Enlightenment 101

Is anyone here interested in the idea of enlightenment?

I'm not referring to the phase in the development of European thought/culture commonly referred to as "the enlightenment". I'm referring to the idea of a spiritual realization so profound and of such depth as to revolutionize the way one views reality, God, truth, the purpose of life, etc. I'm speaking about the answer to the dilemma of existence. Not a answer, but the answer.

Do you believe such a condition is possible to achieve? Do you believe any have achieved it? And more importantly, do you desire such realization/understanding for yourself?

Hi there,

Yes, l am interested in this subject.

l believe that (obviously) Siddharta Gautama achieved this state. There are others who may have come close to this, but for innumerable reasons did not take the "step" to living it.

l do not the realisation you speak of is a place that most (if not all) of us are capable of reaching.

Sorry got to do some work, would love to discuss more.

Cheers,

Martin

Originally posted by nook7
Hi there,

Yes, l am interested in this subject.

l believe that (obviously) Siddharta Gautama achieved this state. There are others who may have come close to this, but for innumerable reasons did not take the "step" to living it.

l do not the realisation you speak of is a place that most (if not all) of us are capable of reaching.

Sorry got to do some work, would love to discuss more.

Cheers,

Martin

Yes, the supreme deity is an assh*le that dishes out enlightenment to a select few. I haven't been "enlightened". Therefore, I hate him.

Comments?

Originally posted by Metamorphosis
Is anyone here interested in the idea of enlightenment?

I'm not referring to the phase in the development of European thought/culture commonly referred to as "the enlightenment". I'm referring to the idea of a spiritual realization so profound and of such depth as to revolutionize the way one views reality, God, truth, the purpose of life, etc. ...[text shortened]... ve achieved it? And more importantly, do you desire such realization/understanding for yourself?

The answer is the source of our lives, all life, Jesus Christ, and the one
who sent him.
Kelly

Originally posted by Metamorphosis
Is anyone here interested in the idea of enlightenment?

I'm not referring to the phase in the development of European thought/culture commonly referred to as "the enlightenment". I'm referring to the idea of a spiritual realization so profound and of such depth as to revolutionize the way one views reality, God, truth, the purpose of life, etc. ...[text shortened]... ve achieved it? And more importantly, do you desire such realization/understanding for yourself?

Well, I thought that there were many paths ...

Originally posted by KneverKnight
Well, I thought that there were many paths ...

It depends where you're going. If it's the bathroom, most Christians would have you believe there's only one way. I prefer the "outdoor" model. It's richer in uric acid!!!

If there is a God, then I'm in trouble. But the chances of some ancient historians rattling off the truth about adeity they've never SEEN...I'd rather buy a Sujperball ticket.

Jesus loves sinners! Love me...dupe.

Dunh, dunh-dunh-dunh,..dnh-dunh...dunh-duhn...I told ya, Christian Boyeeeeee!!! Can't touch this!!!

OH! OH, OH, OH!!!! Stop, Hammer time!!!

Originally posted by PBE6
Yes, the supreme deity is an assh*le that dishes out enlightenment to a select few. I haven't been "enlightened". Therefore, I hate him.

Comments?

l do not see any reference to a supreme deity. Where do you draw this inference from?

Originally posted by KneverKnight
Well, I thought that there were many paths ...

Many paths, no doubt. But is there only one goal -- in the ultimate, absolute sense? That's the question I'm keying in on here. A useful philosopher to check into in this case is Plotinus, and in particular, his teachings about what he called, simply, the "One". Vedantic teachings refer to it as the atman, which translates roughly as the "transcendental Self".

The general approach to this perennial teaching is first to consider the possibility that

1) There may indeed exist one fundamental, ultimate principle of Reality (call it what we may).

and

2) It may indeed be possible to acquire an experiential understanding of this ultimate principle of reality -- that is, more than just an intellectual consideration of it (although that would be a necessary beginning), and more than simply a doctrinal faith in its existence.

Originally posted by nook7
l do not see any reference to a supreme deity. Where do you draw this inference from?

Yes, precisely. In investigating the idea of an ultimate principle of reality, it's not necessary to infer the existence of an external deity of any kind.

Originally posted by Metamorphosis
Is anyone here interested in the idea of enlightenment?

I'm not referring to the phase in the development of European thought/culture commonly referred to as "the enlightenment". I'm referring to the idea of a spiritual realization so profound and of such depth as to revolutionize the way one views reality, God, truth, the purpose of life, etc. ...[text shortened]... ve achieved it? And more importantly, do you desire such realization/understanding for yourself?

A couple of questions here:

1. Why do you think that ordinary, common-sense ways of viewing reality, God, truth, purpose of life etc. are flawed?
2. Why do you think there is one Answer and not many (maybe one for each human, but not necessarily)?

Originally posted by lucifershammer
A couple of questions here:

1. Why do you think that ordinary, common-sense ways of viewing reality, God, truth, purpose of life etc. are flawed?
2. Why do you think there is one Answer and not many (maybe one for each human, but not necessarily)?

1. Is there an ordinary, common-sense way of viewing reality? If so, what is it, and what does it have to do with enlightnement?

2. He never said anything about on "answer" but only suggested that there might be one ultimate Principle of Reality. He never said that we all strive to understand it or even that we all should strive to understand it or even that there is only one way to understand it. And all of this is only valid if there is an it to understand.

... --- ...

Originally posted by thesonofsaul
1. Is there an ordinary, common-sense way of viewing reality? If so, what is it, and what does it have to do with enlightnement?.

I would describe common-sense knowing as being attentive to our perceptions, intelligent with our deductions and reasonable with our judgments (I'm using the broad structure outlined by Lonergan in Insight).

Metamorphosis argues that, if we believe in the concept of "enlightenment", then we believe there is a way of knowing reality that is completely different to the one we use in our day-to-day lives.

Originally posted by Metamorphosis
Many paths, no doubt. But is there only one goal -- in the ultimate, absolute sense? That's the question I'm keying in on here. A useful philosopher to check into in this case is Plotinus, and in particular, his teachings about what ...[text shortened]... ginning), and more than simply a doctrinal faith in its existence.

I'm not sure of this. I'm not sure that there is a "state of mind" that one suddenly arrives at, like crossing a finish line, rather than the possibility of movement toward greater understanding continuing throughout a person's life.
I'll look at Plotinus when I have some time.
EDIT: I found this
http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/plotinus.htm

This is going to take more than "some" time ...