANDS is the one who maintains control of himself/herself and does not become impatient with others for not UNDERSTANDING.

HELLO IT'S ME: An Interview With GOD
Chapter: Truth, Love and Understanding
Pg: 155,156

__________________
"There is one thing that organized religion is not qualified to teach and that is an individual's purpose."-GOD

In our Interfaith Workshops we had a workshop on Enlightenment, run by Eddie Traversa, who is enlightened. He talks of constantly questioning yourself and your beliefs. How many of us are willing to take a very close look at ourselves? He talks of the dwindling you. He says we must be willing to let go. He also talks about one person in that workshop who was enlightenend and that it could take him 12 years to integrate it all. So, it isn't necessarily a sudden thing that happens.

We also, have an interview about Richard Rose in the Interview Zone. Richard Rose was enlightened. Some of these enlightened ones talk about having enlighenment experiences that were similar to psychotic episodes. They talk about aligning with the Absolute. It can be an experience that comes when you least expect it and most likely if you are not trying to make it happen. It doesn"t appear that an enlightened person is constantly aligned with the Absolute.

__________________
InterfaithForums.com-Where your ideas and beliefs count.

I just don't think enlightenment means we stop growing and experiencing things...

- Art

__________________
"it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God."
- Johannes Kepler