I recently watched The Buddah, a film covering the actual Buddahs life, from birth to death. Correct me if i am wrong, but there was a part that explained his enlightenment, it said "everyone is already enlightened, they just dont know it." buddah explained how enlightenment is simply being able to live life, and be content with the fact that there is pain and suffering everywhere, and to be able to appreciate every small thing in the world. is this really enlightenment, just having a positive outlook on life? it makes perfect sense, but i dont understand how to "make it stick" i dont know how to explain, but The Buddah had attained this enlightenment, and was forever in a state of peace and contentment. how do i make it stick. even if i say and do good deeds constantly, i always find myself thinking negative things in my head which lead to negative actions. How do i keep this
It is not full enlightenment, but it is enlightenment in terms of the outlook on life. Indeed everyone is already enlightened, or rather everyone is at Godhead which is a bit more than enlightenment. The spirit is the true individual, it is your peice of God, it's only a matter of stripping off the garments of the soul that cover the Light of the Spirit, until the Light is fully uncovered. We are all equal in potential, it's just a matter of development or rather uncovering the Spirit within.
In truth, there is no enlightenment or non-enlightenment. Appreciation is to realize that all things are direct experiences of Ultimate Nature, your true self. There is no samsara or nirvana either... just manifestations of the mind. The key is to maintain pure awareness without the need to over analyze. Experience every event like a newborn child. Enlightenment transcends morality. Allow your thoughts to self-liberate without becoming attached. "Confidence in outlook cuts assumptions about the ground." The Heart Sutra
to me it all falls into the notion that the world is what you make of it, meaning perception and interpretation are everything. having no more suprises and the ultimate understanding that "shit happens" is enlightenment. it's ultimately just a attitude of optimism. knowing we don't know shit and there isn't anything we can do about it, so we better just make the best of it, is basically the essence of Buddhistic belief. it's knowing you are living in the illusion, so nothing is happening to you or hurting you, and none of it really matters so you can just let the emotional soap opera go. and yes it is very hard to make that stick. very hard.
Personally i do not understand why people try to even attempt to explain enlightenment. How can you guys explain true nirvana, or even attempt to? Enlightenment is going to be the sensation that you have never felt/experienced before. You will not be able to describe it nor should you. Some people say enlightenment is the realization that we are all connected and we have the "infinite" feeling, but once again you can not even explain infinite. Just living life and acknowledging pain and suffering is not enlightenment, it is rational and logical thinking. Why is there pain and suffering? You could argue that we humans are the ones who cause it. How do we truly know what suffering is? Suffering is described through language, and without language how does one even explain the suffering that the pain is causing? Pain is different, because pain is real. Cause and effect, as some people say. Suffering is no aspect of life, it is the feeling that people get when they take pain to "heart" if you will. Realizing there is pain and suffering brings up the question of what is pain and suffering.
Everyone is enlightened and doesn't realize it... I suppose so, and the idea is echoed in other religions too. (Pretty sure) In Hinduism the soul is reincarnated until the realization that atman (the soul) is paramatman (the universal soul). It can't be explained, or rationalized, it can only come through discovery. You'll know it when you feel it. I know I do.
I don't have an answer to your question but your thread reminded me of an awesome kung fu flick called Arhats In Fury...
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE5M8743a1s&feature=related"]Alan Watts - Atheist Spirituality[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO_txM4i-X8"]Alan Watts on Enlightenment [/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoRozIVy53c"]Alan Watts -- Enlightenment[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RSkVOUv2Qg"]You Are God[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qSCaxaUyf8"]Alan Watts - Myth and Religion - Jesus and his Religion Pt 1/6[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbWL3Ngrchw"]Alan Watts - Myth and Religion - Jesus and his Religion Pt 2/6[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuRKSfU7298"]Alan Watts - Myth and Religion - Jesus and his Religion Pt 3/6[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLdscQTYnhQ"]Alan Watts - Myth and Religion - Jesus and his Religion Pt 4/6[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRAiq8S0T2A"]Alan Watts - Myth and Religion - Jesus and his Religion Pt 5/6[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4AcuUkPtCw"]Alan Watts - Myth and Religion - Jesus and his Religion Pt 6/6[/ame] Remember this is not Religion it is Philosophy. Hope this helps you my Brother. It is not a easy process and takes most years to begin to comprehend. Peace Friends
Truly, you cannot comprehend enlightenment with the rational mind. But from a Buddhist perspective, enlightenment is the cessation of suffering. Samsara is suffering. And a Buddha, an enlightened one, is no longer reborn again and again in Samsara. The reason one is reborn again and again is because of their own past karma; cause and effect, either good or bad. One creates either positive or negative karma in this life - the causes - and so, one must reap the effects in either this life or the next. A Buddha, an enlightened one, can no longer create any kind of karma. Thus, there is no reason to be reborn. So enlightenment is simply not being reborn again because you have purified and tamed the mind of desires, emotions, and actions.. all of which create karma. Nirvana is not a blissed-out state, or any kind of intoxicated state, but rather, the cessation of suffering.. because one has removed the causes by the roots.