Ma Anand Sheela was once the secretary and voice of Rajneesh, also known as Osho. As the spotlight has turned on her once again, she talks to Deebashree Mohanty about her relationship with the celebrated guru, their falling out, and what enlightenment means to her:

Tell us how the Rajneesh ashram moved out of Poona in 1981?

We had to move because after Emergency rule we couldnt buy or sell land. We had actually been looking for a bigger property because there were so many foreigners and Indians. There was no place to house them. Everyone wanted to be close to Bhagwan. I would sleep on the garden path if that would bring me closer to him. That was the story with all Rajneeshis.

One day, I said to Bhagwan, Let me take you to America where wewont face this problem. I would be able to find a better place for you. He said: Sheela you take it up, you make my passport. This trust gave me the clarity on how to go about it.

Later, when you left Rajneeshpuram in Oregon, people said you had fled.

There were 300 people who came to drop me at the airport, so I was not fleeing. When I was given the job of the secretary, Bhagwan had told me to protect him, his commune and his teachings. Then I found out that he was taking medical drugs. His doctor and dentist were pumping him with laughing gas and valiums. I asked Bhagwan to quit because neither was it legal nor was it good for his health. He said, Sheela dont interfere. Keep out of it. That raised a huge conflict between my heart and my mind. I battled with it for months. I couldnt resolve it. Thats when I sent him the resignation. He accepted and I left.

Lets go back to the day when you were arrested in Germany in 1986. Did it feel like the end of the road for you?

I never thought like that. There is a story that Bhagwan had shared. It sums up my position.

Kabir was a poor man. His son used to feed the family by stealing at night. One day Kabir told him that he wants to accompany him and see what his business was. They went to a rich house where Kabirs son opened the door skillfully. He went through multiple doors. Just as he opened the safe, Kabir started shouting chor, chor. His son said: Father they will hear you and come here. Kabir replied: You know how to go in, now you figureout how to come out.

I had to figure it out. I dont blame anyone for it. I was there with Bhagwan because I wanted to be there. I put my head in the guillotine for him. And I would do it again.

Those 39 months that you spent in an American prison, did they make you bitter?

Bitter never. Stronger yes. The way it happened, I was just deeply saddened. Fortunately, there was a law which said if prisoners werent sentenced, they wouldnt have to participate in any activities which meant I could sleep for 15 hours. I did that. This happened for ten months. When I found my strength again, I worked towards my own upkeep.

You say your love was not unrequited but Rajneesh called you a bitch. Was that heart breaking?

It is a sorrow I cannot explain in words. Once upon a time I was the star in his eyes. When things changed it made me sad that he had to stoop to that level. Not befitting a man of his calibre but it only shows how hurt he must have felt when I left. Some people told me that he got angrier when I was not around. But does it make me think any less of him? No. I cannot change my opinion about him just because he had something foul to say about me. I still love the man. He was my jackpot.

I am told that Bhagwan wrote a letter to me. I know someone who saw him write that letter. But it didnt reach me. The management must have destroyed it.

Were drugs the only problem?

The other thing that disturbed me about him was when he told his disciples that they have attained enlightenment. I knew it was a sale. But it was not my place to call it out. It was between him and his people.

So what do spirituality and enlightenment mean to you?

Love and care is spiritual. I dont need to sit in Buddha position, close my eyes every day for an hour. This is not my cup of spirituality. I dont want to do meditation so that someday, someone can call me enlightened. Thats just a sale. Why cant I be myself? Why do I have to be enlightened? So I can have 96 Rolls Royces or sit like Bhagwan on a chair with thousands of people around me? No. Honesty will get you closer to enlightenment than enlightenment itself.Humans for Humanity in association with Sipping Thoughts are the official hosts of Ma Anand Sheela for her visit to India.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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'I put my head in the guillotine for Osho and I would do it again Why can't I be myself? Why do I have to be enlightened?' - Times of India

Dr Salem Nanjundaiah Subba Rao  |  Photo Credit: BCCL

The great Gandhian Dr Salem Nanjundaiah Subba Rao seems to exemplify the verve and spirit that Mahatma Gandhi personified. A nonagenarian, he is one of the fortunate few who have met Mahatma Gandhi in flesh and blood and has been enriched by the encounter.

Invited by the Harijan Sevak Samaj to Delhi as part of the celebrations to commemorate 150 years of Gandhi, SN Subba Rao was brimming with enthusiasm and energy, maugre his 90-plus years of age, and raring to bring about a positive change in society. Lean, standing erect and dressed in simple khadi clothes, he burst into the boisterous song 'Jai Jagat', which was the clarion call of Vinoba Bhave. Even at this age, he does not hesitate to wear shorts or engage in social work with youth with the same vigour and passion. It is only befitting that a person like him founded the National Youth Project.

(Dr Salem Nanjundaiah Subba Rao | Picture Credit- BCCL)

Addressing the gathering, he started by giving a perspective, A frail lady wearing a Rs 100 saree was welcomed in the White House by the then US President. The room was full of millionaires, and the elite of US and other countries, when she said, I have come from a rich country India to your poor country of the United States. Explaining, she added, In the midst of your material world, I have experienced a total bankruptcy of spirituality in your country. The President heard all this dumbfounded and in silence, because the lady was neither a political leader nor an industrial magnet. She was Mother Teresa.

(Mother Teresa| Picture Credit- BCCL)

Subba Rao, who holds youth camps across the world, exclaimed, Traversing the length and breadth of India, I am searching - where is the great spiritual effulgence of this country? So many atrocities are taking place in the country. Even young children are getting raped, and murders are reported daily in Delhi.

Rao proclaimed that, to his understanding, Indias greatness lay not in gold or silver but in its spiritual heritage. He then cited an incident related withSwami Vivekananda to expound what he indicated.

Punjab Bhakta Mandal representatives approached Swami Vivekananda for spiritual learning. Swamiji asked them what the conditions in Punjab were as he had heard about the terrible famine. They replied in affirmative but said that they had come to receive spiritual enlightenment. Swami Vivekananda then questioned them about the condition of farmers due to the famine. The Bhakta Mandal representatives informed that things were dismal, but again pressed him for spiritual knowledge. For a third time, Swami ji asked them whether there was adequate fodder and water for cattle. The Bhakta Mandal representatives replied in the negative and then exasperatedly cried, We are asking for guidance on a spiritual path while you are talking only about the lack of rains and the consequences thereof; we are unable to understand you!

The revolutionary Swami Vivekananda had clarified, So long as even a dog is hungry in my country, my spirituality demands that we need to first find food for the dog!

(Swami Vivekananda| Picture Credit- Twitter)

Subba Rao always carries this invaluable lesson in his heart. He said, In my country, 25-30 crore people cant manage to get two square meals. Its good that you pray, it is good that you take a dip in the Holy Ganges, but spirituality also means you extend help to the poor and hungry in your neighbourhood and those desperately seeking some form of employment.

Demonstrating how Gandhi ji's life was a living example of the morals he espoused, Rao narrated, One day a priest visited Gandhi, who was busy spinning his charka. The priest said that he had heard that Mahatma was the embodiment of non-violence. The priest then questioned him, Mr Gandhi, Jesus Christ said love thy enemy like thyself. What are your comments? Gandhi ji kept spinning his wheel without answering. After a few minutes, the priest repeated the question, and then again. After a long pause, Gandhi ji responded, I had heard you the first time itself. I was thinking about it. The thing is that I dont consider anybody as my enemy in the first place.

The priest was stumped and impressed at the same time. The priest then quietly added, Mr Gandhi, you have gone a step ahead of Jesus Christ! Gandhi drew a lot of inspiration from Jesus Christ in his life, but went even beyond that thought process. This is the definition of spirituality.

(Mahatma Gandhi| Picture Credit- BCCL)

Rao, who is also a fellow of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, bemoaned that today religion has become the reason behind the conflict. Karl Marx had grown so weary of religion due to repeated instances of war that he felt that the concept of religion itself should be wiped out. And that is how Communism spread. But real spirituality has its own energy because, after merely 50 years, religion has made a comeback. There are now only four countries who continue with the same thought process China, Cuba, Vietnam and North Korea.

Subba Rao concluded by saying that India needs to put forth the correct picture of spirituality to the world: Aham Brahmasmi I am Brahma. The sages have explained. Wakeup in the morning and ponder over the element that enlivens nature, rivers and the trees, so that you too can draw energy from it. And come to realise that the same element exists within all of us.

Link:

The indefatigable Gandhian Subba Rao: Meeting the Mahatma and other encounters of a lifetime - Times Now

Guitarist Ross Hammond and vocalist Jay Nair presents Songs of Universal Peace Sunday afternoon at Maybeck Recital Hall

Jay Nair, a mild-mannered civil servant who works as a systems analyst for the state of California, was walking through downtown Sacramento minding his own business a couple years back when his ear caught a sound that reminded him of home. Born and raised in the Southern Indian state of Kerala, he was passing by the popular brunch spot Weatherstone when he heard what he thought might be a sitar. Circling back to double check, Nair realized that the sound emanated from Ross Hammonds 12-string guitar.

I spent the next three minutes listening to him, and then it wasnt the sitar-like sliding notes that captivated me anymore but his music, says Nair, explaining the origins of their collaboration. Blending Hammonds rootsy approach to jazz, folk and blues with Nairs Carnatic vocals, they released the singular duo album Songs of Universal Peacein 2018. Theyve been performing together ever since, and make their Maybeck Recital Hall debut Sunday afternoon.

Listening to him play that morning some ragas came to me, Nair says. I went home and recorded them on my iPhone and shared them with him. Thats where everything started.

While hes never formally studied Indian classical music, Hammond has collaborated with several Indian and Indian-American percussionists over the years. He was more than open to seeing what might develop with Nair, inviting him stop by his weekly Luna Caf gig. He came and sat in and, dude, people were crying, Hammond says. When Jay sings and gets into his devotional music, its a really powerful spiritual thing. It hits me. After that I said we should probably start a project. You dont find guys singing Carnatic music like that all the time.

If Hammonds name sounds familiar its probably because he was a close confederate of Berkeley drummer Scott Amendola for several years. About a decade ago their duo project The Lovely Builders performed widely around the region. In 2016, his duo album with drummer/percussionist Sameer Gupta, Upward(Prescott Records), was hailed by KQED(in a piece I wrote) for its lush, buoyant and expansive sound.

That project was deeply informed by Hammond and Guptas shared experience as jazz musicians. With Nair, Hammond uses his finely honed chops as an improviser to respond and interact with the traditional modes.Ive listened to Indian music since my 20s, he says. Sameer and I play together from a jazz background. Were not doing anything traditional. Im not a raga guy. With Jay, hes singing ancient Sanskrit verses and puts his own melodies to them. Ill ask him What does that song mean? Lets all be beautiful. Fantastic!

Nair studied Carnatic vocals from the age of five to 18 (with a few years on violin too), and started performing at 10. After he went off to college to study engineering he got the chance to explore Hindustani classical tradition of North India. He didnt have much exposure to Western music before he moved to the US at the age of 30.

Over the years hed tried to collaborate with several non-Indian musicians but the attempts quickly foundered. Nair feels he wasnt really ready to meet other musicians on equal ground. With its very deep history of 3,000 years, a student of Indian music has a danger of believing that is what music is, and anything that breaks the rules is not music, he says. I had a phase where I thought that music means it has to be this and that. Maybe that contributed to those collaborations not flourishing. And non-Indian musicians can be a little intimidated with the vastness of Indian music. So those attempts didnt go anywhere.

Hammond has been a pivotal figure on the Sacramento music scene for the past two decades, patiently building festivals and concert series that showcase local players alongside artists from outside the area. By the time Nair encountered him that morning at Weatherstone in 2017 his musical perspective had evolved. Rather than obeying a set of rules, music served a larger purpose aimed at the enlightenment of the human mind, he says. I was open to learning from people who are different. Ross is a master of what hes doing, and I was looking to learn.

With the civil war in Syria raging and conflict dominating the news, Nair was already focusing on Shanti peace mantras in his spiritual practice as a Buddhist. Hed set a Sanskrit verse to a raga and bring the piece to Hammond. It is accompaniment, but almost two soloist working around the same melody at the same time, Hammond says.

Ive played with a lot of Indian musicians, and Jay is the guy Ive learned the most from in terms of how you approach structure, he says. He says dont worry about the tala and rhythmic cycle. Were two guys, listen to each other. You have this tonal center, this scale or mode. Dont go out of it. Simple stuff thats so powerful. What were doing is finding a bridge between a traditional American blues and roots music, and combining that with raga.

You may have noticed that Ukraine has been in the news lately. With Ukraines Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia and a proxy war grinding away near the eastern border, the young country with an ancient and extraordinary vocal tradition needs friends outside the region. No ensemble has done more to share Ukrainian culture abroad than DahkaBrahka, the avant-folk quartet that returns to Freight & Salvage on Oct. 8-9. Avant garde folk songs might sound like an oxymoron, but with DakhaBrakha theres no contradiction between roots music from the Ukrainian countryside and art music from Kievs experimental theater scene. Creating haunting polyphonic vocal harmonies while accompanying themselves on cellos, hurdy gurdy, piano, and sundry percussion implements, the multi-instrumentalistsOlena Tsybulska, Irnya Kovalenko and Nina Harenetsha founded the band in 2004 and were quickly joined by Marko Halanevych on vocals, tabla, didgeridoo, accordion, and trombone. Theyve acquired their international menagerie of instruments during their world travels, adding new sonic facets to the traditional songs theyve been immersed in since birth. The fact that the three women often perform in towering black fur hats and white wedding dresses cribbed from a production of Shakespeares Richard IIIadds to the musics decidedly otherworldly feel.

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The Carnatic blues of Ross Hammond and Jay Nair - Berkeleyside

By Sarah Duenas for Hospice of Santa Barbara | October 3, 2019 | 9:00 a.m.

Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) raised $178,000 at its recent 7th Annual Heroes of Hospice of Santa Barbara luncheon at Biltmores Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club.

Every year HSB honors the volunteers and supporters who continue to makeHSB's mission possible. Each of this years Heroes of Hospice play a vital role in providing care for anyone experiencing the impact of serious illness or grieving the death of a loved one, all at no cost.

The event, attended by 340 guests, featured an auction, guests and speakers, and a video about the journey of cancer survivor Manuel Figueroa. Guest speaker District Attorney Joyce Dudley gave a moving testimonial about the power of HSB's bereavement counseling program.

This year's Heroes of Hospice honorees were:

Legacy Award: James S. Bower FoundationThe James S. Bower Foundation creates a better future by making grants to partners who share the belief that a healthier world can be fostered through compassionate action and social change. Its goals include creating change in educational, developmental and health processes for infants, children, youth and seniors. The foundations strategic, purpose-driven and outcome-oriented grant making also makes change in environmental conditions, social awareness and human consciousness.

The foundation is committed to reducing physical, emotional, spiritual and social pain in the face of death. Its grants help increase the number of people able to experience an enhanced state of wellbeing at the end of life, characterized as a state of peace, enlightenment or acceptance of ones death.

The foundation recognizes that the unique challenges in the end-of-life process are often overwhelming for the dying, their families, friends and the larger community.Partnership Award: Suzanne GrimmeseyAs chief quality care and strategy officer for the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness, Grimmesey has led the multi-agency Community Wellness Team that formed following the Thomas Fire and ensuing debris flow. The team, made up of 13 agencies, including HSB, collaborates to help the community heal and build resiliency.

The partnership allowed HSB to connect with community members at town hall meetings, schools, businesses, and in the field. The team was instrumental in bringing services to families having lost homes or loved ones. Grimmesey's inspiration for this work is the firm belief in the resiliency gained through helping individuals and communities cope with disaster and traumatic events.Volunteer Award: No One Dies Alone ProgramHSB and VNA Health collaborate for the unique No One Dies Alone (NODA) program, which brings together trained volunteers and patients to make sure nobody is alone in their final hours. While some who are dying in our community have no family or friends nearby, NODA volunteers are there to offer a compassionate presence and their heartfelt intentions.

It takes a special kind of person to fill the NODA volunteer role. Sharing someones end-of-life experience can be moving and powerful. Volunteers may simply choose to sit in silence with the patient, letting them know they are there from time to time with voice and touch. They may do simple things like placing a cool cloth on the patients forehead, using swabs if the patients lips seem dry, and holding a hand or arm as a loving presence.

Hospice of Santa Barbara provides professional counseling, support groups, and patient care services free of charge to individuals and families who are grieving the death of a loved one or experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness. Hospice of Santa Barbara provides counseling in its offices and on 14 local junior and high school campuses to children and teens grieving the loss of a loved one.

For more information, including volunteer opportunities, call 805-563-8820 or visit http://www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.

Sarah Duenas for Hospice of Santa Barbara.

The rest is here:

Hospice of Santa Barbara Honors Its Heroes And Raises $178000 - Noozhawk

The Sheldon Theatres mission is to entertain, educate, and enlighten the community of Red Wing and its visitors through the transformative power of the performing arts. As youll soon discover, upholding that statement takes intention and focus.

They have designed six different series that touch on aspects of community, interests, entertainment, education, and enlightenment. From a Family and Youth series that supports kids and schools to a Great Sound series that concentrates on artists who are making a splash in their genres, each is done with purpose. As Executive Director Bonnie Schock shares,

Its essential to an organization like this because were different from major metropolitan areas where most are going to niche specialize. Our specialty is to be eclectic, because we need to serve the whole community.

Built in 1904, the Sheldon Theatre started by showing silent films and theater productions. The entryway still houses the original doors leading into the foyer. The authentic tile flooring and ornate decorations feature Masonic, Christian, heraldic, and theatric symbols. Most of the imagery is a combination of different visual and spiritual traditions, all related to theater. These Masonry, Christianity, and Greek Baucis elements are based on an idea of elevation and the ability to transcend.

In the mid-30s to the mid-80s, the theater was primarily a movie theater. The venue had placed carpet over the tile and sheetrock over the sculptures in the 50s. When they renovated and peeled everything back in 1988, they rediscovered these features that a whole generation of people hadnt seen at all. The Sheldon gets its nickname as a jewel-box based on the number of details scattered around its design.

The theater seats 468 and now has one balcony. Sitting on the second level is the original ticket inventory system. The wooden box has the exact number of seats and rows. A physical ticket would be placed in every single slot. When a ticket was sold, it was pulled out and handed to the person. This visual tool allowed them to see how many tickets where left and exactly where they were.

One of the newest additions to the venue is the 3rd-floor studio. Made as a rehearsal space, the studio is the basic width and depth of the stage itself. It hosts VIP parties, meet-and-greets, and weddings.

Added mirrors in the back of the room reflect the architecture from the windows overlooking the stage. The effect was a total surprise in the renovation and one that makes the room look bigger, as well as providing a fantastic aerial view of the performance space.

The theater has a miniature Fitzgerald feel to it. The thrust of the stage gives the crowd a close connection to the performers. As an artist, the design of the seating must feel like youre getting a little hug from the audience. Standing on the stage you can see every single seat. Its an intimate experience and is easy to understand why artists love playing the venue.

The heart of what makes a venue shine is in the sound. The architecture of 1904 had a purpose to carry the sound without amplification. The portrait above the stage is a natural bandshell that carries the sound up to the balcony. Director of Production Russell Johnson perfectly handles the balance of amplified versus natural acoustics. His expertise shows by how he approaches sound in that unique space.

I listen to what comes off the stage. I make sure the artists are hearing what they need and then I let the room do most of the work.

For outside engineers, entering the space with complete knowledge of every idiosyncrasy of the their group can hinder them. They may know the bass player tends to play a little harder on certain songs, or the guitar player whales in certain parts. Those intricacies becomes a universal conduit to mix the sound in a certain way. It can lead to pushing the speakers too much or relying on audio board presets more than listening to the room and how its reacting.

Russell shares that often he can start mixing with everything turned down and letting the instruments project. Then he can slowly bring in elements that need that amplification more. The theater has speakers scattered around so every seat is getting a full audio picture. He can then individually balance every sector of the venue. If its under the balcony and a spoken word piece, he can bring up that section up louder.

Another important identity of the venue is the historic Kilgen organ. Used for silent films, the instrument is built within the venue itself. The marimba and percussion are up in the ceiling and the pipes along the sides of the stage. So the organ player is literally playing the theater. You can feel the vibration in your body. Its quite a visceral experience that brings people back to these special occasions.

Bonnie Schock has a direct ear in the programming and direction of the theaters season. She sees each and every group who is considered for the Sheldon, as well as making sure their mission statement is met with high criteria. Its a relationship that has to happen between the venue and the artists and then between the venue and community to form that crucial intersection. She serves as that bridge between the artist and the audience.

I think my job as a curator and as a leader of this organization is to build trust with the community so that when artists come and they (the community) dont know who someone is, theyll take a chance.

Her philosophy focuses on giving Red Wing an amazing experience every single time, so they are confident, craft-wise, that what is up on stage is going to be good. Never compromising on quality ensures the artists on her stage are rock stars.

The diversity in the programming is seen in almost every series they manage. Her outreach opportunities with Caravan du Nord and Hispanic workshops with Award-winning artist Gina Chavez are essential to educating a younger audience. The school-day matinees include study guides and curriculum materials provided to classroom teachers in advance. A team of over 100 volunteers supports and assists with making all of their events a success.

When the venue underwent a major renovation back in 2018, about half of the funding came from state bonds and funding, while the other half came from the community itself. Since the venue was gifted to the city of Red Wing in 1904, its the second oldest municipally-owned theater in the country. The Sheldon Theatre is a pioneer in the whole notion of government entities holding the arts as a central part of their identity.

Our job is to communicate out to the people, to believe in our product, and let them know what the kinds of experiences they can have here. And to make them feel welcomed.

If youre traveling to Red Wing for a show, make it an experience and spend the night there. The downtown area is quaint and friendly, filled with things to see. The St. James Hotel is the perfect place for a historic adventure.

Also, look to see if The Sheldon Theatre offers a VIP add-on for the show. This gets you a full pre-show gourmet meal in the studio along with a chance to meet the artists and have your photo taken with them. This extra opportunity to splurge can make for a once-in-a-lifetime memory.

John Munson, Musician in The New Standards

Relationships are everything in the music business. For John Munson, that relationship took off with a guarantee after his bands first show at the Sheldon Theatre. They had pitched a show idea to Bonnie, who was skeptical at first. The show ended up being okay, but John felt they could do better.

I made a guarantee to her that the next time that we performed down there, we would sell the place out. And I was right. Thats the sort of thing and kind of steps to build trust between a performer and a venue, John states.

He shares that the theater has all the guilt and all the features of a really big theater, but its very small and intimate at the same time. He feels like the audience is right there with him when they perform. John notices the details further. That crazy stage with the little bit of a thrust that almost kind of bows out. That shape is mirrored in the balcony and has a little bit of an arch to it that reflects the edge of the stage. Its just a really, really beautiful design.

Over the course of 6-7 years of doing shows there, one memory stands out more than the others. They were doing a sold-out Valentines day show and having a really fun evening of music. Afterwards they went back to the St. James Hotel with their spouses and celebrated on the top floor. Fans of the band also had the same idea and bumped into them at brunch the next day. Overall the experience made for a wonderful trip to Red Wing and the theater.

Upcoming Events

Full schedule can be found here. A few immediate highlights include:

10/12 Davina and the Vagabonds Davina Sowers and company has created a stir on the national music scene with their high-energy live shows, level-A musicianship, sharp-dressed professionalism, and Sowers commanding stage presence.

10/25 Gina Chavez Chavez is blending the sounds of the Americas with tension and grace. A multi-ethnic, bilingual Latina pop songstress and twelve-time Austin Music Award winner including 2015 Austin Musician of the Year she and her band are fresh off a twelve country tour as cultural ambassadors with the U.S. State Department, uniting audiences from around the globe.

11/22 The Reminders The Reminders are a rare and remarkable musical duo who seamlessly blend soulful sounds and roots music with insightful messages and thoughtful lyrics.

4/4 The New Standards A stellar Minnesota-based trio with a global following, The New Standards are joined by a big band and an incomparable mix of musical friends as they bring you songs and themes from their favorite cult and classic film scores, presented with flair and filtered through their inimitable style.

Music venues are the lifeblood of our community. By providing musicians the opportunity to showcase, collaborate, and experiment with their craft, venues are essential in their development. This series will continue to promote and support our local venues across Minnesota. Please see the previous articles below and go support local music. Our hope is these articles show the importance of supporting venues and places where creativity can thrive.

SEASON TWO:

Pioneer Place on Fifth St. Cloud

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The Eclectic Sheldon Theatre is the Jewel-Box of Red Wing - Music in Minnesota

NCR readers are welcome to join the conversation and send us a letter to the editor. Below is a sampling of letters received in the month of August 2019. If you want to respond to an article published in NCR, follow the steps listed at the end of this post.

I applaud every single word in the editorial,"Cardinal Burke is a living symbol of a failed vision of church," and I applaud NCR for insisting on using it's voice to speak truth to those who would just love to gain power and control over our church.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, and Timothy Busch, and their ilk, are so far away from Vatican II which sought to bring the Roman Catholic Church more in line with what Jesus actually taught, that it is astonishing.

Long live Pope Francis. Thank you, NCR.

MARY WUDTKEChicago, Illinois

***

In your final paragraph, you imply a dichotomy between mercy and precepts, but both mercy and precepts are God's, entrusted to the church. The precepts allow us to determine with certainty when we have offended God and especially need his mercy, which is forgiveness as a means of reconciling us to him and sparing us from eternal death. Thus, mercy and the precepts are not opposites but rather joined completely.

You imply that we ought to accept the sins of others as part of our love for them, but surely as God loves us, he despises our sins, which is why we beg his pardon. Should we not do likewise and, as a work of mercy, admonish sinners not in spite of, but because of, our love for them and their eternal souls?

Finally, you imply that Cardinal Raymond Burke supports the "derision and banishment" of doubters and questioners. This is unsupported and markedly false, as the cardinal himself is a questioner who has been derided by your publication and banished from curial posts. After publicly asking questions aboutAmoris Laetitiain a letter with fivedubia(doubts), Burke was removed from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and has been ridiculed by your publication in pieces like this one.

Perhaps you should first remove the beam from your own eye before unjustly criticizing others (Matthew 7:5). Such an enlightenment would enable you to engage in a true dialogue about the issues you claim to discuss.

NATHANIEL SCHETTERSkokie, Illinois

***

In your rather uncharitable editorial, you stated that Cardinal Raymond Burke represents a version of church that adheres to "rigid and unyielding boundaries of law."

Certainly you would agree that Jesus came among us to bear witness to the truth.Indeed, he revealed himselfas the truth.In his divine nature, in his oneness with the father, he does not changehe is the same yesterday, today and forever.The truth that Jesus teaches is therefore likewise immutable.

From this truth flow the moral doctrines taught by the church, guided by the Holy Spirit.When the church teaches us not to commit adultery or fornication, not to engage in homosexual relations, or not to kill the unborn or facilitate abortion in any way, she speaks to us the truth of Jesus Christ.The truth can certainly seem to us to be "rigid and unyielding," but this is precisely because itisimmutable and not subject to the whims or rationalizations of a malformed conscience.

Our Holy Father has rightly called us to adopt a more "pastoral approach" toward those who feel outcast, neglected or confused.But this charitable accompanimentmustlead to only one placeto the truth of Jesus Christ.It would be grossly uncharitable (and perhaps sinful) for a priest or bishop, seeking "new ways of expressing the faith," to water down or violate the church's teachings in favor of a misguided sense of "mercy."

(Deacon) JOSEPH CINQUINOCatonsville, Maryland

***

In my humble knowledge, I'd like to point out to Cardinal Raymond Burke that Jesus did not institute a celibate clergy. In fact, as he well knows, Peter was married and was the first "pope" of the church, so celibacy is not an example of Jesus Christ intended for clergy.

While the last 1,000 years of church history required celibacy of clergy, he is aware many were and are not, and it was a reaction to nepotism and not some theological or spiritual principle. I hope the cardinal can educate himself on history and tradition.

MARK GOTVALDPleasant Hill, California

I am a longtime admirer of Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese. I consider him to be a bright and balanced church spokesperson. That is why I was astounded to see the conclusion to his article aboutpolitical divisions in the church as a threat to church unity.

After pointing out that the Catholic Church is almost equally divided among Trump supporters and those who oppose him, Reese concludes:

"Experienced moderators will be needed for such listening sessions. Undoubtedly, Democrats will say "The president should stop tweeting," while Republicans will say "The Democrats should stop trying to impeach the president." The moderator will need to constantly bring the group back to the question "What can we do to heal our country," not what the president or others should do."

I think he should have concluded with the clear implication of his own concluding statements "Christians must know that we are Christians by our love, rather than know that we are Catholics by our fights."

And he should have gone on to say that divisions in the Catholic Church are not a matter of tweets vs. impeachment. They are about the need for church leaders, including Reese, to call out and condemn the immoral, unchristian, criminal and unconstitutional behavior of this person, this president and this administration. Much of what Trump does and his followers support is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Gospels. What Catholics need to decide is whether they consider so many of his repugnant behavior and policies contrary to Catholic moral teaching.

TIM MANNELLOWilliamsport, Pennsylvania

***

In reply to Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese's article, as a one-time union leader and as an officer of the Oregon AFL-CIO executive board, I have experienced the labor movement at the apex of its power. Political leaders were selected not by party but by what they could do for the union. Republicans were not the natural enemy at that time.

Afterthe air traffic controllers strike where the leadership of the national AFL-CIO caved to Ronald Reagan's threats, the labor movement became a servant to the Democratic party. We lost our ability to be courted by both sides.

The Catholic Church should espouse their strongest core beliefs to their congregation and encourage only that they pull the ballot lever for the candidate that will best represent them. I will guarantee that were this to happen, both parties would take notice and start doing what is best for the nation and not their political ideologies.

TOM BURNSPortland, Oregon

***

In response to Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese's article "Will the Catholic Church self-destruct or bridge the partisan divide?" a few thoughts.

Reese approaches the divide from a partisan perspective. I am registered as "non-affiliated" voter. My biggest problem with his approach is that as a Catholic Church, we need not necessarily take partisan sides but we must proclaim Gospel values. The moral compass of our country has seemed to disappear and the Catholic Church and its priests and bishops hold some of the responsibility for the loss. The guiding principle of disciples of Jesus is, "Love one another as I have loved you." The "moral compass" is expressed clearly in Matthew 25 feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter and clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned.

It is that end to which all disciples of Jesus should strive. Yes, we often fail. But we cannot fail to proclaim those truths of our faith as a challenge to all who would be disciples of Jesus. Sure, some members of our congregations may not like hearing that message anew. But it is a message that transcends partisan politics.

The church must have the courage to proclaim what is a difficult message to hear. It must be willing to correct errors in the thought of those who justify, by whatever mental gymnastics, that the message of Jesus is clear and we are, as his disciples, responsible to live that message. We must not give up and continue to try, in our own personal lives, to live what Jesus calls his disciples to do.

(Msgr.) JOSEPH R. SOBIESIAKCitrus Springs, Florida

Mike Jordan Laskey has written yet another insightful article:Confessions of a reluctant parish shopper. However, I'd like to offer a couple of counterpoints to his search, based on the personalities of my family's parish which we shopped to find almost 27 years ago and still love.

I'd first ask him to give each parish a couple of tries, varying the Mass each time. Our parish is one community where (most) everyone is comfortable with each other, but one in which there are slightly different flavors of worship at the four different Masses each weekend. One has a pull-out children's liturgy of the word and thus draws our young families. Another is largely populated by our senior members. If his family picked the wrong Mass, he would not necessarily get the "community flavor" he is looking for.

Two suggestions to add to his criteria list. First of all, how welcomed do you feel as you enter church? As with entering a home, that is the very first, and usually very telling indication of what you're in for. Second, do the online research ahead of time. Not only can it help you pick the right Mass, but it can also give a good indication of the parish community beyond the Masses. How up to date, comprehensive, and inviting is the website?

I hope he and his family can find a parish community that "feeds them" and which in turn they can feed. In our own experience, we were welcomed into the community with open arms, helping us in turn become very active members to the point where the Holy Spirit, working through the community, called me to the diaconate. Ordained 19 years ago, I am still actively ministering in our now three linked parishes.

(Deacon) DICK CURRIELawrenceville, New Jersey

***

The author described the experience well. Years ago, when I took a leave of absence from the Dominicans and the priesthood, and moved to Albuquerque, it was a strange experience to find a parish I could call "home," since I knew absolutely no one in the area. Finally, I found the Catholic Newman Center at the University of New Mexico.

After I moved to the Seattle area in 2013 to marry my wife Nancy, we had that same struggle. We had met at the Dominican parish in Seattle, and people knew the both of us, and then we moved to our present location in Shoreline, where the local parish uses incense (which my wife is allergic to), and I scheduling issues due to jobs and a study program.

We did the parish shopping for a few years until we found our home parish of St. Luke's on the other end of Shoreline.

BOB MARZULLOShoreline, Washington

***

Reading Michael Jordan Laskey's column on parish shopping, I felt the need to add a few comments. I belong to the older generation when you lived with parish boundaries and endured whoever and whatever God and the bishop sent you. More recently I figured I needed to let my bishop know that some of his choices were poor and I asked God to change them. In the meantime, I looked elsewhere for spiritual nourishment.

I recall one church where we (my wife and I both) were overwhelmed by the greeting in the church lobby. We were embraced by people we had known years before. The music was alive, the sermon clear, doctrinally sound and delivered intelligibly. It took 30 minutes but was worth it. Afterward, we joined the communityin the church hall for coffee.

I believe there are certain elements that most parishes lack in their liturgy, over and above the sense of community. This is not just an assembly but a celebration. The sign of peace should involve the whole community, not just a nod to your neighbor in the seat beside you. So it adds five minutes. So what? This is your family, your brothers and sisters in Christ.

BILL KEANELeesburg, Florida

In a week of unusual, national turbulence, your manifesto "Hate is not welcome aqu" was just a bit too much for this Pope Francis loving, Vatican II, Catholic octogenarian who has never taken for granted the sacrifices and racial profiling of her own ancestors.

I am privileged to be a legal citizen of the United States and thank God regularly for my greats and grands who had the courage and good sense to escape oppressive homelands when they did, and I have no doubt that becoming legalized in the mid- and late-1800's was just as traumatic an experience then as it is now for those who currently crowd our Southern borders.

As Latinos and Latinas, is your sense of feeling hated and marginalized unique? Nonsense! You are not alone in your fury. Sadly, but simply, it goes with the territory and you would be wiseto learn to accept that this rotten, suspicious, hateful attitude toward incoming "strangers" is part of human DNA.

Placing the blame for the humanitarian crisis at the border and hateful rhetoric on President Donald Trump is too simplistic. The conditions described in those holding areas as well as the appallingly inadequate, processing procedures preceded his administration and it is a known fact that Obama was much more aggressive in returning illegals than Trump.

I once marched with Caesar Chavez for improved working conditions for migrant farm workers in California. Hearing of this, (former) friends in my church distanced themselves from us and we were immediately labeled Communist sympathizers. Yes, I do know what it feels like to be marginalized hatefully by misinformed and ignorant, fellow Christians.

NANCY McGUNAGLEKalispell, Montana

Regarding Michael Sean Wintersarticle on Pope Francis' letter to priests, and the letter itself, I found it gravely lacking.

Where was the apology for the years of instructions from the Vatican to bishops to cover it up?

Where was the apology for the appointment of bishops so tuned to Rome that they were willing to suppress their consciences or moral sense of "the right thing to do" to blindly follow those immoral orders?

Where was the imperative investigation (by outside sources) to find out who gave those orders?

In my humble opinion, until the above elements are addressed, fully and forthrightly, there will be little healing and little restoration of trust.

For Pope Francis to theologize the sexual abuse issues and its cover-up misses the serious question of the curial personnel's amorality and the vast shortfall in the past selection of bishops. Basic right and wrong should precede obedience and institutional loyalty.

(Fr.) JAMES E. HEALYLee's Summit, Missouri

***

As a married Catholic layman, I found much of what Pope Francis so beautifully wrote to priests also applies in different ways to any of us trying to live a faithful life in Christ.

I felt this especially when I substituted "flock" with "family" and read his words about "there are still people unafraid to make lifelong promises."

So, what else is a marriage vow?

All of us are wounded by the failures of our church and especially its leadership in recent years. However we are not wholly blameless. Why were we not demanding accountability sooner? How many "yes fathers" and "whatever you say fathers" did we let slip?

Perhaps popes, priests, bishops, and lay need to focus more on our common humanity and pray for God's grace to live each role fully in a Christian community.

BARRY McGONIGLEOmagh, Northern Ireland

In his article "Church in Poland continues confrontation with the LGBTQ community," Jonathan Luxmoore wrote "Jedraszewski's words were aimed at people of same-sex orientations and transgender identities."

I would like to politely disagree with this statement. The church never condemns anyone for his sins or erroneous beliefs. Sin and falsification of the truth revealed by God deserve condemnation and never the sinner.

These are the things that Krakow Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski has spoken against when referring to the "rainbow plague."

Even though people of same-sex orientation and other sexually-confused persons deserve to voice their convictions as anyone else, the church cannot remain silent in front of their erroneous sexual confusion especially when various political and "human rights" organizations try to spread and impose on everyone the false ideas about sexuality, family, freedom and the place of human person in the world created by God with its proper natural order.

In this sense, I would like to express my support for Jedraszewski and other church members who have the courage to voice their disagreement against the LGBTQ propaganda without physical violence.

Those "Catholics" who condemn the bishop in question or others for speaking against the LGBTQ falsifications of the truth confuse Christian love and mercy with thoughtless and unprincipled tolerance toward our confused brethren.

We cannot forget that to correct one's neighbor is an act of mercy rather than let him remain in his erroneous conviction and thus agree to his denial of the truth out of confusion.

GRZEGORZ OKULEWICZDeszczno, Poland

***

The church should stand for the moral law as laid down by the God who is our creator.

Whether the WHO provides guidelines for gender ideology is of no consequence to what the moral law provides us in the manner of the creation of God who created us as male and female.

The WHO is not the authentic authority on gender and takes their cue from the social and behavioral sciences, leaving the actual biological nature of our being totally out of the picture of gender.

Attractions seem to rule the need for anyone to become spiteful against moral and biological laws of nature as well as the law set down by our creator.

It might be wise for all the left leaning people to check their own prejudices, who think the right leaning people have it wrong about love and care in the nature of the family, who provide a male and female for the model and the care and concern within this family brings for the genuine love of children and their development.

The very idea that the LGBTQ can dictate the moral law of God through intimidation and manmade law as well as sanctioned in an ideological theory accepted by the WHO, is absolutely disgraceful for any God fearing person who believes they have the right and the permission from God the Trinity to carry out their ideology for the entire moral law and the world order. No one has this permission.

ROSE GALBRAITHHamilton, Ontario

As I've pointed out many times before, even in this publication, until the Roman Catholic Church jettisons its dependence on static scholastic philosophy as the hermeneutic for interpreting what is natural or not, it will continue to promote and foster discrimination against the LGBT community.

The Holy Spirit has not been sleeping throughout the ages. The spirit continues to reveal new insights on what is human and natural in God's plan for humanity and the universe. Why wouldn't God use all the avenues to the truth which have been created? The natural sciences (genetics, psychology, anthropology, etc.) besides theology and philosophy, are also avenues through which the spirit communicates the truth regarding human nature and the mysteries of God's creation. Have we been listening?

The essential tool to interpret and define what is natural and part of God's ongoing plan, is covenant love.

(Fr.) PASCAL IPOLITOWest Seneca, N.Y

Colman McCarthy's article regarding thepacifism of Joan Baezreminds me of my argument with Joan at her Institute For the Study of Nonviolence in 1969.

We argued over the role of the hippies. She wanted them to do more in an effort to stop the Vietnam War. I wanted her to appreciate their lifestyle as a sign of the times in which automation was eliminating jobs.

She won. It is covered in my recent memoir,Maverick Priest: A Story of Life on the Edge.

(Fr.) HARRY J. BURYSt. Paul, Minnesota

What can be done for Jeannette Cooperman to celebrate her story, "After 45 years of music, a final concert for the St. Louis Jesuits"?

What agorgeous piece of work. Perfect ear, perfect sense of tone. Perfect.

Thank you. I saved it.

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Your thoughts on Cardinal Burke's vision of church, the partisan divide, parish shopping and more - National Catholic Reporter

SALT LAKE CITY For several years now, Anthony Sweat has been teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on multiple platforms.

First, hes an associate professor of church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University.

Secondly, hes authored and co-authored several books.

Thirdly, hes used a paint brush.

My original career plan was to be a full-time studio artist, said Sweat, who earned a degree in painting and drawing from the University of Utah. I joke that the Lord saved me from a life of poverty and led me into the big money of religious education instead.

Understanding the power of visual imagery and wanting people to learn about the Restoration through his artwork, Sweat began creating art that depicted church history themes not previously painted, or if so, a more accurate portrayal.

One of his paintings, The Gift and Power of God, shows Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon by using a seer stone(s) placed in a hat, based on several historic accounts that consistently mention the prophet using a hat.

I wanted to give a more faithful representation of it, said Sweat, who has now painted close to 30 different scenes of the restoration that will be featured in a forthcoming book. Its been well received for the most part.

Sweat uses his painting in his new book, Seekers Wanted, to teach how to take the right approach to studying church history.

The 171-page book offers readers skills, tools and other resources for how to seek learning by study and faith, Sweat said.

I dont want to tell people what to think, I want to help them with how to think and particularly, what to seek, Sweat said.

Sweat recently took a break from his classes and research to discuss the inspiration for Seekers Wanted, along with interesting aspects of his life and career in an interview with the Deseret News.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Deseret News: You served a mission in La Paz, Bolivia. Whats one thing you learned as a missionary that continues to bless your life?

Anthony Sweat: La Paz was a difficult mission. My first city was at 14,000 feet in the tops of the Andes Mountains, living in a mud house with a tin roof. There wasnt hardly anybody there I could talk to. Most of them were indigenous Bolivians, with a very different culture and worldview than mine. Nobody spoke English. For a young, fairly sheltered 19-year-old kid from Utah, it was not just culture shock, it was a lesson in how you grow close to God. The Lord lets us experience difficulty and see our weakness so we can learn to rely on his grace and strength. I realized quickly that I would not be able to do things on my own, that I was a very weak and flawed person. But with him, his strength, his grace and help, I can do the things he needs me to do. Thats been a lesson that has stayed with me my whole life that Ive called on many times.

DN: Prior to coming to BYU, you taught seminary for 13 years. What is your favorite gospel topic to teach to teenagers?

AS: A number of years ago, one of my first books I ever wrote was for teenagers. It was called, Im Not Perfect, Can I Still Go to Heaven? I think my favorite topic is to try to help them understand our covenant relationship with Jesus. If you are a covenant person its the covenant that saves you, your spiritual marriage to Jesus, so to speak. Its not your qualifications. Its not your words. Were not earning our way to heaven. Were not trying to be perfect so we can qualify ourselves for heaven, were trying to qualify ourselves for Christ and the covenant so he can take us to heaven on his merits.

Thats one of my favorite things to teach teenagers particularly because generally when you are a teenager, thats when you start to make real mistakes and sin. You see the need for repentance. Its a timely message for them to grasp at that time in their lives, and the joy of the gospel covenant because of it. Id much rather talk about that than things like fun dating lessons. I want to give them the core of the gospel.

DN: What is the most challenging aspect of being a church history professor at BYU?

AS: The thing that is most challenging is you have students with a wide variety of perspectives, experiences and needs, along with a wide variety of questions. I teach bigger classes all of my classes are 200-250 students. So to teach in a way that is meeting the needs of a broad student body base. Some of them are intellectual. Some of them come from some exotic backgrounds in the sense that they have a lot of life and world travel experience. Some are fairly sheltered. Some are international students, some are from Provo. Some are returned missionaries, some are not. Some are married, some are not. Some could have gone to an Ivy League school. Others are simply struggling with faith. Others just want to follow the prophet and be close to Jesus. They dont want to think about some of these complex issues that people bring up about the church.

The challenge is to teach in a way that meets the needs and appeals to a broad student body. To me, finding that middle road where everyone finds enlightenment and edification from your class is a challenge. But its a fun challenge.

DN: What inspired you to write Seekers Wanted? Why is it timely?

AS: What inspired this book has been the myriad discussions Ive had over the last five or six years, particularly at BYU and with students I have spoken with at different conferences and events around the country.

What I perceived was that we need to give people better skills. In my book, I dont directly answer certain hot topic questions, even though Ill use them as examples. My point is more to give people the tools and abilities so that they know how to seek learning by study and faith themselves, to help them be more self-sufficient learners and seek after the right things.

President M. Russell Ballards 2016 talk, The Opportunities and Responsibilities of CES Teachers in the 21st Century, was a major catalyst for the book. One phrase that really stuck out to me was, Gone are the days when a student asked an honest question and a teacher responds, Dont worry about it! Gone are the days when a student raised a sincere concern and a teacher bore his or her testimony as a response intended to avoid the issue. Gone are the days when students were protected from people who attacked the church. He went on to say you need to model for your students how to seek learning by study and faith and to demonstrate those skills. I hope this book, in some small way, can help fulfill some of that directive from President Ballard.

DN: How long did it take you to write the book?

AS: I once heard David McCullough, the historian and great biographer, say the question people often dont ask is, How much time did you take thinking about it? I think most of the work is thinking thinking through things, how to approach things and how to help. This book is the culmination of six or seven years of thinking through some of these things and teaching them to students. Ive been thinking about these issues for a long time. The writing process took about a year, but this book is the culmination of literally thousands of discussions and classes.

All writing is autobiography. I believe this book is also a reflection of me and my experiences.

DN: What message would you like readers to take from Seekers Wanted?

AS: My hope is to help people come unto Christ and love the restoration, as well as the covenants of the restoration. Its written in a way that I hope appeals to a situation for every member of the church. I think theres chapters in here that would help every member of the church to be a seeker of truth. So I hope they can view this book that way and find some benefit.

Read the rest here:

Art, teaching and skills for Seekers: A conversation with author and BYU professor Anthony Sweat, author of - Deseret News

As previously profiled on this blog, Ive had the pleasure to serve as a consultant on Beijing-based Impact Eyes virtual reality trilogy, Walk in China an immersive ode to Chinese cultural treasures. Walk in China officially premiered in the virtual reality section of the 16th China International Film & TV Program Exhibition this September in Beijing to keen interest and rave reviews from expo attendees and visiting officials.

Following are some photos from the inaugural event, with context and commentary from Golden Horse-winning producer ZHAO Qi and Disney veteran director Wen FENG.

ZHAO Qi on the Walk in China trilogy

Chinas Belt & Road initiative is focused not only on economic cooperation, but also on cultural exchange. Just as the Silk Road carried ancient Chinese civilization to the outside world, so today the Belt & Road initiative conveys Chinas cultural heritage to people far and wide. Advances in technology have spawned a proliferation of communication media. Through their convergence, these media offer a fresh and interactive immersive experience. Increasingly, audience participation is playing a crucial role in the dissemination of information. Against this background, we have produced the Walk in China VR trilogy.

Virtual reality immerses users in interactive experiences that transcend time and space. Our cultural project embraces a synthesis of laser scanning, photogrammetry, artistic innovation, plot construction and interactive design. The VR handset conjures a virtual space where users can examine the minutest details of the environment. The accompanying text and voice commentary which can be activated at will provides a deeper understanding of the relevant scenes and storylines. Users gain full access to all content generated in the virtual space, thanks to the subtly layered perspective of virtual reality technology.

ZHAO Qi on The Cave

The Dunhuang region, once a vital link on the route from Asia to Europe, has throughout history been a pivotal trade hub between the East and West. It was the gateway through which Buddhism entered Chinas heartland, through which the worlds major civilizations met and merged, through which art, technology and trade thrived. The images at Dunhuangs Mogao Grottos are an illustrated historical chronicle that have drawn admiring visitors from across the globe, but are currently under preservation protections. When presenting the evocative and sensitive imagery of the Mogao Grottos, conventional media such as linear video have proven inadequate. So we decided to use more interactive and immersive methods to introduce Cave 285 a renowned site that is rarely opened to visitors.

The laser scanning and photogrammetry equipment, coordinated by a sophisticated measurement system, gathered comprehensive three-dimensional data on Cave 285s interior, down to the tiniest details of the surface texture. The data was then fed into a point cloud system for mapping and restoration. The resulting 3D geometry scans and 2D texture imagery were then combined to generate a precise, unmolested virtual replica of Dunhuang Mogao Cave 285.

When you don your VR headset, you step into a bygone era. The wind disperses into a cloud of dust which reveals a dark grotto wherein colourful reflections glimmer. You pick up a lamp at your feet and explore the darkness, admiring the walls covered with myriad illustrations. Gradually, the storylines begin to unravel before your eyes literally and figuratively.

ZHAO Qi on Leaving for Baidi City in Early Morning

Tang poetry is the cultural epitome of a prosperous dynasty. But what does the Tang Dynasty look like? It is hard to imagine, and even more difficult to restore. There are no paper versions of the landscape paintings of the Tang Dynasty surviving today. Our images are mainly based on the silk painting Boat and Pavilion by Li Sixun, and the painting The Tang Emperor Travelling to Sichuan by Li Zhaodao, as well as the Tang Dynasty murals in Dunhuangs Mogao Grottos. These treasures enable us to imagine the elegance and grandeur of the Tang Dynasty.

This second VR experience in our trilogy allows users to literally enter the world of Tang painting, immersing themselves in the context of idyllic Tang poetry and imagery, adapted to virtual reality. We chose the seven-character Chinese quatrain Leaving for Baidi City in Early Morning, which was created by Li Bai a romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty during his return from a period of exile. After careful study of the Tang Dynasty paintings, we applied 3D technology to build digital models of the river and mountains creating a three-dimensional interpretation of the reference materials, and immersing users in a picturesque environment.

Wearing the VR headset, you find yourself in a Tang painting and poem brought to three-dimensional life. Rowing the wooden boat, you pull yourself along the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges, amid cascading mountains echoed by ethereal bird chirps and monkey cries, with surprises around every bend. Within this environment, we designed a number of classical Chinese interactions, allowing people to experience the poet's journey and mood in a deeper manner than by reading. You have a visceral impression of Tang poetry in minutes.

ZHAO Qi on The Warriors

The Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty are a large-scale underground army in an impressive array. Since their accidental exposure in Xian province in 1974, the Terracotta Warriors have been tirelessly excavated and restored for more than 40 years, unveiling part of the mausoleum of Chinas famed Qin Emperor. Although the Warrior pits are restricted to the public, you can experience one of the Eight Wonders of the World up close and in person, through the world of VR.

Thousands of life-sized visages stand around you. Do you recognize any of them? You stand there as if among the 85 craftsmen of the Qin Dynasty who marked their names in history with the story of an empire, the details so vivid that you can make out hair and palm prints. The Warriors weapons crossbows, swords, spears, axes, shields, horse-drawn carriages are at the ready. Which will you choose? Who will you be? To what destiny are these heavily armed forces headed?

Independent filmmaker Wen FENG, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy and former Director of Development for Disney China, discussed the ins and outs of creating The Cave, Impact Eyes award-winning first piece in the Walk in China trilogy.

Wen FENG on working with VR

My background is in entertainment media. I worked in the animation industry for more than 10 years, mostly in development and production including at Disney here in China. The Cave was my first VR project, and the first room-scale VR experience for our producer ZHAO Qi and most of the team. Everybody brought their own experiences from different backgrounds. Our writer researched the historical aspects of The Cave most of the narration you hear is written by her but our team had many meetings to determine the content. We thought about how people conceptualize their existence, and discussed that philosophical question a lot. But towards the end, we mainly focused on helping people intuitively navigate VR. Unfamiliar users need more help than you anticipate, and do things you may never imagine often based on their expectations from traditional media.

Wen FENG on the differences between VR and traditional media

A VR project is very different from traditional media. There were so many unexpected things that happened after we finished our initial development. Beta user interactions in VR led to lots of adjustments. The Cave is also different from a VR game. A game is very direct: you keep things entertaining so people will play. With our Chinese cultural works, the goal was for people to enjoy the experiences without feeling bored or lectured to keeping them vivid and interactive while not cheapening those experiences. The earliest version of The Cave offered immediate interaction, but most people were interested in looking at the cave itself, so we allowed time for them to do this. Its a rare Chinese cultural treasure after all, and restricted to the public. We also allowed time simply for people to become familiar with the environment of the VR space.

Wen FENG on guiding the user in VR

We spent much of our time thinking about ways we could make people feel involved, but not directed. The Caves pop-up book element is one example. We wanted people to watch the animated story of The 500 Bandits, and we hoped that people would stand in a certain spot so they can have the best point of view in VR. But we didnt want say, You go over there! Thats why we created a huge table, which rises from the floor as a base for the book. Scale and sound are important components of VR. Weve even seen people step back because they are afraid to be bumped by the table. This is an invisible way to guide the audience and direct their experience.

Wen FENG on adapting the Dunhuang cave paintings

The most famous part of the Dunhuang caves is the paintings, which are essentially Chinese art history. It was important to adapt the paintings in a new way to make them more interesting in the VR medium but to keep the original meaning of the paintings intact. The simplest idea was to have the painted characters come to life on the wall, but that missed the spatial benefits of VR. So we had a brainstorm, and the pop-up book idea came about. Its a format that almost every culture has some tradition of, and is used to introduce the Dunhuang cave paintings. We tried to apply the original painted imagery as directly as possible, with a limited animation style. I found different reference points from which to tell the paintings stories, established the staging of the animated characters, determined how high the picture book would be to provoke people to look up and generate feelings of respect, etc.

Wen FENG on the physical versus the spiritual in VR

Conceptualizing the spirituality of The Cave took place from the start, while our screenwriter was researching the history of the Dunhuang caves including all of the stories that were painted on the cave walls. There are so many, but we narrowed it down to three, and then my job was to figure out how to visualize them. We reviewed some existing VR games that are set in the Dunhuang caves. The digital assets in those games are realistic, extremely colorful and a little creepy. I wanted our fantasy elements to be more transparent and ethereal in the same way that a Chinese painting can be suggestive by using negative space. When you first put on the VR headset, everything in The Cave has volume. If we then added ten fairies around you as solid digital characters, youd feel crowded and perhaps alarmed. It wouldnt be very beautiful and wouldnt evoke the appropriate spiritual feeling. The scanned Dunhuang cave data is a representation of an actual space, and the animated ethereal visions act as a representation of a spiritual experience, such as the Dunhuang monks might have. So we have a physical space and a mental space in VR.

Wen FENG on transcendence

The fairies of Cave 285 are your guides from the beginning, and we use a fantasy premise to reveal them. So when people have this experience they know theyre on a spiritual journey. In the pop-up book section of The Cave, we emphasize the last page, which leads the participants to look up into the glorious light of the Buddha. You later find a beanstalk in a little alcove, which is an actual place in the cave: ancient monks would meditate there. And that leads you toward a tree not just any tree, but the Bodhi Tree. So, The Cave starts from a historical point of view, and then leads the audience to a state that corresponds to enlightenment - of being a Buddha. In the end, you can become Buddha.

Kevin is the author of AWN's Reality Bites blog, his musings on the art, technology and business of immersive media (AR, VR, MR) and AI. You can find Kevin's website at http://www.kevingeiger.com and he can be reached at holler@kevingeiger.com.

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'Walk in China' VR Trilogy - Animation World Network

Spiritual awakening is a state of enlightenment; everyone going down the path of spiritual enlightenment will undergo similar experiences o...

by Helen E. Williams

As with most things involving spirituality, the phenomenon of spiritual enlightenment or awakening doesnt have a clear and concise definition.

We describe it as a highly complex and rich phenomenon that involves reaching a certain degree of understanding of life, oneself, and our reason to be among various other things.

When people undergo spiritual enlightenment, they experience a change within themselves. Although everyone has their own unique experiences, there are some common elements that we all share.

Spiritual enlightenment has strong, direct, spiritual implications and is a result to being more aware of ones spirituality and the ability to see past these illusions or fallacies.

The following are some of the changes we all experience as we go through this state of major transformation.

Are you on a path of spiritual enlightenment? Have you achieved it already?

1. Revisiting Childhood and Parental RelationshipsAll people that undergo a huge spiritual transformation revisit their early years of life. Healing our childhoods traumas is a vital requirement for deep healing.

Since we especially develop in our first years of life, any possible trauma greatly affects our perception of life and other related things.

In order to have a more accurate perspective on life and a better understanding of this reality, we must reexamine the basic notions upon which we have built our world on, in our early years of life.

Moreover, we have to develop healthier and stronger relationships with our families and, especially, with our parents, who have played such a huge role in what we have become today.

Just by attempting to heal old wounds or repair damaged relationships, one exhibits intense growth and maturity, which is a crucial aspect to ones awakening. This will, inevitably, lead to spiritual enlightenment.

2. Treading Uncharted Territories

While growing up, we tend to build a life that is equivalent to a bubble. However, it is unhealthy to stay within that bubble, as it severely limits our experience of the world.

We all have to take that first step in venturing into the unknown and make a place for ourselves in the world.

Once we start to explore the world and stop confining ourselves within our comfort zones, we star growing in previously unimagined ways, and this is one of the necessary steps we must take in order to experience true awakening.

3. Understanding and Eliminating Dysfunctional Relationships

Many people, despite being aware, stay within their dysfunctional relationships and try to find justification for their decisions.

This habit of deceiving your own self negates growth and perpetuates other dysfunctional habits in your life. Being surrounded by positive influences is extremely important, as we tend to absorb more than we can imagine from our interactions with those around us.

The ability to distinguish unhealthy relationships is a huge part of your awakening and using the newly acquired understanding by eliminating these unhealthy relationships helps you in achieving spiritual enlightenment.

4. Being Aware of the Gift that is Health

A vast majority of people dont understand the blessing of a good health physical, mental and social. Most of us only understand this important gift when our health starts to deteriorate and, for the first time in our lives, we understand that health is priceless.

Those of us who understood the significance of health and actively make an effort towards maintaining it (by exercising, eating healthy, and so on), are a part of a minority.

This realization is a huge step for those moving towards spiritual enlightenment.

5. Developing the Ability to Learn Perpetually

There are people, although small in numbers, who are always looking to learn something new from their experiences and interactions.

Such people have a desire to better comprehend the complexities of life and the world around them. Therefore, they seek knowledge and are open to learn new things, simply because it brings them pleasure and a sense of fulfillment.

Learning, in itself, is an evolutionary process one that complies with the nature of our life. Only those who are willing to learn and possess a burning desire to create their own educated perspectives will head closer towards attaining enlightenment.

6. Exuding Positivity

Many people are subject to self-sabotage and they practice self-defeatist practices and beliefs that only impede with their own growth.

One of the most important steps towards becoming spiritually aware is the realization that thoughts and emotions are very powerful.

A person that is completely engulfed in negativity will never be able to experience happiness or joy, no matter how beautiful their lives may be.

Those who can be true to themselves and seek joy in their experiences, can truly attain spiritual enlightenment.

7. Understanding the Significance of Life

Ask people about their jobs and most will tell you just how much they hate it.

If you value your career so much and you think that your work is what defines you, then why not, at least, choose something that you love doing?

Unfortunately though, most people choose to work in stressful environments that deprive them of creativity or joy, and their sole motivation to continue is the next paycheck. Pursuing money and choosing a career on those basis, usually leads to everything else but joy.

Instead, you should understand that no matter what you choose to do, as long as you make an honest effort and your work brings you pleasure, money will always come.

Those who have understood what the truly important things are, and actively seek joyous experiences in their work and personal lives, are the ones who have developed enough understanding to move towards spiritual enlightenment.

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7 Signs That You Are Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment ...

Come to Mother Natures red-rock temples to experience their life-transforming, soul-nourishing work in person. Sedona is a perfect place for spiritual and personal enrichment of the body and the soul. From healing massage treatments, yoga, spas and salons to hypnotherapy and retreats, surely Sedona has something to offer. Our Sedona Chamber of Commerce Affinity Group, the Sedona Metaphysical Spiritual Association, is a great resource for learning about the spiritual and metaphysical side of Sedona.

The majestic red rock scenery and evergreen vegetation are two reasons for the unique energy of Sedona and its tangible regenerative and inspirational effects. The red-orange color of the rock is one of the most neuro stimulating of colors. It enhances creative thinking and problem solving. Because Sedona is framed year round by green, visitors are also bathed in sense of hope and renewal, regardless of the season. The spectacular trails and overlooks provide numerous opportunities for prayer, and contemplation. Sedona is also internationally known for the uplifting power of its Vortex meditation sites. Two aspects of those sites make Sedona truly special. First, within a very small geographical radius, you can easily access all the different types of vortexes (upflow/masculine/electric, inflow/feminine/magnetic, or combination /electromagnetic, etc.) Second, the Vortex sites are interwoven with the real world of a growing city. As a result, seekers have experiences in how to live their spirituality as they go through their daily lives. Rather than having to escape from civilization to find peace, visitors discover that Sedonas splendor gives them insights for how to create an inner harmony they can maintain once at home.

Sedona is a mecca for alternative healers. Living this close to the beauty of the land has inspired many profoundly holistic approaches to health. Our body-temples are complex multi-dimensional organisms, and Sedona healers apply their gifts to every level of the body/mind/spirit spectrum. You will benefit from their intuitive skills and compassionate hearts as well as their intellectual training and hands-on experience. So, whether youre currently troubled with health issues or are simply seeking more wellness, pleasure and balance in your life a visit to one of these dedicated practitioners could open up new worlds for you.

The natural beauty of Sedona is extraordinary from any perspective, but the closer you get, the deeper your experience will be. Special Sedona guides can transport you through the physical landscape and into the heart of the wild. Let the spirits of the land speak to you. Our Native brothers and sisters are sharing their tribal wisdom, showing us how to live in harmony with the earth and all our relations. Some of the most profound spiritual experiences in Sedona are to be found out on the land.

Sedona Vortex sites are popular tourist attractions. What are these Sedona vortexes? Vortex sites are enhanced energy locations that facilitate prayer, meditation, mind/body healing, and exploring your relationship with your Soul and the divine. They are neither electric nor magnetic (although these words are often used to describe the vortexes, along with the other nomenclature such as masculine or feminine sites). The explanation for vortexes lies more at the boundaries of known science, rather than in electromagnetic descriptions or gender related labels.

Recently the PBS program Nova, featured a breakthrough in physics called String Theory (also known as super-strings) that is revolutionizing all of science on the same order of magnitude that Einsteins discoveries did in the early 1900s. The key spiritual implications of super-strings is that the worlds top scientists agree that all things exist in a minimum of 10 or more dimensions. Simply stated, Vortex sites are locations having energy flows in those deeper dimension that the Soul can soar on.

Upflow Vortexes (also called electric or masculine sites), have energy flows that help you soar to higher spiritual perspectives. They enhance prayers or meditations for blending with the Universe, feeling one with the divine, or facing a problem from a Soul level. Inflow Vortexes (also called magnetic or feminine), have energy flows that help you go inward. In them you will be more successful with meditations or prayers about your life purposes or how to heal hurts in your past. There are also Combination Vortexes that have aspects of both energies. These allow the seeker to experience more advanced or in-depth spiritual skills and meditations.

A wide variety of lectures, texts, and guides are available through Sedonas bookstores and Spiritual Centers to assist you in experiencing the power of Sedonas Vortex sites. Give yourself the gift of tapping Sedonas potential for spiritual renewal and advancement.

Editorial provided by Pete A. Sanders Jr., MIT Honors Graduate and David Cates authorized for use by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce

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Sedona Spiritual Inspiration & Healing | Visit Sedona

Buddhist monks, Hindu yogis, modern spiritual teachers, and Burning Man enthusiasts may all use the term spiritual enlightenmentbut are they speaking about the same thing?

In this article I will explore what enlightenment is, both the traditional definition as well as the modern changes to it. There is no consensus around this topic, and its an area of intense metaphysical debate. My purpose here is to eliminate some misconceptions, and to discuss what are the optimal attitudes to develop in relation to this lofty goal.

Why is this important? Because the right attitude will empower you to live a deep and fulfilling life, while the wrong attitude will make you feel frustrated, inferior, or indifferent.

The traditional concept of enlightenment comes from the spiritual traditions of India notably the various schools of Yoga, Vedanta and Buddhism and denotes the highest state of spiritual attainment. The end of the path.

Some of the synonymous for enlightenment, given by different schools of thought, are:

All these traditions have several points of disagreement when it comes to defining the metaphysical nature of enlightenment. However, at their root they all seem to agree on at least three points:

As you can see, the bar is high.

There are similarities between this concept and what is called Salvation or the Kingdom of God in Christian Mysticism, and union with God in Sufism, but exploring those parallels is beyond the scope of this article.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, only one in a billion people knows the Truth, that is, is Enlightened. Yet, nowadays there are many people who judge themselves to be enlightened.

For 99% of those people, one of the following is true:

There will always be people in category a, and Im not so worried about that. The ego is a master of deceit, and it can hide itself in spirituality too.

I also have no problem with category b, although I find it potentially confusing and misleading to name certain stages of the way as enlightenmentwhen they dont actually meet the traditional standards defined for this state (as per Hindu and Buddhist references).

There are levels of experience. There are no levels of Realization. Ramana Maharshi (paraphrased)

There are many milestones on the way, after which deep and permanent transformations happen, and a lot of the possibility of future suffering simply drops away. I speak of this from having observed several teachers, and also from my own personal experience.

These milestones are better called awakening. And there are many awakenings before final enlightenment/liberation.

Moving on, the real problem is people in category c. They are distorting the essential meaning of enlightenment. Perhaps they confuse certain awakenings along the way with full liberation, judging themselves to be enlightened.

In order to make that work for themselves, they need to redefine enlightenment in softer terms, so that it matches their level. And then, because there is obviously a lot of work still ahead for them, they either say that enlightenment is a step in the journey and not the end of it or they pretend that all which is still lacking is not that important (like most neo-advatins).

I dont mean to say that everyone that claims to be enlightened is being deceitful, nor does it mean that they are not effective spiritual teachers. But, if they do not meet the traditional requirements, it seems to me they are either lacking humility or self-awareness. Or else they should use another word to describe their experience/state.

Looking on the bright side, however, even such watering down of enlightenment is beneficial for some people, since it makes it feel more achievable. With that comes increased motivation and dedication to spiritual practice.

Still, one can get that benefit without distorting the initial teaching. Ill explore how towards the end of this post.

Many of the traditions mentioned above agree that enlightenment is already here and now, and that it is our true nature or the true nature of reality. It is not that we have to achieve it or become it, but rather we need to remove the obstacles to its expression.

Some teachings regard liberation as a goal, something to be consciously and methodically worked towards. They emphasize the need to transform and purify the mind (or even transcend it altogether) through practices such as meditation, spiritual study, ethics, devotion, etc. We can call this the gradual approach.

Other traditions prefer to emphasize thealready present aspect of enlightenment, and then center the teachings more around inquiring into yourtrue nature and simply living in the present with non-attachment. We can call this the sudden approach.

In my own spiritual journey, I have practiced for several years under both of these frameworks. There are subtle differences in the type of language they use, the practices they recommend, and the people they attract.

Below is a list ofpros and cons based on my own experience and observation.

Gradual Approach (example: Theravada Buddhism, Raja Yoga, etc.)

Sudden Approach (Zen, Dzogchen, Advaita, etc.)

These approaches are both traditional, true and tested, and I respect them greatly. It is common to see seekers moving from one to another in different stages of their journey.

A combination of practices seems more desirable. Or at least being aware of the traps of your particular approach.

The seeker in a gradual path can also cultivate the feeling that everything is perfect here and now, and that the true nature is always accessible. Conversely, the seeker on a sudden path can cultivate the practices and mental qualities of the slow approach, and contemplate the truth of sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation.

Full enlightenment is possible, and is not only for monks. However, it is extremely rare. I believe that at any time in the world there are probably less than a hundred people in that peak of achievement.

When this truth becomes clear about how elusive and rare full enlightenment realluy is, many people feel discouraged, frustrated, or demotivated. The amount of effort involved is so great, and the time requirements are so considerable, that many just conclude that enlightenment is not for me; I could never practice like those masters.

For most people, seeking it obsessively is actually a source of suffering.

All of these issues happen when we take enlightenment as a hard goal, and cling to it. And these problems all disappear the moment we make a small tweak in our mindset.

What is this tweak? To look at enlightenment as a direction, rather than a goal. Here, my martial arts background comes to rescue:

A goal is not always meant to be reached.

It often serves simply as something to aim at.

Bruce Lee

This attitude also prevents the following problems: (a) feeling that you are not good enough, or worthy; (b) feeling frustrated with the slowness of your progress or the size of the road ahead; (c) wanting to give up; (d) watering down the original concept of enlightenment.

Once you regard it as a direction, you are much softer about it. You are able to better enjoy the path itself, without anxiety, and to grow towards liberation in a more organic way. It also becomes less likely that your spiritual search will negatively interfere with other aspects of your life.

In many traditions, the teachings are quite binary: you are either ignorant, or enlightened. However, since enlightenment is so rare and elevated, this way of seeing things can often be unhelpful.

There are like a thousand important milestones that can happen before full enlightenment, and many of these are truly life-changing. Acknowledging these mini-awakenings can help keep the seeker motivated and on track.

The advanced Yogis, monks and masters that we may compare ourselves to are in the peak of their path. They are like the Olympic athletes of meditation. Many of us are only serious amateurs, aficionados, or semi-professionals. Very few people will practice like those masters. But everyone (you included) can practice a little, and with time enjoy a much happier, more peaceful, and more meaningful life.

Of course, we can and ought to look up to those who completely embody the state of liberation, for the purpose of being inspired to walk in that direction. But this ceases to be helpful once it turns into a self-degrading or demotivating comparison.

If the spiritual search is likened to the search for wealth, then the enlightened ones are the deca-billionaires. It takes a tremendous amount of effort combined withfavorable conditions to arrive at that point.

But how many of us want to go that high?

While very few people are ready to put in the effort and sacrifice to build that amount of wealth, most people can benefit from putting in some effort and arriving at a point of financial freedom. For the great majority of seekers, going from financial struggle to a million dollars in the bank is good enough. Which takes me to my next point.

The spiritual path exists so we can free ourselves from suffering. So we can find true peace, unity, wisdom, meaning. So we can live a deep life, a life of truth.

So let us learn to follow this path and grow in it in a gentle waywithout violence towards ourselves (or others), for it defeats the purpose.

Let us learn to enjoy the path itself. Then there will be no sacrifice. No struggle. Only the natural expansion of consciousness.

If you force a child to grow up quicklyand abandon all her toys, this will not be effective. Even if she grows up quicker than usual, she will resent this growth, and hold secret attachments to the toys that were given up prematurely.

If instead you simply facilitate her growth, a moment comes when the child feels like giving up those toys of her own accord. This is organic growth painless, natural, and timely.

This type of growth is hindered when we try to compare ourselves to others on the spiritual path, pretend to be ahead of where we actually are, or cling hard to the ultimate goal. So let us avoid that trap and focus on the journey right now, where we actually are, one step at a time.

Withtime, as our practice deepens, there will be a sense of joy, peace, and freedom that comes from your spiritual practice that is unlike anything you can experience elsewhere. When that starts to happen then whether it still takes you 5 months, 5 decades, or 5 lifetimes to achieve enlightenment, it wont matter much. You are happy and well, in your unique place in the universe, and nothing else matters.

The first signs of progress on the path of Yoga are perfect health, physical lightness, a luminous face, a beautiful voice, and freedom from craving. Swetasvatara Upanishad

Not bad, Id say.

For my side of things, I dont practice 16 hours a day like monks do, nor do I follow the teachings perfectly. I meditate two to three hours per day, and try to follow the principles and practices during the day to the best of my ability.And I can tell you, from personal experience, that the fruits of the first steps in the path of Liberation are more valuable than anything the world can ever offer you!

Keeping this in mind, and Enlightenment as a north (rather than an obsessive goal), I keep on the path happily, knowing Im doing the best thing I could do with my life. Whether enlightenment exists or not, whether it is possible for me or not, whether it takes ten years or 10,000 yearsseeking it seems to lead to a good life.

In a way, enlightenment and spiritual service are the goal and purpose of all my efforts. But from a more pragmatic perspective, I simply practice because I practice.

I practice because it is the best way to live.

Let us spiritual seekers take enlightenment seriously, without changing the original meaning of this statelest we diverge into sidetracks that only take us half-way up.

Let us take enlightenment as a direction, a Northand not a hard goal to cling on to. If enlightenment happens, thats great. If not, let us walk with the conviction that even the first true steps in the path of liberation already bring more life benefits and superpowers than anything we can find in this world. Simply practicing the spiritual techniques can change your life for the better (here is how it changed mine).

Spirituality, in the end, is about finding the best way to live. Passionately explore your spiritual path; but also enjoy it.

When I started writing this article, I had a lot to say, and no idea how it would end. There are blood, sweat, and tears behind each of the lessons expressed in this post. My heart was pushing me to share this with all fellow seekers out there, and now my mind has finally caught up with these learnings and gave them form.

May this be beneficial for your journey.

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Spiritual Enlightenment - Truths, Distortions, and Paths ...

Firstly, Spiritual Enlightenment has many meanings. The word enlightenment meansthe full comprehension of a situation. If we consider this definition, Spiritual Enlightenment should be defined as the full comprehension of the spiritual world and our spiritual side. Spiritual Enlightenment is also called Spiritual Awakeningor Spiritual Growth. This spiritual experience passes overreaches religion, thought and our mind. It gives us a level of knowledge about the spiritual world.

Itis the complete understanding of life, ourselves, nature, the worlds we live in, everything. There are many people trying to reach enlightenment. The truth is that only those who are searching and learning spiritual ways to get the enlightenment will be lucky to find it. There are many methods to get Spiritual Enlightenment. These are spiritual practices and works. Some of these are: meditation, prayer, chanting, yoga, martial arts, fasting, dancing, sensory depravation, near death experience, spontaneous enlightenment and many more.

Meditation is one of the most powerful spiritual practices. It comes in many types, you can try them and choose the best for you. Meditation is a method of calming your mind and bringing your attention to your inner self, your inner world. It will help you clear your mind and thoughts. It teaches you how to focus on your inside instead of the outside, material world.

Prayer is another powerful Spiritual Enlightenment method. But I am talking about listening for God, not praying for help. Nowadays praying is not what it is supposed to be. People pray for help, only when they are in need of a miracle. These prayers will not teach us spirituality. The real prayers are when we contemplate and silence our minds. Waiting for God and its presence. We are listening to our peaceful mind. We are calm and full of gratitude. This kind of prayer can get us to Spiritual Enlightenment.

Chanting is the singing of words and sounds that help ourselves to align our inner spiritual energy with God. Therefore, chanting as a Spiritual Enlightenment method is often used in different cultures (African, Hawaiian, Native American). It can appear in different forms as Gregorian chant, Quran readings, Buddhist chants, Vedic chants, mantras and many more. These chants will calm our mind. They also change our bodys vibration. This vibration can help our spirit to grow.

Yoga is a Spiritual Enlightenment method that connects us with the divine. The positions and meditation and breathing techniques that it includes can help us calm our mind. It will help us focus on our inner self. It will help us to unite our spirit with the divine and reach the Spiritual Enlightenment.

In conclusion, there are many more Spiritual Enlightenment. They are waiting for you to discover them. Practice a spiritual work, not only for the enlightenment, but for your inner peace. It will help you keep yourself in balance. It will keep you and all your levels healthy including your mind, body, spirit, emotions.

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Spiritual Enlightenment - Spiritual Experience

This article has a quick guide found here.

Quick guides provide a brief summary of the steps needed for completion.

Spiritual Enlightenment is a part of the Tales of the Arc miniquest series.

To begin, speak to The Assassin (Ling) on the island of Aminishi. She asks for help finding the monk, Yulong, but keeps her reasons secret. Ling suggests fighting the Acolytes of Seiryu on the northern portion of Aminishi to obtain clues.

Killing any monks of Aminishi will allow you to receive the three books. The books are The Path of the Monk, The Path of the Elemental, and The Path of the Dragon. The books have a 1/16, 1/32, and 1/64 chance of being dropped respectively. As you obtain the books, read them to progress in the miniquest. Be sure to save at least a few of the Spirit dragon charms you obtain, as you will need them later.

The three types of monk are the Sotapanna, Sakadagami, and Anagami. They require 90 Slayer to damage. All three types of monks are weak to Air spells.

Yulong in the Spirit Realm.

Once all three books have been obtained and read, return to the southern shore and speak to Ling. You must speak to Ling before you can interact with Yulong. Then, with a few Spirit dragon charms in your inventory, head to the centre of the island, near the Sakadagami. Interact with the dragon statue to be sent to the Spirit Realm. A Spirit dragon charm is consumed per minute spent in the Spirit Realm. Run to the southern shore of the island (where Ling stood before) and speak to Yulong. Charms aren't consumed while you're talking to him. You must decide to either tell Ling where he is or agree to keep him hidden.

Once you finish speaking to Yulong, return to the statue and exit the Spirit Realm. Run back to the beach and speak to Ling. Depending on your earlier choice, you will either reveal Yulong's location or keep it a secret. Ling admits that Yulong was not a target for her to assassinate, but rather a childhood friend and ex-member of the Death Lotus assassin. Finish your conversation with Ling to complete the mini-quest.

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"All human individuals, as well as birds, flowers, minerals, worlds, and universes, have a message to deliver from on High - a mission to fulfil - and an end to accomplish.Everything is designed to subserve an end, a purpose, in the vast and boundless laboratory of the All-Wise Divine Mind."

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We are a Spiritualist Church chartered by the National Spiritualist Association of Churches,NSAC. The mission of Spiritualism is to prove the continuity of life through communication with our lovedones in the Spirit world.You're invited to learn more about Spiritualism, healing, our church and its services. The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment meets every Sunday at 222 N. Washington Street in Falls Church, VA.

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Enlightenment, French sicle des Lumires (literally century of the Enlightened), German Aufklrung, a European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries in which ideas concerning God, reason, nature, and humanity were synthesized into a worldview that gained wide assent in the West and that instigated revolutionary developments in art, philosophy, and politics. Central to Enlightenment thought were the use and celebration of reason, the power by which humans understand the universe and improve their own condition. The goals of rational humanity were considered to be knowledge, freedom, and happiness.

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Historians place the Enlightenment in Europe (with a strong emphasis on France) during the late 17th and the 18th centuries, or, more comprehensively, between the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and the French Revolution of 1789. It represents a phase in the intellectual history of Europe and also programs of reform, inspired by a belief in the possibility of a better world, that outlined specific targets for criticism and programs of action.

The roots of the Enlightenment can be found in the humanism of the Renaissance, with its emphasis on the study of Classical literature. The Protestant Reformation, with its antipathy toward received religious dogma, was another precursor. Perhaps the most important sources of what became the Enlightenment were the complementary rational and empirical methods of discovering truth that were introduced by the scientific revolution.

It was thought during the Enlightenment that human reasoning could discover truths about the world, religion, and politics and could be used to improve the lives of humankind. Skepticism about received wisdom was another important idea; everything was to be subjected to testing and rational analysis. Religious tolerance and the idea that individuals should be free from coercion in their personal lives and consciences were also Enlightenment ideas.

The French Revolution and the American Revolution were almost direct results of Enlightenment thinking. The idea that society is a social contract between the government and the governed stemmed from the Enlightenment as well. Widespread education for children and the founding of universities and libraries also came about as a result. However, there was a countermovement that followed the Enlightenment in the late 18th and mid-19th centuriesRomanticism.

A brief treatment of the Enlightenment follows. For full treatment, see Europe, history of: The Enlightenment.

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history of Europe: The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was both a movement and a state of mind. The term represents a phase in the intellectual history of Europe,

The powers and uses of reason had first been explored by the philosophers of ancient Greece. The Romans adopted and preserved much of Greek culture, notably including the ideas of a rational natural order and natural law. Amid the turmoil of empire, however, a new concern arose for personal salvation, and the way was paved for the triumph of the Christian religion. Christian thinkers gradually found uses for their Greco-Roman heritage. The system of thought known as Scholasticism, culminating in the work of Thomas Aquinas, resurrected reason as a tool of understanding but subordinated it to spiritual revelation and the revealed truths of Christianity.

The intellectual and political edifice of Christianity, seemingly impregnable in the Middle Ages, fell in turn to the assaults made on it by humanism, the Renaissance, and the Protestant Reformation. Humanism bred the experimental science of Francis Bacon, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Galileo and the mathematical investigations of Ren Descartes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and Sir Isaac Newton. The Renaissance rediscovered much of Classical culture and revived the notion of humans as creative beings, and the Reformation, more directly but in the long run no less effectively, challenged the monolithic authority of the Roman Catholic Church. For Martin Luther as for Bacon or Descartes, the way to truth lay in the application of human reason. Received authority, whether of Ptolemy in the sciences or of the church in matters of the spirit, was to be subject to the probings of unfettered minds.

The successful application of reason to any question depended on its correct applicationon the development of a methodology of reasoning that would serve as its own guarantee of validity. Such a methodology was most spectacularly achieved in the sciences and mathematics, where the logics of induction and deduction made possible the creation of a sweeping new cosmology. The success of Newton, in particular, in capturing in a few mathematical equations the laws that govern the motions of the planets, gave great impetus to a growing faith in the human capacity to attain knowledge. At the same time, the idea of the universe as a mechanism governed by a few simpleand discoverablelaws had a subversive effect on the concepts of a personal God and individual salvation that were central to Christianity.

Inevitably, the method of reason was applied to religion itself. The product of a search for a naturalrationalreligion was Deism, which, although never an organized cult or movement, conflicted with Christianity for two centuries, especially in England and France. For the Deist, a very few religious truths sufficed, and they were truths felt to be manifest to all rational beings: the existence of one God, often conceived of as architect or mechanician, the existence of a system of rewards and punishments administered by that God, and the obligation of humans to virtue and piety. Beyond the natural religion of the Deists lay the more radical products of the application of reason to religion: skepticism, atheism, and materialism.

The Enlightenment produced the first modern secularized theories of psychology and ethics. John Locke conceived of the human mind as being at birth a tabula rasa, a blank slate on which experience wrote freely and boldly, creating the individual character according to the individual experience of the world. Supposed innate qualities, such as goodness or original sin, had no reality. In a darker vein, Thomas Hobbes portrayed humans as moved solely by considerations of their own pleasure and pain. The notion of humans as neither good nor bad but interested principally in survival and the maximization of their own pleasure led to radical political theories. Where the state had once been viewed as an earthly approximation of an eternal order, with the City of Man modeled on the City of God, now it came to be seen as a mutually beneficial arrangement among humans aimed at protecting the natural rights and self-interest of each.

The idea of society as a social contract, however, contrasted sharply with the realities of actual societies. Thus, the Enlightenment became critical, reforming, and eventually revolutionary. Locke and Jeremy Bentham in England, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Condorcet in France, and Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson in colonial America all contributed to an evolving critique of the arbitrary, authoritarian state and to sketching the outline of a higher form of social organization, based on natural rights and functioning as a political democracy. Such powerful ideas found expression as reform in England and as revolution in France and America.

The Enlightenment expired as the victim of its own excesses. The more rarefied the religion of the Deists became, the less it offered those who sought solace or salvation. The celebration of abstract reason provoked contrary spirits to begin exploring the world of sensation and emotion in the cultural movement known as Romanticism. The Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution severely tested the belief that an egalitarian society could govern itself. The high optimism that marked much of Enlightenment thought, however, survived as one of the movements most-enduring legacies: the belief that human history is a record of general progress.

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Enlightenment | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica.com

The English term enlightenment is the western translation of the abstract noun bodhi, (; Sanskrit: ; Pali: bodhi), the knowledge or wisdom, or awakened intellect, of a Buddha.[1] The verbal root budh- means "to awaken," and its literal meaning is closer to "awakening." Although its most common usage is in the context of Buddhism, the term buddhi is also used in other Indian philosophies and traditions. The term "enlightenment" was popularised in the Western world through the 19th century translations of Max Mller. It has the western connotation of a sudden insight into a transcendental truth or reality.

The term is also being used to translate several other Buddhist terms and concepts, which are used to denote insight (prajna, kensho and satori); knowledge (vidhya); the "blowing out" (Nirvana) of disturbing emotions and desires and the subsequent freedom or release (vimutti); and the attainment of Buddhahood, as exemplified by Gautama Buddha.

What exactly constituted the Buddha's awakening is unknown. It may probably have involved the knowledge that liberation was attained by the combination of mindfulness and dhyna, applied to the understanding of the arising and ceasing of craving. The relation between dhyana and insight is a core problem in the study of Buddhism, and is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist practice.

In the western world the concept of (spiritual) enlightenment has taken on a romantic meaning. It has become synonymous with self-realization and the true self and false self, being regarded as a substantial essence being covered over by social conditioning.[pageneeded], [pageneeded], [pageneeded], [pageneeded]

Bodhi, Sanskrit ,[7] "awakening," "perfect knowledge,"[7] "perfect knowledge or wisdom (by which a man becomes a [Buddha[9]] or [jina, arahant; "victorious," "victor"[10]], the illuminated or enlightened intellect (of a Buddha or )."[1]

It is an abstract noun, formed from the verbal root *budh-, Sanskrit ,[9][11] "to awaken, to know," "to wake , wake up , be awake,"[11] "to recover consciousness (after a swoon),"[11] "to observe , heed , attend to."[11]

It corresponds to the verbs bujjhati (Pli) and bodhati, , "become or be aware of, perceive, learn, know, understand, awake"[12]or budhyate (Sanskrit).

The feminine Sanskrit noun of *budh- is , buddhi, "prescience, intuition, perception, point of view."[9]

Robert S. Cohen notes that the majority of English books on Buddhism use the term "enlightenment" to translate the term bodhi. The root budh, from which both bodhi and Buddha are derived, means "to wake up" or "to recover consciousness". Cohen notes that bodhi is not the result of an illumination, but of a path of realization, or coming to understanding. The term "enlightenment" is event-oriented, whereas the term "awakening" is process-oriented. The western use of the term "enlighten" has Christian roots, as in Calvin's "It is God alone who enlightens our minds to perceive his truths".

Early 19th century bodhi was translated as "intelligence". The term "enlighten" was first being used in 1835, in an English translation of a French article, while the first recorded use of the term 'enlightenment' is credited (by the Oxford English Dictionary) to the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (February, 1836). In 1857 The Times used the term "the Enlightened" for the Buddha in a short article, which was reprinted the following year by Max Mller. Thereafter, the use of the term subsided, but reappeared with the publication of Max Mller's Chips from a german Workshop, which included a reprint from the Times-article. The book was translated in 1969 into German, using the term "der Erleuchtete". Max Mller was an essentialist, who believed in a natural religion, and saw religion as an inherent capacity of human beings. "Enlightenment" was a means to capture natural religious truths, as distinguished from mere mythology.[note 1]

By the mid-1870s it had become commonplace to call the Buddha "enlightened", and by the end of the 1880s the terms "enlightened" and "enlightenment" dominated the English literature.

Bodhi (Sanskrit, Pli), from the verbal root budd, "to awaken", "to understand", means literally "to have woken up and understood". According to Johannes Bronkhorst, Tillman Vetter, and K.R. Norman, bodhi was at first not specified. K.R. Norman:

It is not at all clear what gaining bodhi means. We are accustomed to the translation "enlightenment" for bodhi, but this is misleading ... It is not clear what the buddha was awakened to, or at what particular point the awakening came.[25]

According to Norman, bodhi may basically have meant the knowledge that nibbana was attained, due to the practice of dhyana. Originally only "prajna" may have been mentioned, and Tillman Vetter even concludes that originally dhyana itself was deemed liberating, with the stilling of pleasure of pain in the fourth jhana, not the gaining of some perfect wisdom or insight. Gombrich also argues that the emphasis on insight is a later development.

In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi refers to the realisation of the four stages of enlightenment and becoming an Arahant. In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi is equal to supreme insight, and the realisation of the four noble truths, which leads to deliverance. According to Nyanatiloka,

(Through Bodhi) one awakens from the slumber or stupor (inflicted upon the mind) by the defilements (kilesa, q.v.) and comprehends the Four Noble Truths (sacca, q.v.).

This equation of bodhi with the four noble truths is a later development, in response to developments within Indian religious thought, where "liberating insight" was deemed essential for liberation. The four noble truths as the liberating insight of the Buddha eventually were superseded by Prattyasamutpda, the twelvefold chain of causation, and still later by anatta, the emptiness of the self.

In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhi is equal to prajna, insight into the Buddha-nature, sunyata and tathat. This is equal to the realisation of the non-duality of absolute and relative.

In Theravada Buddhism pann (Pali) means "understanding", "wisdom", "insight". "Insight" is equivalent to vipassana', insight into the three marks of existence, namely anicca, dukkha and anatta. Insight leads to the four stages of enlightenment and Nirvana.

In Mahayana Buddhism Prajna (Sanskrit) means "insight" or "wisdom", and entails insight into sunyata. The attainment of this insight is often seen as the attainment of "enlightenment".[need quotation to verify]

Kensho and Satori are Japanese terms used in Zen traditions. Kensho means "seeing into one's true nature." Ken means "seeing", sho means "nature", "essence", c.q Buddha-nature. Satori (Japanese) is often used interchangeably with kensho, but refers to the experience of kensho. The Rinzai tradition sees kensho as essential to the attainment of Buddhahood, but considers further practice essential to attain Buddhahood.

East-Asian (Chinese) Buddhism emphasizes insight into Buddha-nature. This term is derived from Indian tathagata-garbha thought, "the womb of the thus-gone" (the Buddha), the inherent potential of every sentient being to become a Buddha. This idea was integrated with the Yogacara-idea of the laya vijna, and further developed in Chinese Buddhism, which integrated Indian Buddhism with native Chinese thought. Buddha-nature came to mean both the potential of awakening and the whole of reality, a dynamic interpenetration of absolute and relative. In this awakening it is realized that observer and observed are not distinct entities, but mutually co-dependent.

The term vidhya is being used in contrast to avidhya, ignorance or the lack of knowledge, which binds us to samsara. The Mahasaccaka Sutta[note 2] describes the three knowledges which the Buddha attained:

According to Bronkhorst, the first two knowledges are later additions, while insight into the four truths represents a later development, in response to concurring religious traditions, in which "liberating insight" came to be stressed over the practice of dhyana.

Vimutti, also called moksha, means "freedom", "release",[note 3] "deliverance". Sometimes a distinction is being made between ceto-vimutti, "liberation of the mind", and panna-vimutti, "liberation by understanding". The Buddhist tradition recognises two kinds of ceto-vimutti, one temporarily and one permanent, the last being equivalent to panna-vimutti.[note 4]

Yogacara uses the term raya parvtti, "revolution of the basis",

... a sudden revulsion, turning, or re-turning of the laya vijna back into its original state of purity [...] the Mind returns to its original condition of non-attachment, non-discrimination and non-duality".

Nirvana is the "blowing out" of disturbing emotions, which is the same as liberation.[web 1] The usage of the term "enlightenment" to translate "nirvana" was popularized in the 19th century, due, in part, to the efforts of Max Muller, who used the term consistently in his translations.

Three types of buddha are recognized:

Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, is said to have achieved full awakening, known as samyaksabodhi (Sanskrit; Pli: sammsabodhi), "perfect Buddhahood", or anuttar-samyak-sabodhi, "highest perfect awakening".

The term buddha has acquired somewhat different meanings in the various Buddhist traditions. An equivalent term for Buddha is Tathgata, "the thus-gone". The way to Buddhahood is somewhat differently understood in the various buddhist traditions.

In the suttapitaka, the Buddhist canon as preserved in the Theravada tradition, a couple of texts can be found in which the Buddha's attainment of liberation forms part of the narrative.[48][note 5]

The Ariyapariyesana Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 26) describes how the Buddha was dissatisfied with the teachings of Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta, wandered further through Magadhan country, and then found "an agreeable piece of ground" which served for striving. The sutra then only says that he attained Nibbana.

In the Vanapattha Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 17) the Buddha describes life in the jungle, and the attainment of awakening. The Mahasaccaka Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 36) describes his ascetic practices, which he abandoned. There-after he remembered a spontaneous state of jhana, and set out for jhana-practice. Both suttras narrate how, after destroying the disturbances of the mind, and attaining concentration of the mind, he attained three knowledges (vidhya):

Insight into the Four Noble Truths is here called awakening. The monk (bhikkhu) has "...attained the unattained supreme security from bondage." Awakening is also described as synonymous with Nirvana, the extinction of the passions whereby suffering is ended and no more rebirths take place. The insight arises that this liberation is certain: "Knowledge arose in me, and insight: my freedom is certain, this is my last birth, now there is no rebirth."

Schmithausen[note 6] notes that the mention of the four noble truths as constituting "liberating insight", which is attained after mastering the Rupa Jhanas, is a later addition to texts such as Majjhima Nikaya 36. Bronkhorst notices that

...the accounts which include the Four Noble Truths had a completely different conception of the process of liberation than the one which includes the Four Dhyanas and the destruction of the intoxicants.

It calls in question the reliability of these accounts, and the relation between dhyana and insight, which is a core problem in the study of early Buddhism. Originally the term prajna may have been used, which came to be replaced by the four truths in those texts where "liberating insight" was preceded by the four jhanas. Bronkhorst also notices that the conception of what exactly this "liberating insight" was developed throughout time. Whereas originally it may not have been specified, later on the four truths served as such, to be superseded by pratityasamutpada, and still later, in the Hinayana schools, by the doctrine of the non-existence of a substantial self or person. And Schmithausen notices that still other descriptions of this "liberating insight" exist in the Buddhist canon:

"that the five Skandhas are impermanent, disagreeable, and neither the Self nor belonging to oneself";[note 7] "the contemplation of the arising and disappearance (udayabbaya) of the five Skandhas";[note 8] "the realisation of the Skandhas as empty (rittaka), vain (tucchaka) and without any pith or substance (asaraka).[note 9]

An example of this substitution, and its consequences, is Majjhima Nikaya 36:42-43, which gives an account of the awakening of the Buddha.

The term bodhi acquired a variety of meanings and connotations during the development of Buddhist thoughts in the various schools.

In early Buddhism, bodhi carried a meaning synonymous to nirvana, using only some different metaphors to describe the insight, which implied the extinction of lobha (greed), dosa (hate) and moha (delusion).

In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi and nirvana carry the same meaning, that of being freed from greed, hate and delusion. In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi refers to the realisation of the four stages of enlightenment and becoming an Arahant. In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi is equal to supreme insight, the realisation of the four noble truths, which leads to deliverance. Reaching full awakening is equivalent in meaning to reaching Nirva.[web 2] Attaining Nirva is the ultimate goal of Theravada and other rvaka traditions.[web 3] It involves the abandonment of the ten fetters and the cessation of dukkha or suffering. Full awakening is reached in four stages. According to Nyanatiloka,

(Through Bodhi) one awakens from the slumber or stupor (inflicted upon the mind) by the defilements (kilesa, q.v.) and comprehends the Four Noble Truths (sacca, q.v.).

Since the 1980s, western Theravada-oriented teachers have started to question the primacy of insight. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu, jhana and vipassana (insight) form an integrated practice. Polak and Arbel, following scholars like Vetter and Bronkhorst, argue that right effort, c.q. the four right efforts (sense restraint, preventing the arising of unwholesome states, and the generation of wholesome states), mindfulness, and dhyana form an integrated practice, in which dhyana is the actualisation of insight, leading to an awakened awareness which is "non-reactive and lucid."

In Mahayana-thought, bodhi is the realisation of the inseparability of samsara and nirvana, and the unity of subject and object. It is similar to prajna, to realizing the Buddha-nature, realizing sunyata and realizing suchness. In time, the Buddha's awakening came to be understood as an immediate full awakening and liberation, instead of the insight into and certainty about the way to follow to reach enlightenment. However, in some Zen traditions this perfection came to be relativized again; according to one contemporary Zen master, "Shakyamuni buddha and Bodhidharma are still practicing."

Mahayana discerns three forms of awakened beings:

Within the various Mahayana-schools exist various further explanations and interpretations. In Mahyna Buddhism the Bodhisattva is the ideal. The ultimate goal is not only of one's own liberation in Buddhahood, but the liberation of all living beings. But Mahayana Buddhism also developed a cosmology with a wide range of buddhas and bodhisattvas, who assist humans on their way to liberation.

Nichiren Buddhism regards Buddhahood as a state of perfect freedom, in which one is awakened to the eternal and ultimate truth that is the reality of all things. This supreme state of life is characterized by boundless wisdom and infinite compassion. The Lotus Sutra reveals that Buddhahood is a potential in the lives of all beings. [66]

In the Tathagatagarbha and Buddha-nature doctrines bodhi becomes equivalent to the universal, natural and pure state of the mind:

Bodhi is the final goal of a Bodhisattva's career [...] Bodhi is pure universal and immediate knowledge, which extends over all time, all universes, all beings and elements, conditioned and unconditioned. It is absolute and identical with Reality and thus it is Tathata. Bodhi is immaculate and non-conceptual, and it, being not an outer object, cannot be understood by discursive thought. It has neither beginning, nor middle nor end and it is indivisible. It is non-dual (advayam) [...] The only possible way to comprehend it is through samadhi by the yogin.

According to these doctrines bodhi is always there within one's mind, but requires the defilements to be removed. This vision is expounded in texts such as the Shurangama Sutra and the Uttaratantra.

In Shingon Buddhism, the state of Bodhi is also seen as naturally inherent in the mind. It is the mind's natural and pure state, where no distinction is being made between a perceiving subject and perceived objects. This is also the understanding of Bodhi found in Yogacara Buddhism.

To achieve this vision of non-duality, it is necessary to recognise one's own mind:

... it means that you are to know the inherent natural state of the mind by eliminating the split into a perceiving subject and perceived objects which normally occurs in the world and is wrongly thought to be real. This also corresponds to the Yogacara definition... that emptiness (sunyata) is the absence of this imaginary split

During the development of Mahayana Buddhism the various strands of thought on Bodhi were continuously being elaborated. Attempts were made to harmonize the various terms. The Vajrayana Buddhist commentator Buddhaguhya treats various terms as synonyms:

For example, he defines emptiness (sunyata) as suchness (tathata) and says that suchness is the intrinsic nature (svabhava) of the mind which is Enlightenment (bodhi-citta). Moreover, he frequently uses the terms suchness (tathata) and Suchness-Awareness (tathata-jnana) interchangeably. But since Awareness (jnana) is non-dual, Suchness-Awareness is not so much the Awareness of Suchness, but the Awareness which is Suchness. In other words, the term Suchness-Awareness is functionally equivalent to Enlightenment. Finally, it must not be forgotten that this Suchness-Awareness or Perfect Enlightenment is Mahavairocana [the Primal Buddha, uncreated and forever existent]. In other words, the mind in its intrinsic nature is Mahavairocana, whom one "becomes" (or vice versa) when one is perfectly enlightened.

In the western world the concept of enlightenment has taken on a romantic meaning. It has become synonymous with self-realization and the true self, being regarded as a substantial essence being covered over by social conditioning.

The use of the western word enlightenment is based on the supposed resemblance of bodhi with Aufklrung, the independent use of reason to gain insight into the true nature of our world. In fact there are more resemblances with Romanticism than with the Enlightenment: the emphasis on feeling, on intuitive insight, on a true essence beyond the world of appearances.

The equivalent term "awakening" has also been used in a Christian context, namely the Great Awakenings, several periods of religious revival in American religious history. Historians and theologians identify three or four waves of increased religious enthusiasm occurring between the early 18th century and the late 19th century. Each of these "Great Awakenings" was characterized by widespread revivals led by evangelical Protestant ministers, a sharp increase of interest in religion, a profound sense of conviction and redemption on the part of those affected, an increase in evangelical church membership, and the formation of new religious movements and denominations.

A common reference in western culture is the notion of "enlightenment experience". This notion can be traced back to William James, who used the term "religious experience" in his book, The Varieties of Religious Experience. Wayne Proudfoot traces the roots of the notion of "religious experience" further back to the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), who argued that religion is based on a feeling of the infinite. Schleiermacher used the notion of "religious experience" to defend religion against the growing scientific and secular critique.

It was popularised by the Transcendentalists, and exported to Asia via missionaries. Transcendentalism developed as a reaction against 18th Century rationalism, John Locke's philosophy of Sensualism, and the predestinationism of New England Calvinism. It is fundamentally a variety of diverse sources such as Hindu texts like the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, various religions, and German idealism.

It was adopted by many scholars of religion, of which William James was the most influential.[note 11]

The notion of "experience" has been criticised. Robert Sharf points out that "experience" is a typical western term, which has found its way into Asian religiosity via western influences.[note 12]

The notion of "experience" introduces a false notion of duality between "experiencer" and "experienced", whereas the essence of kensho is the realisation of the "non-duality" of observer and observed. "Pure experience" does not exist; all experience is mediated by intellectual and cognitive activity. The specific teachings and practices of a specific tradition may even determine what "experience" someone has, which means that this "experience" is not the proof of the teaching, but a result of the teaching. A pure consciousness without concepts, reached by "cleaning the doors of perception" as per romantic poet William Blake[note 13], would, according to Mohr, be an overwhelming chaos of sensory input without coherence.

Sakyamuni's awakening is celebrated on Bodhi Day. In Sri Lanka and Japan different days are used for this celebration.According to the Theravada tradition in Sri Lanka, Sakyamuni reached Buddhahood at the full moon in May. This is celebrated at Wesak Poya, the full moon in May, as Sambuddhatva jayanthi (also known as Sambuddha jayanthi).[web 4]The Zen tradition claims the Buddha reached his decisive insight on 8 December. This is celebrated in Zen monasteries with a very intensive eight-day session of Rhatsu.

It rests upon the notion of the primacy of religious experiences, preferably spectacular ones, as the origin and legitimation of religious action. But this presupposition has a natural home, not in Buddhism, but in Christian and especially Protetstant Christian movements which prescribe a radical conversion.

See Sekida for an example of this influence of William James and Christian conversion stories, mentioning Luther and St. Paul. See also McMahan for the influence of Christian thought on Buddhism.

[T]he role of experience in the history of Buddhism has been greatly exaggerated in contemporary scholarship. Both historical and ethnographic evidence suggests that the privileging of experience may well be traced to certain twentieth-century reform movements, notably those that urge a return to zazen or vipassana meditation, and these reforms were profoundly influenced by religious developments in the west [...] While some adepts may indeed experience "altered states" in the course of their training, critical analysis shows that such states do not constitute the reference point for the elaborate Buddhist discourse pertaining to the "path".

Read the rest here:

Enlightenment in Buddhism - Wikipedia

The Basics of Spiritual Enlightenment

Spiritual Enlightenment transcends religion. It transcends thought. It transcends mind and its senses. And it conveys a level of wisdom and knowledge about life and the universe that is unparalleled. The concept of enlightenment implies complete understanding of life and the universe, which usually is accompanied by a detachment of all things impermanent and a complete awareness of everything that is, at the moment that it is.

Pretty cool, huh? Yeah. Its what gave the Buddha his mojo, what gave Muhammad his immense understanding, and what gave Jesus (and Thomas) the power to heal people and perform other miracles (dont forget Peter walked on water too). If you want to understand more about spiritual enlightenment, please read the article I posted that explains more about spiritual enlightenment here. This article is going to talk about the disciplines used world-wide to attain spiritual enlightenment.

I passed through the portal of the enlightenment experience about 12 years ago. I call it the enlightenment experience, because thats what it was an experience. It was an experience of my regular senses shutting down, to be replaced with amazing visions, sounds, realizations, epiphanies, and a melding with an intelligence and love so overwhelming it literally changed my life and granted me a wisdom of which I was not worthy beforehand. It was brought on by a deep focused meditation after a short prayer. If you would like to hear more about my enlightenment experience, watch the video (or read the transcript) I made about the first time I encountered it.

So how does one become enlightened? Well theres not a set process. It just sorta happens. That said, it rarely happens to someone if theyre not looking for it. So intention is a good ingredient. But beyond that, there are quite a few commonalities among enlightenment stories globally and parallels within spiritual disciplines designed to bring on enlightenment that suggest we can make a few educated guesses on how to more easily get you there. Lets first discuss my pet theory, then we can review how the worlds disciplines to achieve enlightenment support it.

My theory on how to attain spiritual enlightenment is simple: Stop all conscious thought in your mind, and the experience of enlightenment will occur. I suppose I could have made it sound much more mystical by saying cease the noise that exists within your mind, and you will hear the truth that lies just beyond but I think you get the gist. In fact, from a scientific perspective, I believe that enlightenment is caused by certain chemicals that get released within the body during waking conscious hours when brain activity in certain areas of the brain is reduced below a presently non-defined threshold. Well discuss some evidence later in this article that supports this pretty strongly. For now, lets take alook at the disciplines that typically lead to spiritual enlightenment, and then see how they individually stack up to this basic hypothesis. The different disciplines / methods include:

Meditation (various forms discussed below) Prayer Chanting Yoga Martial Arts Fasting Sweat Lodges / Physical Distress Dancing / Quaking / Shaking Pilgrimages Sensory Depravation Near Death Experience Depression / Despair Self Flagellation Psychedelics Spontaneous Enlightenment / Ego Death

There are a number of different types of meditation. Even some of the different disciplines in this very article can be considered forms of physical meditation. But regardless of the flavor of meditation, all types of meditation are connected with calming the mind and bringing conscious attention into oneself so as to reduce the focus on stuff going on outside of you. How does that fit our hypothesis? If you shut down external distractions, it becomes easier to reduce internal distractions, which is of course a baby step to ceasing all thought and attaining enlightenment. Here are the different types of meditation:

I. Mindfulness Meditation, is the popular term for a form of meditation called Vipassana (vih-PAH-sah-nah), and it comes from the Buddhist tradition. It is probably the most popular form of meditation taught in the West, although it is usually not directly tied to Buddhism when it is taught. Vipassana focuses on being present wherever you are, letting your mind run freely, and simply observing whatever thoughts arise without judgement, and with full acceptance. Fans of Eckhart Tolle are familiar with this type of meditation. Its about 2500 years old if not much, much older. The practice of observing ones thoughts lets that person not be controlled by those thoughts, which then results in a detachment or separation of those same thoughts. Eventually, the process of not having your conscious attention drive new thought threads based on the spurious thoughts that fly through your mind (now doing so unmolested in meditation) allows the mind to eventually calm and quiet itself. Having the mind be calm and quiet is one step from having all conscious thought cease. Regardless of you ever being able to get to the point where conscious thought ceases, Vipassana has been shown through multiple studies to have dramatic positive effects on body and emotional health.

II. Sitting Meditation,called Zazen among Zen practitioners, is also very popular, although it is not always performed under the Zen umbrella. Zen, of course, is a form of practical Buddhism designed to lead directly to enlightenment through a conscious ceasing of all thought in the mind (sound familiar?). Zen koans are riddles that are designed not to have mindful answers to them, so that meditating on them may cause the mind to hiccup and stop thinking altogether. Good example: What is the sound of one hand clapping? How could you think your way into a solution to that riddle? Zazen is your opportunity to practice that process.

Zazen is often referred to as just sitting, because the intention is that is all you do you just sit you dont think. It is a minimalistic meditation, done for long periods of time, with focus on posture (sitting with the spine in alignment). It is the most difficult of all meditations, thanks to the pain associated with sitting motionless in perfect posture for potentially hours on end, but it has led thousands of people to enlightenment.

III. Walking Meditation

Walking meditation is a form of meditation in action.In walking meditation one uses the experience of walking as the focus. The practitioner becomes mindful of their experience while walking, trying to keep the awareness involved with the experience of walking. Walking meditation can be done anywhere, even between the parking lot and the grocery store. Often, it is done is out in nature, on a designated walking path, or around a space specifically designed for walking meditation, such as a labyrinth.

One of the biggest differences is that its easier, for most people, to be more intensely and more easily aware of their bodies while doing walking meditation, compared to sitting forms of practice. When your body is in motion, it is generally easier to be aware of it compared to when you are sitting still. When were sitting still in meditation the sensations that arise in the body are much more subtle and harder to pay attention to than those that arise while were walking, This can make walking meditation an intense experience. You can experience your body very intensely, and you can also find intense enjoyment from this practice. Walking meditation also fits within our thought reduction hypothesis, as that focus is reduced to sensations and awareness within the body.

IV. Transcendental Meditationis based in the traditions associated with Vedanta. Vedanta is the meditative practice within Hinduism. In TM, you sit in a comfortable position, while clearing the mind and focusing on a sacred mantra often assigned by a guru. Sometimes the mantra is chanted, sometimes not. Some newer forms of TM do not require a mantra.

In contrast to Zazen, a more relaxed sitting posture is recommended rather than a rigid one. Experienced TMers or yoga practitioners often sit in Full Lotus or Half Lotus when meditating.

Reducing mindful focus to repeating just one thing creates a space where the mind is just one step away from thinking of nothing the cessation of conscious thought. Repetition of the mantra makes it a mindless practice. MIND-LESS which hopefully then opens the door to the enlightenment experience.

While practicing TM, focus is given to separating from all things impermanent (emotions, thoughts, life situations, material posessions, etc.). TMers see their practice as a more dedicated and effective method of meditation, as that there is a progression of practice variations within its ranks. Ultimately, the goal is to achieve out of body experiences which are oftenthe precursor to a full blown enlightenment experience.

V. Kundaliniis also a practice that arises from the Vedantic traditions. Kundaliniliterally means coiled. The belief associated with Kundalini is that within the practice ofyoga, a life energyan unconscious, instinctive orlibidinalforce, also called Shaktilies coiled at the base of the spine. Kundalini awakenings come from deep yogic meditation, which oftentimes result in enlightenment and bliss. In practical terms, one of the most commonly reported Kundalini experiences is the feeling of an electric current running along the spine. This can also be experienced as a heat coming from within the spine.

The practice of Kundalini attempts to help the coiled energy rise along the spine through energy centers called chakras. Breath control and proper posture help the energy rise through the top of the head to the Crown Chakra which is the point where the enlightenment experience is then catalyzed.

Kundalini is described as a sleeping, dormant potential force in the human organism.It is one of the components of an esoteric description of the subtle body, which consists of nadis(energy channels), chakras(psychic centres), prana(subtle energy), and bindu(drops of essence). Kundalini meditation is also one that focuses on the body, bringing external distractions and thought to a minimum, thereby reducing the noise in the mind.

VI. Qigongis actually gets its roots from the martial art of Tai Chi, so it fits into both the meditation and martial arts categories, but from the meditation perspective, it is a form of Taoist meditation thatpractice to cultivate and balanceqi(chi), what is commonly translated as intrinsic life energy. Qigong is literally translated as life energy cultivation.

The history of qigong dates back more than 4,000 years into ancient China. A wide variety of qigong forms are still used in Chinese culture, such as withintraditional Chinese medicine,inChinese martial artsto enhance fighting abilities, andinTaoismandBuddhismas part of meditative practice. From a practical perspective, qigong can be considered a very effective and relaxing standing or moving meditation.

VII. Guided Meditationis a form ofmeditationwhere an individual is verbally guided into an alteredstate of consciousnesseither by a persons live voice or by a recording of a voice. This process and practice of meditation requires an individual to follow verbal instructions that teach the individual how to relax the entire body, clear the mind, concentrate on breathing, and focus ones awareness and attention.

Sometimes the guide may help the meditator build a virtual environment to explore. Sometimes the guide may provide an imagined scene to help the meditator relax and enter a more thoughtless state. Focus is often targeted on observation, and non-judgement of the environment being imagined.

What one chooses to explore when meditating all depends on the individuals intentions, needs, and level of interest and passion.

Prayer as it exists today in popular religious faith organizations is not really how prayer is supposed to be performed. As it is performed at the highest levels of almost any religious order, prayer is a silent contemplative listening for God, not an appeal for help, an internal conversation voiced to God, or a rote recitation of a practiced orison.

Contemplative prayer requires a silent mind. A listening mind. A peaceful and patient mind. A mind willing to wait for God to connect and commune and communicate with thewisdom and intelligence that can only be described with the word Grace. When it happens, this silent grace manifests itself as enlightenment.But even in the contemporary form of prayer, where the internal or external voice is used to communicate to God, the design of prayer is also enlightenment.

The religious beads used to aid in counting the repetitive recitation of the same prayer over and over is designed to reduce thought in the mind to only the prayer being performed. The Catholic practice of assigning multiple recitations of the same prayers for penance is designed to reduce the minds thoughts to just performing the one same prayer, which not only calms the mind, but the focus on just the one thing is only one step away from the mind being focused on no thing. The entire designated intent of repeating the same prayer over and over until it becomes a mindless automated activity is that it reduces the minds focus to one thing which again is one step away from the focus being on no thing, or no thought, which then triggers enlightenment ( a direct communion with God).

I believe it was for this very reason that Jesus reduced his disciples prayer options to but one prayer; the Lords Prayer. Again, focus on one thing is only one step from focus on no thing, which then flings the internal doors to the Kingdom of Heaven open wide.

Chantingis therhythmicspeaking orsingingofwordsorsounds, often used for the purpose of aligning internal spiritual energy with the divine. Chants may range from a simplemelodyinvolving a limited set ofnotesto highly complex musical structures, often including a great deal ofrepetitionof musical subphrases, such as Great Responsories andOffertoriesofGregorian chant.Chanting (includingmantras,sacred text, thename of God/Spirit, etc.) is a commonly used spiritual practice. Likeprayer, chant may be a component of either personal or group practice. Diverse spiritual traditions consider chant a route tospiritual development.

Chanting as spiritual practice is used inAfrican,Hawaiian, andNative Americancultures,Gregorian chant,Vedic chant,Quran reading,Bahaichants, variousBuddhist chants, variousmantras, and the chanting ofpsalmsand prayers especially inRoman Catholic,Eastern Orthodox,LutheranandAnglicanchurches.

Chant practices vary.Tibetan Buddhistchant involvesthroat singing, where multiple pitches are produced by each performer. The concept of chantingmantrasis of particular significance in manyHindutraditions and other closely relatedDharmic Religions. For example, theHare Krishnamovement is based especially on the chanting ofSanskritNames of Godin theVaishnavatradition. JapaneseShigin(), or chanted poetry, mirrorsZenBuddhistprinciples and is sung from theDan tien(or lower abdomen) the locus of power inEastern traditions.

Chanting is designed to be a repetitive activity that then reduces the minds focus to the one action. Being focused on the one activity is one step away from being focused on no activity, or no thought.

There are countless styles of yoga that exist, almost all of which are birthed from Hindu tradition. One of the most detailed and thorough expositions on the subject comes from the Hindu tradition, theYoga Stras of Patajali, which defines yoga as the stilling of the changing states of the mind.Yoga has also been popularly defined as union with the divine in other contexts and traditions.Various traditions of yoga are found inBuddhism,Hinduism,JainismandSikhism.Western versions of yoga are now being separated from its eastern philosophical roots, but one primary foundation of yoga that cannot be removed is that it is a discipline designed to bring the mind and actions into focus on the body.

As the mind is trained to focus on the body, and the body is trained to work more efficiently and be more healthy, the combination of the activity of the minds focus and the bodys exhaustion while practicing creates a prime environment for enlightenment to occur within the practitioner. In addition, the repetitive nature of the yogic movements provide the mind an opportunity not to think about what youre doing. Physical stress on the body can assist with with the cessation of conscious thought so as to catalyze the release of the chemicals in the brain that cause the enlightenment experience.

The parallels between practicing martial arts andpracticing yoga are pretty clear. Both are a strenuous physical practice of repetitive motions that demand a high amount of mental discipline.

Contrary to the contrived connection between enlightenment with popular martial arts such as Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or Jiu Jitsu, commonly identified as external or physical arts, there also exists a number of internal or mind focused arts such as Qigong, Tai Chi, and Budo.

The repetitive nature of martial arts movements allows for the mind to quiet and be focused into the body, thereby reducing conscious thought. In a way you could say that martial arts and enlightenment have nothing to do with each other. On the other hand, you could say that martial arts have as much to do with enlightenment, and that enlightenment is the entire purpose of all the martial arts. The possibility of enlightenment is of course always present. Nonetheless, particularly because of the association of Zen and Budo, we must assume there is a connection with some arts. O-Sensei, the Founder of Aikido, was enlightened.

Most spiritual religions and traditions practice some sort of fasting, a practice that generally means going without food for a certain period of time. According to the Bible, Jesus fasted for 40 days. As did Siddartha Gautama, the first recorded Buddha. The Islamic holy period of Ramadan requires fasting, as does Judaism during Yom Kippur. But why is a food fast so important to spirituality? Its quite simple and logical, really. Because food is a necessity for life, it is a habit that we MUST indulge in, several times a day. Thus, it becomes a sort of a God to us. By depriving yourself of this food God for a specified period of time, you become closer to the one true God. You begin to rely on the spiritual sustenance of God rather than the physical sustenance of food.

To meditate, pray and/or read spiritual books frequently during fasting has sometimes helped practitioners to initiate enlightenment experiences. Schedule as much spiritual contemplation as possible during a fasting period; after all, from a traditional perspective (although there are health benefits to fasting from food), spiritual enlightenment is the reason for your fast. Many people have reported spiritual breakthroughs during prolonged fasting periods.

Sweat lodges have recently gotten some bad press, thanks to a supposed spiritual teacher who moved to strip the sacred traditions out of the Native American foundations of the sweat lodge experience and hold part of a retreat in a contemporary tent not designed for the ancient ritual. People died. Others went to the hospital with extreme dehydration. But the ritual of sweat lodges, when performed to the guidelines set forth by the Lakota Nation and other Native American groups who practice the spiritual discipline, can be exceptionally effective at triggering an enlightenment experience in a spiritual seeker.

When the body falls into a deep form of distress (including that caused by the high heat and profuse water loss caused by a sweat lodge), the brain (as part of the body) also falls into distress. As the brain falls into distress, thought in the brain decreases and becomes less patterned, bringing the mind into a much more focused state. Even level 2 and 3 hypothermia includes not having control of your conscious thought. And this natural phenomenon can assist in the process of spiritual discovery. Thus in a sweat lodge, the mind is actually brought to a stop for some people through physical intervention of its proper operation, triggering enlightenment.

Just like physical distress can cease conscious thought, physical exhaustion can do the same. Subsequently, dancing to excess (such as within ritualistic ceremony), and similar activities such as quaking and shaking can initiate the cessation of conscious thought that catalyzes the enlightenment experience.

The founder of the Quaker Religion, George Fox was an enlightened master. The Lord showed me, so that I did see clearly, that he did not dwell in these temples which men had commanded and set up, but in peoples hearts his people were his temple, and he dwelt in them. Quakers got their name from the physical movements their bodies made for extended periods during attempted communion with God (attempts to achieve enlightenment). Similarly,the Shaker religion, also birthed from the Society of Friends groups that provided Quakerism its roots (not to mention the first religion in America to espouse equality of the sexes), focuses on allowing their bodies to shake so as to be taken by the Spirit.

This is the only activity that does not directly point to the cessation of conscious thought as a result of the activity, however, it does fall in line with reducing one of the largest factors that can inhibit enlightenment, that factor being the ego.Ego is the minds sense of self. And often it is our sense of self that inhibits us from discovering our deeper sense of self uncovered through the enlightenment process (and which replaces our original sense of self.

Oftentimes our familiar surroundings help support our existing sense of self, and remind us of the illusion of who we think we are. So in our quest of discovering the deeper truth of who we are, it makes sense that getting out of our familiar surroundings is a great step in removing our grasp on our existing sense of self. And so enters the option of making a pilgrimage.

Pilgrimages are designed to remove us from our familiar surroundings and take us to a place that we perceive as more holy, or more targeted to bring about a greater sense of meaning and purpose than our familiar surroundings do. Many people travel to Jerusalem in this effort to find a more holy place. Some people visit Mecca during the Hajj, which Islam requires to be done at least once in a Muslims lifetime. Many Buddhists climb great mountains to sit in small humble but sacred temples. Oftentimes a pilgrimage can take the form of visiting a spiritual retreat.

In the grand scheme, it doesnt necessarily remove conscious thought from your mind, but it does remove a large sense of you from your mind, replacing it with unfamiliar surroundings, and more ideas of a spiritual nature that you might not have in your regular environment. And those babysteps can be super helpful when trying to replace what you know with what you want to know when you tap into the sacred knowledge and wisdom that comes with passing through the enlightenment experience.

Sensory depravation tanks are a favorite place for me to relax. They are a completely dark and quiet place of respite from the world and how it reacts on our five senses. Inside an SDT, about 12 inches of body temperature salt water allow you to float effortlessly, experiencing a feeling of weightlessness in your own body. In addition, no light enters the tank, so your sight is neutralized. In the best environments, no sounds should be able to be heard. Oxygen and nitrogen levels in the air are maintained so as to provide no smells that can be detected, and even if they are, olfactory senses naturally zero out after 10 minutes anyway. So an SDT becomes the perfect place to reduce your outside sensory distractions so as to be able to enter a deep meditative state.

When you reduce the noise in your head, it becomes easier to reduce the noise in your head even more. I have spoken to a number of people who have experienced psychedelic enlightenment experiences in an SDT thanks to its capability to assist in clearing the mind and focusing attention on what is going on within you, reducing your conscious thought to the lowest level possible.

Rental SDTs exist and are becoming more popular in spas across America and elsewhere. If you can find one, I highly suggest getting a package of 5 10 sessions (one or two just wont do), so as to experience the removal of your regular senses, so as to open up the other senses you didnt even know you had.

When you almost die then come back, during that process the brain shuts down and conscious thought ceases. This section really deserves its own post, and hundreds of scientific books have been written on the near death experience and its association with spiritual topics and mystical awakenings. But regarding our active search for spiritual enlightenment, please dont attempt a near death experience in your search for awakening. You might not awaken, period. There are many easier and less risky ways to seek enlightenment.

When psychological pain becomes too much to bare, and suffering piles up so much and becomes so large that you cant even think about anything else but the psychological pain and agony you are experiencing the simple truth of the fact is that you are but one step away from thinking of nothing.

Explained very frequently as the dark night of the soul, psychological pain is a very common catalyst of initiating the enlightenment experience. From a more profound or spiritual perspective, it could be said that God reveals Himself to those who who need Him most. And who might need God more than someone being ground up in the sharp bottom gravel of lifes downcycles? I could think of no one who might need God more than a person so down that they may wish life to end before it goes on.

Although I believe this is the most common catalyst out of which unexpected enlightenment experiences blossom,I wouldnt suggest throwing yourself into a deep dark despair before reaching out to God for answers and meaning. There are numerous other ways to attain enlightenment that are much more enjoyable. Although, that said, I expect this accidental method of spiraling into the pits of agony, which then focus the mind on nothing but the pain, to be a rather common (though unpopular) way of attaining enlightenment for centuries to come.

Also called self flagellation, self infliction of pain through intentional damage of the human body works on the same functional path that psychological pain and suffering works through. When the pain becomes all you can focus on, you are but one baby step away from the mind shutting down completely, causing the experience of bliss that accompanies spiritual awakening (potentially also then augmented by a dopamine release). But there are other theories about why mortification is practiced in global spiritual circles.

In the same way that people who change their appearance through painful means will sacrifice and deny themselves pleasure in order to attain some physical or material goals, some people voluntarily perform self-inflicted sacrifices in order to receive spiritual or intangible goals, e.g. union with God, a higher place inheaven, expiation for other peoples sins, self-realization, or the conversion of sinners.

The Rev. Michael Geisler, a priest of theOpus DeiPrelature in St. Louis, wrote two articles explaining the theological purpose behind corporal mortification. Self-denial helps a person overcome both psychological and physical weakness, gives him energy, helps him grow in virtue and ultimately leads to salvation. It conquers the insidious demons of softness, pessimism and lukewarm faith that dominate the lives of so many today (Crisis magazineJuly/August 2005).

Members of the modern Church of Body Modification (CBM) believe that by enduring pain they make a connection to their spirit. Some indigenous cultures shamans believe that endurance of pain or denial of appetites serves to increase spiritual power.

Some theologians explain that the redemptive value of pain makes pain lovable in its effects, even though by itself it is not. Pain is temporal and limited, thus to undergo it is worthwhile to gain the real benefits. For those with this viewpoint, pain is seen as a means to an end. Thus, a modernCatholicsaint, Josemaria Escriva said, while consoling a dying woman who was suffering in a hospital, Blessed be pain! Glorified be pain! Sanctified be pain!

One thing remains constant, however: Pain is created within the mind. If the mind is overcome, union with God can be attained.

If you listen to the propaganda, it would be easy to be convinced (as I was for decades) that psychedelic drugs are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, the science simply doesnt support these conclusions. The simple facts are that psychedelics are almost impossible to overdose on, they are exponentially safer than legal drugs such as caffeine and alcohol, which kill tens of thousands of people yearly, and most of them help convey a very profound experience akin to that of full blown spiritual enlightenment. Lets discuss a number of the most popular and potent external catalysts to spiritual / mystical experience (and by the way, all of these under brain scan are shown to reduce activity in the conscious thinking centers in the brain):

I. The All Natural Psychedelic That Is Actually the Cause of Enlightenment

The scientific/physiological explanation of the spiritual enlightenment experience is that enlightenment is the result of the consciousness expansion that occurs when endogenous DMT (di-methyl-tryptamine) is released into the blood stream during waking consciousness. DMT is a natural chemical generated by numerous organs your body, including your lungs, your liver, and your brain. In fact, DMT is so common within your body, it is released every night during your REM sleep cycle. Coincidentally, it is also the most potent psychedelic substance known to mankind (by a large margin).

II. Manufactured DMT

If you cant get your body to release your own DMT through meditative or other practices, theres always the option of going somewhere to get some manufactured DMT and select a method of getting it into your body that way. The options include smoking it, taking it intravenously, and potentially taking it orally through a potent tea drink called Ayahuasca (detailed in the next section). Please note that DMT is a Schedule I controlled substance in the US, and thus highly illegal to possess unless you are a member of the UDV church, which has Supreme Court clearance to consume Ayahuasca as part of their religious ceremonies.

Taking exogenous (outside the body) DMT will deliver the same type of experience you would get if you urged your body into an endogenous (internal to the body) DMT flush sourced from the pineal gland in the brain, and although Ive never tried it, I would assume the enlightenment experience is similar in either case. The chance of overdose on DMT is almost impossible, the effect of the drug kicks in immediately (within 30 seconds), peaks at 5-10 minutes, and is completely metabolized by the body within 20-30 minutes (at which point you are completely unaffected again). You can find a number of videos on YouTube where consciousness expanders have actually recorded their DMT sessions and put them up for review.

III.Ayahuasca (orally administered brewed DMT)

Ayahuascais a brew of variouspsychoactiveinfusionsprepared with theBanisteriopsis caapivine. It is usually mixed with the leaves ofdimethyltryptamine(DMT)-containing species of shrubs from the genusPsychotria. The caapi vine acts as a naturalmonoamine oxidase inhibitor(MAOI) which allows the DMT to become orally active. DMT would normally be digested and neutralized by gastric juices on contact after reaching the stomach. The tea, first described academically in the early 1950s byHarvardethnobotanistRichard Evans Schultes, who found it employed for divinatory and healing purposes by the native peoples ofAmazonianPeru, is known by a number of different names, including la purga (the purge) because of its extreme purgatory physical effects (people often vomit afterward, and/or experience diarrhea it is an extremely effective treatment for intestinal parasites that sometimes are found in the jungles of the Amazon).

It has been reported that some mind expanding effects can be had from consuming the caapi vine alone, but that DMT-containing plants (such asPsychotria) remain inactive when drunk as a brew without a source ofmonoamine oxidase inhibitor(MAOI) such asB. caapi. How indigenous peoples discovered the synergistic properties of the plants used in the ayahuasca brew remains a mystery. Many shamans (the keepers of the practice) say the plant spirits themselves told them how to make ayahuasca.

If you want enlightenment in a cup, this is it. You WILL pay a price physically for consuming it, but almost everyone who I have met who experienced ayahuasca say it is well worth the trip to Peru, the vomiting, and the diarrhea to experience the mystical / spiritual experience that the magic mixture conveys. In addition, almost everyone I meet who has drunk ayahuasca plans to drink it a second or multiple additional times, calling it the most profound experience of their entire lives.

IV. Psilocin / Psilocybin (Mushrooms)

Psilocybinis a naturally occurringpsychedeliccompound produced by more than200 speciesofmushrooms, collectively known aspsilocybin mushrooms. The most potent are members of the genusPsilocybe, such asP.azurescens,P.semilanceata, andP.cyanescens, but psilocybin has also been isolated from about a dozen othergenera. As aprodrug, psilocybin is quickly converted by the body topsilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar to those ofLSDandmescaline. The effects generally includeeuphoria, visual and mentalhallucinations, changes inperception, a distortedsense of time, and in addition spiritual enlightenment experiences. With psilocybin adverse reactions are also possible such asnausea(which can accompany the good effects) and alsopanic attacks (set and setting are critical when taking psychedelics).

Imagery found on prehistoricmuralsandrock paintingsof modern-day Spain and Algeria suggest that human usage of psilocybin mushrooms dates back thousands of years. InMesoamerica, the mushrooms had long been consumed inspiritualanddivinatoryceremonies before Spanish chroniclers first documented their use in the 16th century. In a 1957Lifemagazine article, American banker andethnomycologistR. Gordon Wassondescribed his experiences ingesting psilocybin-containing mushrooms during a traditional ceremony in Mexico, introducing the drug to popular culture. Shortly afterward, the Swiss chemistAlbert Hofmannisolated the active principle psilocybin from the mushroomPsilocybe mexicana. Hofmanns employerSandozmarketed and sold pure psilocybin to physicians and clinicians worldwide for use inpsychedelic psychotherapy. Although increasingly restrictive drug laws of the late 1960s curbed scientific research into the effects of psilocybin and other hallucinogens, its popularity as anentheogen(spirituality-enhancing agent) grew in the next decade, largely owing to the increased availability of information on how to cultivate psilocybin mushrooms.

Recent studies by Johns Hopkin University on high dose psilocybin experiments showed long lasting positive psychological effects in a high percentage of study subjects. In fact,78 percent of the volunteers were reporting one of the top five most spiritually significant happenings of their lives. Enlightenment in a veggie. Again, these mushrooms are a Schedule I controlled substance, so take caution in attempting to attain any.

The rest is here:

Top 15 Ways to Achieve Spiritual Enlightenment

Are you longing for more than a life of unfulfilling work, nightly TV watching, and material possession accumulation? If so, you aren't the only one, as more and more people understand the many illusions within our limited reality, certain very necessary inner transformations are happening to people all over the planet.

Are you one of these people? Are you unsatisfied with your current life and/or the outside world?

It's quite possible that you are now undergoing, or might soon undergo a spiritual awakening? Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, once your inner transformation to a higher level of consciousness is complete, likely benefits:

A bulletproof sense of inner peace. True happiness, no matter the circumstances in your life. Feeling at one with everyone & everything. Unconditional love for all living beings. Finding your true self and your true path. A worry/stress/anxiety free natural existence. A very fulfilled, meaningful life. Deep healing of mind, body, and spirit. A permanent higher shift in consciousness & understanding.

Before we tell you the very best tool during this critical time of transition (which happens to also the best tool for triggering a SA), it is important to understand a spiritual awakening's common signs, symptoms, and stages:

Letting go of once tightly held beliefs and views. Zoning out for extended periods of time, feeling "spaced" out. Sensitivity to negative people and events, especially the news. Feelings of tingling electrical-like energy running through parts of the body. Having more meaningful dreams, being able to decipher dreamstate imagery and messages. Becoming aware of and seeing the meaning behind synchronicities, the seemingly unrelated events & signs we see & experience (but mostly ignore). Wishing to break away from blind conformity, outdated institutions, unnecessary customs, & the overall status quo. Unexplained changes in appetite & eating habits, weight. May sometimes look younger. Wishing to spend more time in nature. Spontaneous healing of long held ailments. Changes in what you read, do with your spare time, or watch on TV (even cutting the cord altogether). Greater awareness of yourself and the outside world. A greater sense of inner peace and interconnectedness, with intermittent periods of emotional upheaval.

Note: This is not a test, it is perfectly natural and normal to experience just a few of these signs and symptoms. Not every stage must be "passed" for a true spiritual awakening, we are all different.

However, once your consciousness upgrade has been achieved, once the whole process is "in the books," your life will be 100% revolutionized, with countless benefits seen on all fronts.

Then, what's the secret? How do we initiate and fully "achieve" a spiritual awakening?

Meditation. The only way to train/upgrade the body to absorb the massive influx of scientifically proven quantum energy present during a spiritual awakening (especially at this time on the planet), meditation is the number one tool before, during, and after this wonderful process.

Deep meditation upgrades 9 key brain regions. The result? So many benefits: less stress, more happiness, more success, deeper sleep, easier learning, better memory, higher IQ & EQ, just to name a few. Change your brain, change your life.

Not only do meditators often look decades younger than their actual age, but they also live much longer lives. Here, we take a look at the most fascinating age defying studies making news headlines, and how meditation freezes father time.

Why are meditators so often slim & trim? Its because the weight loss benefits of meditation are nothing short of incredible. Here, from a variety of angles, we discuss how meditation can propel anyone to their ideal body.

Your subconscious & unconscious mind are incredibly powerful. Here we show you the vast benefits waiting under the surface, and how meditation is the best way to dive in, explore, and harness your deep mind. See detailed chart.

With monumental health implications, meditation has been proven to naturally boost many of your bodys chemicals: GABA, Endorphins, Serotonin, & more, while lowering the stress hormone Cortisol. The benefits are staggering.

When it comes to what the human body can & cant do, a revolution is underway. From extending life, to conquering unconquerable diseases, to rewriting genetic code, meditations latest scientific findings are incredible.

Why is meditation such a powerful anxiety reliever? From building neurotransmitters, to quieting mind chatter, to cooling the amygdala, this in-depth article discusses why anxiety is no match against meditation.

Why dont meditators have addictions? From urge surfing, to mastering stress, to uprooting deep seated emotions, to making us naturally high, to unplugging healthfully, here we discuss why meditation eradicates addiction.

Scientists love studying meditators magnificent, "depression-free" brains. From transforming psychology, to rewiring thought, to massively upgrading physiology, here we discuss why meditation dominates depression.

Other than hibernating bears, meditators are the world's best sleepers. Here's how meditation conquers sleep problems, dominates sleep disorders, while helping people with even the worst cases of insomnia sleep like a log.

Meditation balances your left & right brain hemispheres, resulting in what's called "whole brain synchronization." This opens the door to many amazing benefits: faster & easier learning, excellent mental health, super creativity, & more.

Through a process called "Neurogenesis," doctors have discovered that our brain's "neuron count" is not set for life. Meditations well-proven ability to generate a "neuron fortune" has massive implications & big benefits.

Did you know that your brain power, intelligence, & memory can be dramatically upgraded? Here, we discuss why scientists keep studying the marvelous meditating brain, and how you too can tap these awesome benefits.

If a "worlds happiest people" competition were held, meditators would walk away with the trophy. From tapping into an everyday state of "flow" to harnessing the power of "now," here we discuss why meditation & happiness are one.

Powerful CEOs, famous Hollywood actors, bestselling authors, well-known media personalities, top military rank, high level creatives, professional athletes, and even billionaires say meditation is the secret to their success.

Without the willpower to put in the hard yards today, the dream of a better tomorrow will always be just that. A dream. Luckily, willpower is never set in stone. All the great ones had it, you can too. Become "willpowerful" with meditation.

The world needs creativity. Books don't author themselves. Inventions don't invent themselves. Technology doesn't innovate itself. Luckily, we are creative by nature. It's in our genes. It's in our brains. Awaken yours with meditation.

History is full of people who, in the face of failure, diversion, & distraction, stayed the course anyway, achieving their dreams regardless of what's in their path. Here's how meditation can make us highly focused & motivated.

Intuition. Bill Gates trusts it. Steve Jobs said it's "more powerful than intellect." It powers every market decision Warren Buffett makes. Albert Einstein called it the "only real valuable thing." Here's how meditation magnifies intuition.

Dominating headlines with her viral 14+ million view TED Talk and bestselling book, a world famous psychologist makes the compelling case for "mental toughness" as successful people's real superpower. Get "Gritty" with meditation.

Whether dropped on a deserted island or elevated to the helm of a startup, with their uncanny ability to navigate uncertainty people with high fluid intelligence always find a way to thrive. Become "fluidly intelligent" with meditation.

Doctors now say that our deeply intertwined "first" real brain & "second" gut brain are actually one system, not two. Here's how meditation's incredible brain benefits can transform your microbiome and ultimately, your health.

Your body is a "community" of 50 trillion living cells. When your cells are in harmony, you're healthy. In disharmony, disease can manifest. Here's how meditation heals at the molecular level, while helping to create a "cellular utopia."

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How To Spiritually Awaken? Meditation. Top Signs ...

Spiritual enlightenment is the discovery of a whole dimension of yourself hidden in plain sight that you had never experienced before: your true Self. This dimension is not perceivable with the senses because its not within the field of your awareness. Instead, it is the source and ground of your awareness itself.

Therefore, you cant know this dimension with the mind. You can only know it by being it, which activates a dormant cognitive device far superior to the mind. This is achieved by forgoing all mental distractions and allowing every bit of your awareness to return to its source. Because when the full weight of your attention rests idly on its ground, a sinkhole opens up into this dimension and you become your true Self.

The inexpressible knowledge that you gain by being your Self is so astonishingly clear, certain, and revealing that it blows your mind and shatters all your previous ideas and conceptions of reality. This knowledge affords a vantage point from which you realize that while everything that you perceive (i.e. your mind, your body, and the entire physical universe) is transitory and ephemeral, your true Self exists absolutely, beyond time and space, always here and always now.

Furthermore, being your Self brings with it an unshakeable state of peace and fulfillment that is completely indescribable; a glorious state in which being, knowing, and loving are one and the same. Because in that state, all is one, and your Self is all that exists.

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Urban Dictionary: Spiritual enlightenment

Quick guides provide a checklist of steps for completing a quest.

Spiritual Enlightenment is a part of the Tales of the Arc miniquest series.

{"difficulty":"None","kills":"* Multiple [[Sotapanna]], [[Sakadagami]], and/or [[Anagami]]","name":"Spiritual Enlightenment","items":"None","start":"Talk with [[Ling (contracts)]] on [[Aminishi]]","length":"Medium","members":true,"requirements":"

[[File:Quest.png|21px|link=]] Quests:
[[Spiritual Enlightenment|Spiritual Enlightenment]] [[Impressing the Locals|Impressing the Locals]]

nCompleted the "Meet the Assassin" voyage from Player-owned portnn*90 [[File:Slayer-icon.png|21x21px|link=Slayer|alt=Slayer]] [[Slayer]]"}

To begin, speak to The Assassin (Ling) on the island of Aminishi. She asks for help finding the monk, Yulong, but keeps her reasons secret. Ling suggests fighting the Acolytes of Seiryu on the northern portion of Aminishi to obtain clues.

Killing any monks of Aminishi will allow you to receive the three books. The books are The Path of the Monk, The Path of the Elemental, and The Path of the Dragon. The books have a 1/16, 1/32, and 1/64 chance of being dropped respectively. As you obtain the books, read them to progress in the miniquest. Be sure to save at least a few of the Spirit dragon charms you obtain, as you will need them later.

The three types of monk are the Sotapanna, Sakadagami, and Anagami. They require 90 Slayer to damage. All three types of monks are weak to Air spells.

Once all three books have been obtained and read, return to the southern shore and speak to Ling. You must speak to Ling before you can interact with Yulong. Then, with a few Spirit dragon charms in your inventory, head to the centre of the island, near the Sakadagami. Interact with the dragon statue to be sent to the Spirit Realm. A Spirit dragon charm is consumed per minute spent in the Spirit Realm. Run to the southern shore of the island (where Ling stood before) and speak to Yulong. Charms aren't consumed while you're talking to him. You must decide to either tell Ling where he is or agree to keep him hidden.

Once you finish speaking to Yulong, return to the statue and exit the Spirit Realm. Run back to the beach and speak to Ling. Depending on your earlier choice, you will either reveal Yulong's location or keep it a secret. Ling admits that Yulong was not a target for her to assassinate, but rather a childhood friend and ex-member of the Death Lotus assassin. Finish your conversation with Ling to complete the mini-quest.

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