With so many spiritual gurus and meditation techniques mentioned in the media, and with so much talk about spirituality, it is first necessary to learn precisely what spiritual enlightenment and spiritual awakening are In short, enlightenment is the discovery of our true, eternal self. Beginning at birth, we take on a number of labels about ourselves that we think are real. But since they are in fact impermanent and transitory, these labels cannot be our ultimate self. The only truth is that we are. everything else changes. That which changes cannot ultimately be our real selves. Spiritual enlightenment is the discovery of our real or true self.
Spiritual enlightenment is waking up to who we really are. We can become falsely identified with that which changes. Anything that changes cannot be the true, ultimate reality of what is. When we wake up to who we are, to the eternal being-ness from which everything comes and will return to, we realize that we dont have to suffer and that we can live in the here and now. Mental suffering exists because we falsely identify with our egoistic, mental self. Our real self is eternal, non-dual, and never changing. This discovery of these truths is called spiritual awakening.
One widely accepted tenet is that we all have the spark and potential for spiritual awakening. The state of realization differs. Not every minor realization can be linked to spiritual awakening. Then how do we interpret the meaning of enlightenment? It is more of an experience to be lived than a concept to be understood. It is more nourishing to eat a balanced diet than to read about it. The experience differs, differ from person to person. What we must understand is that the experience of spiritual enlightenment is exclusive for every individual and must be experienced rather than explained.
What exactly leads to the ultimate experience of spiritual enlightenment is also a complex question. When one morning, you see a rose blossoming in your garden, its beauty fascinates you. Have you ever wondered how the flower happened? What were the stepping stones of its existence? Did it originate when the seed sprouted to a bush and the bush started growing, or did it begin then when the bush was being watered? You cant link the roses incredible grace to its origin. If you trace it back to its starting point, you soon realize that there were number of factors which finally led to the blossoming of the rose. Each factor was closely knit with the others, and each factor was indispensible from the whole. In the same way, the journey to spiritual enlightenment is a flowering of the consciousness. The divine mystery is incomprehensible, and is an outcome of many and various outcomes. No one can pinpoint when the flower of spiritual enlightenment will sprout.
Spiritual awakening happens when a human becomes fully conscious of his or her true nature. There are various cosmic forces at work when a soul strives for spiritual enlightenment. The awakening unleashes feelings which were never felt before. You realize that you are beyond your body and in extreme harmony with the universe. With spiritual awareness, your ego is peeled back and you emerge as a more refined person. The deeper you get into your inner self, the deeper the silence gets. The constant clutter of thoughts cease with spiritual awareness and certain joy and serenity engulfs your being. The shackles of mundane desires are broken with spiritual awareness.
Spiritual enlightenment is undoubtedly the primary goal of most of the spiritual practices we undertake. With spiritual awakening, we start accepting reality as it is and stop interfering with what is happening around us. We cease to be judgmental, and start experiencing life in its purest form. Spiritual Enlightenment sets us free to reap the fruits of our actions, uncluttered by too many empty desires. Darkness can only be removed by light, and the light of spirituality illuminates our life with unprecedented knowledge. It banishes all ignorance and casts a spell of eternal joy. Spiritual enlightenment is a shift in awareness where we encounter the non-dual nature of reality and achieve perfect harmony with the world around us.
There is no definitive path to spiritual enlightenment. Some achieve it through meditation, some by fasting, and others by occult means. The ways are different, but the goal is the same: finding answers to lifes basic questions. That is the very reason why so many people are embracing spirituality in todays world of science and rationality. Once the quest to spiritual awakening rises in a person, all the cosmic forces gather to escort him.
The rest is here:
What Is Spiritual Enlightenment | Dr. Puff
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