Many people in the world see spiritual enlightenment as an important goal to achieve during their lifetime. These people read books; visit with gurus, practice meditation and follow practices prescribed by their spiritual leaders in the hope that they too will achieve the state of being called “enlightenment”. Perhaps you too are one of the people that seek this thing called enlightenment. Let’s dig into this thing called enlightenment and see if we can enlighten ourselves as to what it is and what it means.
What is enlightenment? If one is to seek a thing then one must know what it is they are seeking. Isn’t that obvious? So, what is enlightenment? Is it a state of continual bliss where all of your problems melt away? Is it a freedom from immaturity? Is it an understanding that transcends all knowledge? Is it clear vision? I imagine that if I asked 100 people what enlightenment is I would receive dozens of different answers. Most people would simply regurgitate what they’ve heard about enlightenment from others. This is because, for most people, enlightenment is something that has not been experienced… and so they rely on the descriptions of others.
Do you see the fundamental problem with that? If you are seeking something based on what others are telling you then how will you know when you find it? For one thing, how do you know that those who are describing enlightenment have actually found it? They may have found something wonderful and are trying to share it with you—I can certainly understand that point of view since I’m trying to share something wonderful that I have found with you. Yet, if someone says to you “I’m enlightened and here’s how you can be enlightened too”, how can you be sure that they’re speaking from direct experience? I would hope, by now, that you would see clearly that you cannot be sure. Isn’t it clear that you’re taking it on faith and belief alone? You’ve read something or heard something or seen something that you take as the truth. The Image is telling you that this person has achieved something that you have not and you want to achieve it too. The description of this “something wonderful” becomes a goal for you to achieve. The problem is that once you take on this goal you’ve made it quite impossible to achieve the goal.
Enlightenment has become a goal for so many people. It’s a goal that has been sought by millions of people for a very long time. People try to achieve what has only been described to them through the words of others. They have not experienced enlightenment so they cannot know when they’re having the experience. So, these seekers go through life looking for something they cannot recognize even if they find it. They meditate and cannot find it. They pray and cannot find it. They study and cannot find it. They contemplate and cannot find it. Do you see how it is the seeking of something described that is causing enlightenment never to be found? Seekers of enlightenment are looking for something that they only have a concept of. They have a concept built in The Image… not a memory from their own experience, but a concept from the words of others. Not seeing this, the seekers keep looking for something that cannot be found through comparison to the words and concepts of others. Not knowing this, the seekers are looking for an illusion of enlightenment – not enlightenment itself. Is it any wonder that so few seekers become finders?
Did you know that you’re having the experience of enlightenment right now? The only thing keeping you from recognizing the experience is The Image of enlightenment you have in your mind. You keep having the experience but you do not recognize it because you hold on so tightly to your concept of enlightenment. You’re looking for hot when the actual experience is cold. You’re looking for sweet when the actual experience is sour. You’re looking for happiness when the actual experience is sadness. Once again, you’ve confused The Image with reality and cannot see what is actually happening within and around you. You are enlightened right now but you haven’t realized it yet.
Look at it this way: If someone came to you and said that chocolate tastes like mustard, would you believe them? Of course not… If you have tasted both chocolate and mustard then you would see immediately the foolishness of the claim. Yet, when someone comes to you and describes something that you have not experienced then be careful! If you take their description to heart then you will be unable to recognize what they’ve described when you come upon it. Believing the description of something that you have not experienced taints your future experience. Imagine that you have tasted chocolate and not mustard. If you believed the description of mustard tasting like chocolate then you would have a very clear expectation in your mind. In this state of belief, if you came across mustard and tasted it, you’d never recognize it as mustard because you’re expecting chocolate! That’s the issue. You’re expecting chocolate when enlightenment is actually mustard.
Do you want to see enlightenment for what it really is? If so then you must drop all your ideas about enlightenment. You must discard all of your formulas and concepts about enlightenment. How can you do that? See clearly that your ideas about enlightenment are the barrier that stops you from seeing enlightenment. Look unflinchingly at how accepting a description as truth taints your future experience. Be willing to see for yourself the actuality of enlightenment in this moment now and you will see it. Enlightenment isn’t to be found by comparing reality to what others have told you. Don’t confuse your illusion of enlightenment with enlightenment itself. Do you want to see enlightenment as it really is? If so then see reality as it really is and enlightenment will be upon you.