A question for those who don't mind putting on their thinking caps and answering yet another question about..

You have many stars for this question.

Shall I bow, courtesy or continue on with my ridiculousness?

I choose to quote an author, whom I believe is a worthy writer.

I won't bore you with the details of the entirety of it.....but the last part of it is this:

"Then there appear to be those who know, and know that they know. Do not follow them. For if they know that they know, they would not have you follow them. Yet listen very carefully to what they say, for they will remind you of what you already know".

))

It often astonishes me, to see the wisdom and the truths of the persons who choose to answer your questions, and I do feel that you continue to search for something.

I wish you well on your journey, and I admire the help that you offer to so many.

Peace and Love to you.

Great question! Now let me get over my embarrassment. OK. The truth of oneself is enlightenment. There has never been a time when the truth was not as the truth is eternal. Enlightenment on the other hand is, new and fresh always. It is now, it is always now. There have been many who have said, "I am the truth" and most were misunderstood and or murdered. People really think the murder of Jesus was a great thing for them. Now the way most people have been taught for someone to say I am the truth or I am enlightened {they both mean the same thing as only the truth knows enlightenment} people will think you are insane. It is a Bodhisattva's vow to not accept enlightenment until all beings are enlightened. Peoples conditioning is great and if someone was to come out and say "I am enlightened" they may turn away from the path not because of themselves but because of conditioning. However there is nothing wrong with one saying these things, but sometimes it is better to beat around the bush, so to speak, *wink*. ~ : )

Enlightenment is more of a process than a destination. No matter how much you know, no matter how much you understand, there will always be something that you don't know or understand. Enlightenment is a deeply personal concept; each person has their own idea about what defines "enlightenment" and how to go about getting "enlightened." For the Enlightenment thinkers of the 17th and 18th centuries, it was political. For many people today, it is religious. For the people of two or three hundred years from now, perhaps it will be science (and for some it already is).

We will always be explorers, seeking for something new and fantastic.

Enlightenment is a Path, not a Goal.

It is a descriptive word to be used by other humans to describe someone else. Only a fool would say "I am enlightened" because the phrase itself would almost automatically counter the description.

In some Eastern trends, Enlightened (or a word which would translate to Enlightened) has a very specific meaning, usually in dealing with having achieved a mental state of No Thoughts or the ability to have one's mind calm and still. It is a state of pure perception, often called Oneness.

Take for example a Zen Master who would usually call him or herself a Human, not an Enlightened Human. It is the students of that Master who would proclaim the title of Master or use the description Enlightened.

In some Western psychology trends, an Enlightened Human is called a "Self Actualized Human". Here the concept is being all that a Human can be. The major difference revolves around the treatment of the Ego in the West.

As for the English language, just as anyone could call them-self a Musician, anyone can say that they are an Enlightened Being. So? One can experience moments of pure perception. One can also have mystical adventures or be aware of things unknown or unacknowledged by most of Humanity. One can also keep only thoughts in mind that are as close to Truth as Humans can achieve. So? You, personally, can use these to help others or communicate what might be needed to those who might have the need without ever speaking about Enlightenment.

There's an old saying, "Actions speak louder than words". =)

Those of us who have been on the spiritual path hear the words "Enlightened Being" and we get all shivery. The word, enlightened, has been mystified by misguided guru/teachers. Many seek a 'state', an experience...totally ignoring the obvious...themselves (awareness). This is the only thing that is ever present through everything. We travel far to find ourselves!

The simplicity of being natural, close to the 'original face', the child that we are, may seem too mundane for many, but it's where it's AT.

To see with the awareness of the child, to watch life unfold, as it will, to be here with 'that'...well, it could be called 'spaghetti'

Would we be so anxious to say, "I am spaghetti!" =)

It doesn't matter, it doesn't change anything...nothing can be added or taken away from what you are. Changeless, unaltered being.

No individual can truly claim Enlightenment because the Truth that IS Enlightenment is the realization that there was never an individual. The Truth is Oneness; it is not a personal One.

Enlightenment does not happen TO an individual but rather through it. We could say that an egoic overlay is REMOVED from that individual as this event occurs to no one. The apparent individual continues much as before in thought and feeling, but there is a knowingness within the vehicle that is now immersed in it's true identity beyond the physical illusion. It is known that there is no individual to suffer, and so there is no more suffering.

Phil

I believe enlightenment is a journey and not a destination, when you are enlightenened you have nothing to prove to anyone anymore because you have found peace in yourself and with the world. You love and recieve love. You share and give, and get back. It is understanding of lifes fundemetal keys and truth. Everything that one has been taught by man/ society has been a lie for years, the pursuit of money, status, achievement. Enlightenment goes against those practices, it is not a race, and it allows one to be and just be, who they really are. True to the world.

Bless You!

*H*

I agree with you alot. People who say they are enlightened and deni that someone else is also enlightened are obv not. I think enlightenment is like the word genius. Its often used as a way to put yourself down. You say that someone else is a genius but infact what your really saying is they are better then you. When infact they are no better then you in any way shape or form. We are all equal believe it or not. Just because someone can crunch numbers faster then you does not mean they could walk in your shoes the way you do and that means alot. I consider myself enlightened and I got to this point by reflecting on self alot by asking myself some hard questions. But I do not openly say I am enlightened to put others down and I understand that the word like genius is often misunderstood so I refrain from useing it unless its needed. If you are gona say your enlightened I think you best be ready to be tested by thouse standards.

Oh and I wanted to add if someone else is gona call them selfs enlightened just because of what they know I dont see why I cant call myself enlightened because of what I know.

A truly enlightened being has no physical means to speak of it's enlightenment; this being is within us all.

As soon as the words come to our physical lips, we have divided the essence and clarity of the truth of this enlightenment. Even within the moment of our realization of this, there also is created a divide in the essence and clarity of this 'said' enlightenment.

There is nothing to become, achieve, or attain; neither is there anything to teach or learn... There is only something to Be.

True enlightenment entails transformation. Stratification of existence occurs through perceptual shells, where the vibrational energies of said shells form the boundaries of perceptual existence. At the core, beyond the innermost shell of being is the true nature of existence, which is also correspondingly the highest level and highest frequency and energy of vibration. The outer shells can be said to be the lower frequencies and the 3 dimensional - material existence.

When the teacher - person is speaking from the true core of being and not the outer "ego shell" self, they know with no doubt.

I am not enlightened, just a humble searcher ;)

for those of you who have not yet read paul cohelo's 'the alchemist', please do so!

it will not only reveal facts to you but about you. it confirmed what i had been thinking about for some time.

what we are searching for is often under our feet, yet we scan the horizons looking for the 'better' something, thinking that such an enlightened state must be a long , far away journey.

but although the journey may be long, it is not far! awareness within oneself and of those around us, and of course of Gaia, will assist in our personal enlightenment.

it is like a spiritual equivalent to Maslow's Hierarchy of needs which lead to self-actualisation!

i think most people who announce their state of enlightenment are not quite there yet, as i believe once you are that you would feel less and less need to make it public knowledge.

the most spiritually beautiful people i have met have been the quietly confident, beautifully aura-ed, inspiring people who i have immediately felt at ease with and who i was not nervous to open up to.

as i get older, i find the veils between reality and enlightenment shifting and blurring, and i can see now where i am aiming, where my path leads... not so much that i can forsee the final destination, but enough to know that i am doing what is right at a pace that suits me.

those that need to know when you have reached enlightenment will not need an announcment, for they have traced your path in the skies already