Enlightenment, a GUEST POST by Dr. Char
May 2nd, 2008 by Rose RosetreeThe Australian teacher shares her insights here. Ultimately the goal of aura readings is higher consciousness. Enlightenment is such a great topic that I will be following Dr.Char’s post with some additional guest posts in days to come. And if you would like to join the conversation at length, email your guest post to roserosetree[at]verizon.net.
Enlightenment is Consciousness. Enlightenment is wisdom. Enlightenment is spiritual awareness.
There are many paths to this state of being. Some are deliberate, chosen; others, we find ourselves on just through the business of living and the daily choices we make.
The latter is the more painful route, the road not chosen. We’ve all been through it in one way or another, regardless of our age, lifestyles or life-experience.
A crisis, a tragedy, a death, a loss - any of these can force enlightenment upon us and yes, the rewards are deep and rich but earned the painful way.
I for one prefer to learn my lessons as effortlessly as possible so that’s what I put out to the Universe at the start of each new month, each new year, each solar return (birthdays)- may I learn my lessons painlessly. Since I’ve begun asking, my prayer has been greeted with a measure of clarity that indeed allows me to garner whatever insight I’m meant to have more quickly and easily.
I no longer have to experience all the angst, dramas and prolonged emotional catharsis I used to. The challenges still come, of course, because I’m alive and here and a human being, but I see them differently.
When we look back at the particularly dark periods of out past and revisit the loneliness, isolation, confusion, hopelessness, self-pity, the sheer hurt, we wonder how we got through it and straightaway also comes the memory of the gifts that accompanied even the worst agonies.
We humans are magnificent, beautifully flawed, brave and spirited, most of all, resilient. Enlightenment is worth whatever we have to do to get it.
But the smart way is to choose it, embrace the process, whether it be traditional religion, Eastern religion, Yoga, meditation, New Age principles, Bodywork, whatever path appeals to you. Don’t try to understand it intellectually; surrender to it.
I’ve had Kinesiology a few times and couldn’t explain it if my life depended on it but it works. So, when I lie down on the practitioner’s table, I let go and trust.
I’ve done Yoga, studied astrology, Numerology and Buddhism.
I’m a traveller, a seeker, a student of life and I will never stop learning till I leave the planet. Am I enlightened? Certainly not all the way but I see the light firmly ahead and I’m always walking towards it. That’s what enlightenment means to me.
Blog-Buddies, what does enlightenment mean to you?
The two best definitions of enlightenment that I have found are; 1. Seeing the light in what was previously seen as darkness and 2. Wide open acceptance of everyone and everything.
What these two definitions say to me collectively is that the dark illuminates the need for the light therefore it is not to be judged or pushed against, just left behind. The dark is a propellant towards the light, at least it has been in my own life.
When the dark gets big enough in our lives, we say ‘uncle’ and surrender to the light. When change is needed the dark appears to become larger so that we can’t miss the message - the need to change. I believe this is what is happening on earth now. Change is needed but we lethargic humans won’t make the needed changes until the ‘dark’ becomes so huge we are propelled into action.
Do we need to suffer? No, but most of us don’t wake up until we do! Then, yes, Char we can make a different choice. Hooray!
Great to see a fellow Aussie here, and so close to home as well.
I once found the funniest quote about being enightened:
“If you think you are truly spiritual and enlightened… go spend a week with your parents.” ~Ram Dass~
Plus:
“Before enlightenment-chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment-chop wood, carry water.” ~Unknown~
Enlightenment to me means being able to “be with” any circumstance and to “respond” rather than “react”. Living consciously and choosing with awareness, moment by moment. Plus, being able to hear anything, without it denting personal confidence.
Enlightenment is being courageous enough to live authentically, having the freedom to act as you see appropriate.
The following piece is titled “Integrity” and to me it speaks a great deal about living life from an enlightened perspective:
http://www.forwardsteps.com.au/Integrity-ForwardSteps.htm
Thanks for allowing for commentary at your blog.
I’m pleased to have met you both.
Cheers,
Thea Westra from ForwardSteps.com.au
The path to Enlightenment, everyone seems to have their own definition. There seems to be a universal definition on what it is but people vary slightly on how to get there. If David Hawkins is to be believed maybe because the things in the non linear world of the absolute are beyond the intellectual understandings of the human mind.
My current opinion today (simply because things may change tomorrow when a new understanding arrives) is that we follow a set of guiding principles – peace, understanding, forgiveness the list of positive things by Chrissie Blaze 5 posts earlier and basically as it says in the above article “see the light ahead and am always walking towards it.” and surrender everything to God. At least that is my plan.
Maybe one of the things that causes confusion is the path we have previously taken. There may possibly be things that we have to straighten out which we have been previously unaware, agreements, promises, perpetrator lifetimes etc. who can really say for sure. We are all unique like a snow flake but we are all the same.
In one Satsang Cd by D. Hawkins someone asked the question “Should I study meditation path A or path B.” The response was something like “For you, it would make no difference” it might be different for someone else.
According to D. Hawkins in one of his books he stated that the path is easy it is just ourselves that make it difficult. So in accordance with the piece of info in the above article about putting out an intention to learn things painlessly it has been implemented.
If anybody is familiar with non-linear dynamics and attractor patterns then there is comfort in the fact that even being interested in enlightenment is a forgone conclusion of a future potentiality (or something like that). It is just a matter of time.