Libertarian | Define Libertarian at Dictionary.com

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[ lib-er-tair-ee-uhn ]SHOW IPA

/ lbrtrin /PHONETIC RESPELLING

maintaining the doctrine of free will.

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2019

I agree with you, but the youthful energy in the libertarian movement foresees a tipping point.

Had there not been a Libertarian in the race who received over 8,000 votes, Shumlin likely would have lost.

Some Tea Party types who felt that Republican Scott Milne was too moderate supported the Libertarian.

Healey describes his politics as "libertarian in some aspects, Jacksonian, Jeffersonian, socially liberal, fiscally conservative."

Sure, you could end up with a Congress that consists solely of libertarian veterinarians, or elderly communists, or whatever.

So far I concede the Libertarian contention as to the demoralising effect of Determinism, if held with a real force of conviction.

The case has been conceded to him in advance, and the libertarian can only flinch from his logic.

It is chiefly on the Libertarian side that I find a tendency to the exaggeration of which I have just spoken.

At the same time, the difference between Determinist and Libertarian Justice can hardly have any practical effect.

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libertarian

/ (lbtrn) /

a believer in freedom of thought, expression, etc

of, relating to, or characteristic of a libertarian

C18: from liberty

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

libertarian

1789, "one who holds the doctrine of free will" (opposed to necessitarian), from liberty (q.v.) on model of unitarian, etc. Political sense of "person advocating liberty in thought and conduct" is from 1878. As an adjective by 1882. U.S. Libertarian Party founded in Colorado, 1971.

Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010 Douglas Harper

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Libertarian | Define Libertarian at Dictionary.com

LIBERTARIAN | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

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These examples are from the Cambridge English Corpus and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Behind global economic rationalization is an emphasis on libertarian freedom and efficiency, not equality or democracy.

But surely, so this libertarian contends, we may not benefit some persons at the expense of others.

From the libertarian perspective, such self-deception is naturally understood as an expression of our freedom.

In the libertarian view, the institution has a legitimate right as well as a responsibility to view this issue from a marketplace, libertarian perspective.

The libertarian can hold that every choice you make may be motivated by desires and, to some extent, explicable through reasons.

Although by no means as important as the left-right dimension, they are at least as important in contemporary voting behaviour as the libertarian-authoritarian dimension.

Deontological libertarians tend to be fairly confident about their political stance - they think it rests on secure, deontological foundations.

Ageing reverses these libertarian possibilities in producing a contradiction between the fixedness of the body and the fluidity of social images.

The role of tort compensation schemes within libertarian, liberal egalitarian, and utilitarian theories of distributive justice is discussed.

She herself has a divided response to that ideal, as is indicated by her rejection of hard libertarian antipaternalism.

I call into question this strategy for defending a libertarian order.

There are few libertarians who believe free will is not central to the meaning and character of human life.

In other words, many libertarians have believed that the exercise of free will extends to most of the actions of free agents.

In its detail, however, the government's strategy was a mixture of libertarian economic ideology and inherited policy instruments.

It leads to the more libertarian conclusion but it does not justify it - it is ad hoc.

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LIBERTARIAN | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

Automation | Britannica.com

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The technology of automation has evolved from the related field of mechanization, which had its beginnings in the Industrial Revolution. Mechanization refers to the replacement of human (or animal) power with mechanical power of some form. The driving force behind mechanization has been humankinds propensity to create tools and mechanical devices. Some of the important historical developments in mechanization and automation leading to modern automated systems are described here.

The first tools made of stone represented prehistoric mans attempts to direct his own physical strength under the control of human intelligence. Thousands of years were undoubtedly required for the development of simple mechanical devices and machines such as the wheel, the lever, and the pulley, by which the power of human muscle could be magnified. The next extension was the development of powered machines that did not require human strength to operate. Examples of these machines include waterwheels, windmills, and simple steam-driven devices. More than 2,000 years ago the Chinese developed trip-hammers powered by flowing water and waterwheels. The early Greeks experimented with simple reaction motors powered by steam. The mechanical clock, representing a rather complex assembly with its own built-in power source (a weight), was developed about 1335 in Europe. Windmills, with mechanisms for automatically turning the sails, were developed during the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East. The steam engine represented a major advance in the development of powered machines and marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. During the two centuries since the introduction of the Watt steam engine, powered engines and machines have been devised that obtain their energy from steam, electricity, and chemical, mechanical, and nuclear sources.

Each new development in the history of powered machines has brought with it an increased requirement for control devices to harness the power of the machine. The earliest steam engines required a person to open and close the valves, first to admit steam into the piston chamber and then to exhaust it. Later a slide valve mechanism was devised to automatically accomplish these functions. The only need of the human operator was then to regulate the amount of steam that controlled the engines speed and power. This requirement for human attention in the operation of the steam engine was eliminated by the flying-ball governor. Invented by James Watt in England, this device consisted of a weighted ball on a hinged arm, mechanically coupled to the output shaft of the engine. As the rotational speed of the shaft increased, centrifugal force caused the weighted ball to be moved outward. This motion controlled a valve that reduced the steam being fed to the engine, thus slowing the engine. The flying-ball governor remains an elegant early example of a negative feedback control system, in which the increasing output of the system is used to decrease the activity of the system.

Negative feedback is widely used as a means of automatic control to achieve a constant operating level for a system. A common example of a feedback control system is the thermostat used in modern buildings to control room temperature. In this device, a decrease in room temperature causes an electrical switch to close, thus turning on the heating unit. As room temperature rises, the switch opens and the heat supply is turned off. The thermostat can be set to turn on the heating unit at any particular set point.

Another important development in the history of automation was the Jacquard loom (see photograph), which demonstrated the concept of a programmable machine. About 1801 the French inventor Joseph-Marie Jacquard devised an automatic loom capable of producing complex patterns in textiles by controlling the motions of many shuttles of different coloured threads. The selection of the different patterns was determined by a program contained in steel cards in which holes were punched. These cards were the ancestors of the paper cards and tapes that control modern automatic machines. The concept of programming a machine was further developed later in the 19th century when Charles Babbage, an English mathematician, proposed a complex, mechanical analytical engine that could perform arithmetic and data processing. Although Babbage was never able to complete it, this device was the precursor of the modern digital computer. See computers, history of.

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Automation | Britannica.com

John McAfee slams US authorities as government closes in

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Cyber security pioneer and crypto advocate, John McAfee, believes that theUS government will soon act in order to silence me.

I want you all to know that everything I have done, I have done for the cause of freedom. I want a world in which authorities discover crimes, not manufacture them. A free world, he told his almost one million Twitter followers this morning.

McAfee is on the run from US authorities who earlier this year indicted him, his wife and four members of his staff for tax fraud.

If I am physically silenced, my words will continue. I have, over the past two years, prepared over 2,000 short statements covering what I anticipate will happen. If my Twitter is shut down, these statements will be delivered to the press, one at a time. You will know it is me, he commented.

And he added: Those who believe I am imagining all this: keep commuting to your offices, spend nine hours in a cubicle, commuting home. Five days a week. For 40 years. Getting your reality from TV, and your opinions from others. You cannot conceive of my life.

McAfee went on to label the IRS, the SEC, the FBI and NSA festering pustules on the face of AmericaAre you angry yet? God Almighty I hope so. I pray for an angry oponent. Think you know where I am with your spyware and all? LMFAO! I am waiting to document, for the world, your corruption.

To my government: you are not America not our country. You are the custodians of our country. You are servants of the people, who chose you to serve us. F****g act like it! he declared.

In an interview with Coin Rivet during March, McAfee claimed the world didnt need income tax.In fact, it would be abolished should his run for the White House be successful next year.

In America, prior to the Civil War, we had no income tax we survived fine, he said.There are a thousand ways to vastly improve our country and our government with no taxes.Road use we have millions of miles of roads in America. What if we pay based on the use of the roads? Why should someone who never uses them have to pay the same as someone who does a million miles a year?That would generate enough revenue to pay for everything.

And asked about his presidential campaign and the idea that, although he intends to run for office, he has no intention of being the President of the United States of America, he responded:It doesnt matter who is President.Think about it. Even when someone becomes President you lose all of your power you have thousands of little strings attached to you by members of your party, people whove donated and the power structure that already exists.

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John McAfee slams US authorities as government closes in

John McAfee asks his Twitter followers to stop sending him …

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FILE -- John McAfee announces his candidacy for president on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 in Opelika, Ala. He also wants his fans to stop sending him Bitcoin.

FILE -- John McAfee announces his candidacy for president on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 in Opelika, Ala. He also wants his fans to stop sending him Bitcoin.

Photo: Todd J. Van Emst, Associated Press

FILE -- John McAfee announces his candidacy for president on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 in Opelika, Ala. He also wants his fans to stop sending him Bitcoin.

FILE -- John McAfee announces his candidacy for president on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 in Opelika, Ala. He also wants his fans to stop sending him Bitcoin.

John McAfee asks his Twitter followers to stop sending him Bitcoin, despite him daring them to

There's not much I admittedly understand about John McAfee and his ways of the world, from admitting to his Twitter followers that he's armed at all times from the shower to the bed to his, ahem, signature 2020 cocktailof mezcal, vodka, Scotch, Kahlua and blue curacao.

But you can't argue that he's boring.

McAfee has long been a Bitcoin enthusiast and champions most things cryptocurrency, and has been more recently hyping a debit card-like Visa that one can load with Bitcoin, is apparently usable anywhere and converts to local currencies.

(The first 12,000 "debit cards" apparently will bear his image on the front, for those that want it, apparently.)

McAfee took out his development team for drinks Monday, according to his Twitter account, and used the new Bitcoin debit card for its first outing. In the process of showing off the card, he also offered up an interesting proposition to his followers: Why not send me some Bitcoins to test it?

"People asked to see the back of the card," McAfee wrote in a tweet. "Here's front and back on the counter at the first bar ever to accept a Bitcoin credit card. The code on the back is for one of my test wallets. If you want to send me Bitcoins as a test please do so :)"

People asked to see the back of the card. Here's front and back on the counter at the first bar ever to accept a Bitcoin credit card. The code on the back is for one of my test wallets. If you want to send me Bitcoins as a test please do so:) pic.twitter.com/x5IDdqszMp

It seems a number of people took McAfee up on his offer, and within three hours, he was begging people to stop.

"When I suggested in my last tweet that naysayers saying the scan code on the back of my Bitcoin Visa card was not even real, should just try sending Bitcoins and see -- sure as heck, the BTC started arriving," McAfee wrote.

"I insist this stop. Already the IRS hates me," he added.

It's true, the IRS is no fan of McAfee; the former antivirus magnate was indicted by the IRS for not paying taxes and he is currently living in international waters, while also running for president in 2020. The controversial McAfee is also a "person of interest" for the 2012 murder of his neighbor in Belize.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is also not a fan of McAfee: He's claimed he's been forced into hiding due to his involvement with cryptocurrency and problems with the SEC, and apparently encouraged his Twitter followers to harass SEC Chair Jay Clayton last year, and demand a debate between McAfee and Clayton.

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Bitcoin Price Will Reach $1 Million in 2020, Or Youre an …

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By CCN.com: $1 million. Thats what John McAfee believes each bitcoin will be worth by the end of next year. And McAfee better be right, because if the bitcoin price isnt at that level in the next 20 months, he will have to eat his d**K on national television.

Well, thats what he had said three years ago when he first claimed that the bitcoin price was going to $500,000 by the end of 2020, before doubling down on his projection a few months later. With his manhood on the line, it is not surprising to see that John McAfee keeps trying to tell us to value bitcoin the correct way.

John McAfee uses every positive bitcoin price forecast to parrot his own $1 million target, telling Twitterverse that anyone not buying into his price target is stupid.

This is the second time in less than a month when McAfee is telling us why bitcoin will definitely hit the million dollar mark by 2020.

Read the full story on CCN.com.

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Bitcoin Price Will Reach $1 Million in 2020, Or Youre an ...

Bored? John McAfees New App Will Harass & Reward You in BTC

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Antivirus software billionaire John McAfee has gained a reputation for being a rather vociferous character within the cryptosphere. When SEC Chairman Jay Clayton stated in CNBC interview last year that he believes that ICO tokens are securities, McAfee [welcomed] the opportunity to RIP the SEC a new a#%hole and shouted over Twitter that the Commission had better back the f!@% off.

Now you, too, can be harangued by John McAfee, thanks to Bitcoin Play, a new Android app that he released on Saturday, May 4. According to McAfee, the app has a family friendly option and an adult version in which McAfees dulcet tones can be heard cursing at [the users] ineptitude.

Discover Barcelona Trading Conference A Top Tier Crypto Trading Event

The app appears to be a way to engage new users with Bitcoin. Bitcoin Play will reward its users with tiny amounts of Bitcoin in units called Satoshis in exchange for correctly answering various trivia questions on topics like sports, general knowledge, and entertainment. The BTC is then sent to the users wallet of choice, which means that users will have to set up a Bitcoin wallet in order to receive their rewards. (We see what you did there, John McAfee.)

Indeed, although McAfee didnt explain that this was the apps purpose, the fact that users will be rewarded in BTC could expose a new group of people to owning and using the asset even in small amounts. Users are further incentivized to use the app by having the opportunity to compete against other users in John McAfees Weekly Competition League and win extra rewards and prizes.

The BTC payout amount slowly increases as users continually correctly answer corrections, which also acts as an incentive for users to engage with the app over longer periods of time. However, the difficulty of the questions also increases as users continue to correctly answer questions.

So far, a total of 33 users have collectively given the app a rating of 4.1 on the Google Play store.

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Bored? John McAfees New App Will Harass & Reward You in BTC

Bitcoin Below $1M by 2020 is Impossible, It’s Pure …

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Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

While the crypto community has divided into those who strongly believe in cryptos and see Bitcoin as the future of finance and those who are generally skeptical about digital currencies, John McAfee, a British-American businessman and cybersecurity expert, has his own opinion on the future Bitcoin price. His prediction of $1 million Bitcoin price by 2020 is based on mathematics.

John McAfee believes that the Bitcoin price will achieve at least $1 million by 2020, which is justified by mathematical formulas. Highlighting the difference between behavioral economics of digital currency and traditional financial markets, McAfee stated that we can not apply stock market paradigms to predict Bitcoin price movements.

According to the experts previous statements, the actual value of Bitcoin is based on the cost of its production (or mining), as well as on the total number of users and transactions on its network. McAfee has also stressed that Bitcoin was not a speculative investment but an instrument that powered a payment protocol working without banks.

Then, McAfee stated that the US dollar is widely used because people trust the regulator that issues and governs its value. When Bitcoin achieves massive adoption, its demand will surge, and there will be no need to issue dollar bills.

As a result, there will be a protocol that puts a pre-defined supply cap over Bitcoin printing 21 million units and allocates the task of minting it to miners. Due to the protocol, funds will be transferred more cheaply than by a bank, which will also foster Bitcoin adoption.

John McAfee said:

People will start using bitcoin for payments and receipts. They will stop using the US dollar, Euro, Chinese Yuan which, in the long-term, devalues these currencies.

Further, McAfee analyzed the currencys recent performance. At the moment of writing, Bitcoin makes up $ 5,238, growing by 2.68% in the last 24 hours. It has recovered from the recent trading low of $4,948. According to McAfee, we will need to see a move above $5,360. The expert believes that the coin will have steady growth, thats why it is impossible for the Bitcoin price to stay below $1 million by the year 2020.

However, it is not unclear why 2020 should become the year when the number one digital coin hits a $1 million mark. For example, if valued at near $5,000, Bitcoin would need to grow by 19,900 percent until December 2020, with an annual average growth rate near 9,950 percent, which seems to be impossible.

In 2020, the US presidential elections will take place, and John McAfee, who participated in an electoral campaign in 2016, will run for the presidency again. During the next elections, McAfee is planning to use the run in order to promote the rights of the crypto-currency community.

As we reported earlier, McAfees political views align with more of a libertarian view, in which he believes the government should have little power or be completely non-existent. In his mind, cryptocurrencies have the power to do this.

Even if McAfee becomes the US president, he will not be able to make the price of Bitcoin make a rapid growth so quickly.

There is a chance for Bitcoin to reach one million, but 2020 is too early for that.

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Bitcoin Below $1M by 2020 is Impossible, It's Pure ...

Spiritual Enlightenment – Truths, Distortions, and Paths …

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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 ...

Spiritual Enlightenment – Spiritual Experience

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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

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

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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

Enlightenment in Buddhism – Wikipedia

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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".

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Enlightenment in Buddhism - Wikipedia

Top 15 Ways to Achieve Spiritual Enlightenment

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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.

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Top 15 Ways to Achieve Spiritual Enlightenment

How To Spiritually Awaken? Meditation. Top Signs …

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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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Urban Dictionary: Spiritual enlightenment

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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

Universal Chess Interface – Wikipedia

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A Universal Chess Interface (UCI) is an open communication protocol that enables chess engines to communicate with user interfaces.[1][2]

In November 2000, the UCI protocol was released. Designed by Rudolf Huber and Stefan Meyer-Kahlen, the author of Shredder, UCI rivals the older "Chess Engine Communication Protocol" introduced with XBoard/WinBoard.

In 2002, Chessbase, the chess software company which markets Fritz, began to support UCI, which had previously been supported by only a few interfaces and engines.

As of 2007[update], well over 100 engines are known to directly support UCI.

By design, UCI assigns some tasks to the user interface (i.e., presentation layer) which have traditionally been handled by the engine (at the business layer) itself.[citation needed]

Most notably, the opening book is usually expected to be handled by the UI, by simply selecting moves to play until it is out of book, and only then starting up the engine for calculation in the resulting position. UCI does not specify any on-disk format for the opening book. Different UIs usually have their own proprietary formats.[citation needed]

While the UI can also take responsibility for handling endgame tablebases, this is arguably better handled in the engine itself, as having tablebase information can be useful for considering possible future positions.[3]

Stefan-Meyer Kahlen's UCI protocol in Shredder uses long algebraic notation for moves. A "nullmove" from the Engine to the GUI should be sent as 0000.[4]

The uci_limitstrength parameter tells engines with this feature to play at a lower level. The uci_elo parameter specifies the Elo rating at which the engine will aim to play.

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Universal Chess Interface - Wikipedia

Ayn Rand’s "The Fountainhead" Shows Us That There’s More to …

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(IRVINE)Leonard Peikoff inherited the works, manuscripts and notes from Philosopher Ayn Rand. He donated all but two pages of the original manuscript of 'The Fountainhead' to the Library Of Congress. When the government found out that he kept two pages they sent an agent out to confiscate the pages from a framed display in his home. Peikoff holding an inscription that Ayn Rand wrote in a copy of the 'Fountainhead' to her husband Frank. (Photo by Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

On this day in1943, Ayn Rands The Fountainhead was published. It tells the story of an impoverished architecture school dropout, Howard Roark, and how he navigatesor fails to navigatethe New York architecture scene. Rand is a hero in many minds and a villain in many more. And why wouldnt she be? She wrote, in addition to her fiction, books titled The Virtue of Selfishness and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. The virtue ofselfishness? The reckless and greedy pursuit of gain as an ideal? How awful. Doesnt she know there is more to life than money?

Of course she did. To claim that she only cared about money and said that people should only care about money is to show that you either havent read her books or at least havent understood them. This isnt to say that theres a subtlety you missed in between the long speeches and the rough-bordering-on-violent sex. This is to say that you have missed what is plainly there.

Consider The Fountainhead. I tried to read it in college, gave up, and finally read it (along with Atlas Shrugged) as a graduate student. The Fountainhead is an entire novel about an artist who refuses to sell out. It seems odd in a writer famous for her paeans to capitalism and profit. To focus solely on what she says about profit and selfishness is to neglect her deeper ethic of fidelity to objective standards of right and wrong.

Unyielding and unwavering commitment to principle is why Roark wont budge. He cares about designing to his standards and being faithful to his vision of what a building should be, how that changes based on the materials available, and what the building is being designed for. He doesnt care about being famous. He doesnt care about being rich. He doesnt care about getting credit. He cares about his vision and seeing it fulfilled.

By contrast, his nemesis Peter Keating is the star of the New York architecture world. He is rich. He is famous. But he is a fraud and unprincipled faker. He designs poorly but after the style of the day as dictated in part by Ellsworth Toohey, an intellectual and architecture critic who surrounds himself with mediocrity and who works to destroy genuine excellence (he hates Roark, therefore). Keatings only good work isnt his work at all: it is Roarks. But Roark, again, doesnt want credit. He just wants to see his vision made a reality.

Keating is commissioned to design a housing project. As usual, he gets Roark to do the design work for him, and again Roark wants only to see that the building is done exactly to his specifications. But then other people involved in the project get their hands on it. They add an element here, a little theater there. They mangle Roarks vision, and Keating does nothing to stop them. Roark does: he dynamites the building.

The book has all the elements that make a Rand novel an Ayn Rand novel. One-dimensional, perfect or perfectly flawed characters who are written to highlight very specific virtues or vices. Courtroom drama. Long speeches. Sex. At the end of the novel, Roark stands triumphantly atop a tower he is building, a beacon of the triumph of reason and principle over vanity and avarice.

Object, if you will and must, to some or most or all of Rands philosophical and ethical position. I myself disagree with her atheism, among other things. But before you cast aspersions on a writer and a stack of books that have had a marked influence on so many people because you disagree with her exaltation of selfishness, think it possible that you misread her.

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Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" Shows Us That There's More to ...

News – Ayn Rand’s "The Fountainhead" Shows Us That …

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On this day in1943, Ayn RandsThe Fountainheadwas published. It tells the story of an impoverished architecture school dropout, Howard Roark, and how he navigatesor fails to navigatethe New York architecture scene. Rand is a hero in many minds and a villain in many more. And why wouldnt she be? She wrote, in addition to her fiction, books titledThe Virtue of SelfishnessandCapitalism: The Unknown Ideal. The virtue ofselfishness? The reckless and greedy pursuit ofgainas anideal? How awful. Doesnt she know there is more to life than money?

Of course she did. To claim that sheonlycared about money and said that people shouldonlycare about money is to show that you either havent read her books or at least havent understood them. This isnt to say that theres a subtlety you missed in between the long speeches and the rough-bordering-on-violent sex. This is to say that you have missed what is plainly there.

ConsiderThe Fountainhead. I tried to read it in college, gave up, and finally read it (along withAtlas Shrugged) as a graduate student.The Fountainheadis an entire novel about an artist who refuses to sell out. It seems odd in a writer famous for her paeans to capitalism and profit. To focus solely on what she says about profit and selfishness is to neglect her deeper ethic of fidelity to objective standards of right and wrong.

Unyielding and unwavering commitment to principle is why Roark wont budge. He cares about designing to his standards and being faithful to his vision of what abuildingshould be, how that changes based on the materials available, and what the building is being designedfor. He doesnt care about being famous. He doesnt care about being rich. He doesnt care about getting credit. He cares about his vision and seeing it fulfilled.

By contrast, his nemesis Peter Keating is the star of the New York architecture world. He is rich. He is famous. But he is a fraud and unprincipled faker. He designs poorly but after the style of the day as dictated in part by Ellsworth Toohey, an intellectual and architecture critic who surrounds himself with mediocrity and who works to destroy genuine excellence (he hates Roark, therefore). Keatings only good work isnt his work at all: it is Roarks. But Roark, again, doesnt want credit. He just wants to see his vision made a reality.

Keating is commissioned to design a housing project. As usual, he gets Roark to do the design work for him, and again Roark wants only to see that the building is done exactly to his specifications. But then other people involved in the project get their hands on it. They add an element here, a little theater there. They mangle Roarks vision, and Keating does nothing to stop them. Roark does: he dynamites the building.

The book has all the elements that make a Rand novel an Ayn Rand novel. One-dimensional, perfect or perfectly flawed characters who are written to highlight very specific virtues or vices. Courtroom drama. Long speeches. Sex. At the end of the novel, Roark stands triumphantly atop a tower he is building, a beacon of the triumph of reason and principle over vanity and avarice.

Object, if you will and must, to some or most or all of Rands philosophical and ethical position. I myself disagree with her atheism, among other things. But before you cast aspersions on a writer and a stack of books that have had a marked influence on so many people because you disagree with her exaltation of selfishness, think it possible that you misread her.

[Originally Published at Forbes]

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News - Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" Shows Us That ...