Enlightenment

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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 4/8/09 4:15 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/8/09 4:15 PM

Enlightenment

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: garyrh
Forum: Glossary

This thread is for the glossary sample.

Discussion on the definition of Enlightenment.
We should have the idea now, even somewhat enlightened!
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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 4/10/09 2:39 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/10/09 2:39 PM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: garyrh

How about; The Awakening to the one true reality of your own mind.

paraphrased from http://flatbedsutra.com/flatbedsutrazenblogger/?paged=10

Any comments. It is concise, but is it too short?.
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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 4/11/09 4:39 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/11/09 4:39 PM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: garyrh

Maybe "The knowing of the one true reality of your own mind" is better because it might be said not all knowing is via Awakening. ( I am going to attempt a definition of Awaken next if someone doesn't beat me to it).

Please make comments.
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Chris Marti, modified 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 5:07 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 5:07 AM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 379 Join Date: 7/7/09 Recent Posts
I await your definition ;-)
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C4 Chaos, modified 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 12:02 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 12:02 PM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 0 Join Date: 7/26/09 Recent Posts
Gary,

are we talking about classical enlightenment (e.g. satori), abiding (stage experience) or non-abiding (state experience) enlightenment, or full enlightenment?

i have my opinion but i would rather point out to people who have been hashing this for decades now. for example, here's Ken Wilber's (jargon laden) definition of *full enlightenment*

"Full enlightenment is being one with all structures and all states that are available at any given time in history."

for more context listen to the second audio on this page:
http://integrallife.com/aqal/introduction-integral-approach

here's to awakening!

~C
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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 2:26 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 2:26 PM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: garyrh

What I think we are interested in is when someone (especially a newcomer) reads "Enlightenment" on DHO they get a concise description that they can further investigate if they wish. So the definition may not contain every variation but we will aim for perfection. This will work well with the new wiki site.

So how about you have a shot at the definition emoticon.
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triple think, modified 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 7:15 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/12/09 7:15 PM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 362 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
To be honest, I'm not a fan of the term. I find it most appropriate to descriptions of the rise of modern science and rational thought which is pretty far from our central concerns here which are, to my mind, better framed by the term 'awakening'. I think I have mentioned before that I am actually in pursuit of 'liberation' and maybe have not mentioned that I tend to view this in terms of 'purity' of various kinds which is something that I would like to see more directly addressed in here at DhO because it is no less problematic than awakening in the context of 'understanding'. Perhaps it is a little more qualitative angle, a bit more mutable and even harder to assess progress. Still the content is hard to avoid forever, so I expect the group will eventually get into it by various of the inherent dharma avenues as is already beginning to occur to some extent. I imagine you guys will eventually have a lot to say on it.
Chuck Kasmire, modified 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 7:42 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 7:42 AM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 560 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
Hi Gary,
Thanks for putting together the glossary. As for a concise definition of enlightenment, it may be that the best we can do is say that there is no concise definition and offer several. Even here at DhO I don't feel there would be general agreement on the term 'Enlightenment'. I favor Wilbers definition of 'Freedom plus Fullness' that c4chaos is speaking of. In that sense DhO is largely concerned with the freedom side of things but issues related to fullness come up here and we have no way of addressing them or even understanding them without a language and framework that allows these issues to be worked with. Maybe a brief outline of this definition along with some links would help define it.
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Wet Paint, modified 14 Years ago at 4/21/09 11:52 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/21/09 11:52 AM

RE: Enlightenment

Posts: 22924 Join Date: 8/6/09 Recent Posts
Author: garyrh

I am quoting Kenneth below in quotation marks from here http://dharmaoverground.wetpaint.com/thread/2704822/Responses+to+Realization+and+Development?offset=160.

"Well, 'ultimate' means 'final' or 'last.'
1 - "Arahatship is the ultimate physio-energetic attainment. It is the last stop on a particular developmental continuum."
2 - "Awakening is also ultimate. It is the final understanding in the sense that it is that which cannot be further reduced. It is not, however, developmental. It's just what it is, any time you should happen to notice it. "

Some would call - 1 - Enlightenment not making the distinction of -2-
Some would call - 2 - Enlightenment not making the distinction of -1-
Some will make -1- or -2- a subset of the other thereby making only -1- or -2- the absolute Enlightment.
Some will recognise -1- or -2- as both being ultimate in their own sense and that Enlightenment is a label that can refer to either.

Comments or another category? Try to hold this thread to the defining of a definition most could find their position in, so it is not about what is right or wrong.

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