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Enlightenment

Deepak Chopra - December 22, 2008

Enlightenment is the transformation of personal consciousness to universal consciousness. According to the wisdom traditions of the world, this transformation is not an anomaly or departure from human nature, but rather the actualization of human potential. The evolution of consciousness is a progressive journey back to the source of existence, to our source. This metamorphosis represents a shift in identify from the personal to the transpersonal, to the universal. It is the realization that as persons we are a transient impermanent pattern of a deeper consciousness that differentiates simultaneously into the observer and the observed. The maturation of awareness reveals that in reality we are ultimately not defined as either the observer or observed, but rather that consciousness which simultaneously differentiates into both.

Since enlightenment involves a journey from the personal to the universal, the qualities or characteristics of enlightenment are expressions of the unified self instead of the separate, personal self. As we move more fully into the universal values of the cosmos, we progressively express the qualities of love, compassion, intuition, insight, imagination, and creativity. We find that our thinking and behavior begins to function in harmony with the forces of the universe, and we notice more conscious choice-making , observations of synchronicity around us, the spontaneous fulfillment of our desires, and the manifesting power of our intentions.
As we step out of the complete identification with our body and sensory experiences, our attachment to the past and the future drops away, allowing us to experience the present moment in freedom and joy. This presence of non-local consciousness is our real Self. There is also a loss of fear, including the fear of mortality. There is a deeper knowing that the only thing that dies is the impermanent self (which was hallucination to begin with). The real Self exists outside the boundaries and time and space, has no beginning or ending and is therefore immortal. Enlightenment brings the experiential knowledge of immortality, infinite love, and infinite creativity. It reveals that the natural expression of human life is effortlessness, spontaneity, and joyfulness.

Enlightenment means bringing complete light to all areas of life that were in darkness before. All aspects of life that were trapped in unconscious conditioning and ignorance are now made fully conscious and self-aware. In Sanskrit, this light of knowledge is known as vidya, and ignorance of the self is called avidya.

When we embark on the spiritual journey of enlightenment in earnest, it is normal for our mind to want to know how long it will take? Great spiritual masters say that it takes time for fruit to ripen, and when the season is right it suddenly drops from the tree. For each of us the season may be different because of past karma and where we are in our evolution. The journey to enlightenment must always be regarded as a journey, not a fixed goal. To be rigidly attached to the idea of arriving at the destination takes away from the joy and spontaneity of the unfolding of consciousness. The search for the certainty of timetables and outcomes about enlightenment comes from our limited ego self, not our unlimited self. If we surrender to the wisdom of uncertainty, we remain open to the wonder of the process and resist the clutches of the ego’s need to control by knowing the outcome. The art of spiritual evolution is to enjoy the journey as we continue to grow.

Visit www.intent.com to read more from Deepak Chopra and other prominent voices.

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Posted by Deepak Chopra at December 22, 2008 11:50 AM

Comments

Click my name and take the Magical Mystery Tour.

Magical Mystery Tour (Lennon/McCartney)
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up AND THAT'S AN INVITATION, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up TO MAKE A RESERVATION, roll up for the mystery tour.
The magical mystery tour is waiting to take you away,
Waiting to take you away.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up SATISFACTION GUARANTEED, roll up for the mystery tour.
The magical mystery tour is hoping to take you away,
Hoping to take you away.

Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up AND THAT'S AN INVITATION, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up TO MAKE A RESERVATION, roll up for the mystery tour.
The magical mystery tour is coming to take you away,
Coming to take you away.
The magical mystery tour is dying to take you away,
Dying to take you away, take you away.

AM I THAT AM I?

I AM THAT I AM!

1. Posted by Richard Thomas ∞Φ on December 22, 2008 12:30 PM

Very well put Deepak, fairly comprehensive articulation of The Reality.

2. Posted by Richard Thomas ∞Φ on December 22, 2008 01:11 PM

Dear Deepak,

You are able to say with words that what can hardly be expressed in words and as long as one reads your words, one is under your spell :)

Yeah Richard, the Magical Mystery Tour :)Indeed!

Well, that's your special gift Deepak.

And as we all are on a journey, life certainly is new every minute. But I also know that every minute can be my last.

So finding a balance in that, to me means flowing with the flow and making one's dreams come true on the go :). And I do not have to dream so big, I never did and yet made many come true.

And mine are very simple and have nothing to do with politics but everything with my fellow man or woman. I believe most of the ordinary people live in this way and in the end always survive, no matter what.

We do not have to express it in words, we just express it in the fact that we are.

To me it has been made very clear at the age of 34: believe in yourself, love yourself, have faith in yourself and believe in, love and have faith in your fellow man and woman like yourself.

It is as simple as that and if you have this simple perspective, nothing can change your view in your world.

Jai Guru Deva
Nothing's gonna change my world :)

3. Posted by heartphone on December 22, 2008 01:12 PM

Is there a difference between Self-Realization and Enlightenment?

4. Posted by Matthew on December 22, 2008 01:35 PM

I agree with you, you have to enjoy spirituality, you have to find the interest and desire, and enjoy meditating and spiritual introspection, because life can be awful sometimes. Yes, enjoy life when you can, but you still have to understand and know enlightenment as the finale outcome or ripening of your pursuit. The dangling carrot of enlightenment and contentment is the most important aspect of spirituality. It keeps you on the path, keeps you going, and I believe, the most noble and important goal of your existence. Knowing that there is a transformation of identity, which eradicates fears and desires upon impact, is the icing on the cake, and worth pursuing. And the ego needs something like this, fire fights fire, you use the ego mind to illuminate the ego mind, ironic, but it works.

5. Posted by KAN on December 22, 2008 03:23 PM

#4, Hi Matthew, It's the samething

6. Posted by KAN on December 22, 2008 03:26 PM

Thank you (((Deepak)))

Love, Char

7. Posted by Char on December 22, 2008 04:05 PM

Hi Deepak and Everyone,

The spiritual journey of enlightenment is a lot like scraping plaque of a tooth except you are scraping the plaque of your perception, plaque settles comfortably on one's perception so the need to remove it is constant....scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape.....and one can see clearly again...for a time...scrape, scrape, scrape.....

have a good one, ruth.....

8. Posted by ruth on December 22, 2008 04:51 PM

Is there a difference between Self-Realization and Enlightenment? ~ Posted by #4

My journey has always been to achieve self-realization, I’ve always been threatened by the word enlightenment because, for some reason, I think it’s an unobtainable goal for me. In any rate, below is a question/answer on “Criteria for Self-Realization” that Deepak elaborates on that I use as a benchmark for my own Spiritual growth, maybe this will help you also.

Hugs, Lily
http://discussion.chopra.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=420&PN=93

9. Posted by Lily S. on December 22, 2008 09:49 PM

[Enlightenment means bringing complete light to all areas of life that were in darkness before]

How that light will be seen in the absence of darkness?

10. Posted by Harb on December 23, 2008 01:26 AM

Enlightenment can also mean: to relieve oneself from too much burden, for instance from taking the whole world on one's shoulders.

One can even enlighten a tree when it is too heavy branched :)

Lol, now even lighting a candle in the dark is a simple gesture of enlightenment :)

It is only because we are aware of duality that we can compare.

But it takes a whole lifetime, divided into four stages and accompanied by four forces to attain self-realization.

Everyone can be enlightened in a moment, self-realization is a conscious path that may perhaps take even more than one lifetime.

Self-realization can be found when one completely unites with a creative intention and in that moment one is not there at all. One only knows afterwards that one had such an experience and therefore there are no words that can explain this.

And still we keep on trying :)

Best season's wishes to everyone.

And my latest endeavour of self-realization can be read and seen here:

http://www.heartphone.org/winterlabyrinth.htm

Mieke

11. Posted by heartphone on December 23, 2008 05:41 AM

Lol Mieke, you have explained it for me...enlightenment is really being light...getting rid of the burden of the whole world produced by one's duality-producing mind on one's basic identity or soul and again realizing one's identity with soul.

12. Posted by Harb on December 23, 2008 06:30 AM

Well, I did translate your book and that truly was a soulful experience lol.

I found myself completely "lost" in it :)

Love and best wishes,

Mieke

13. Posted by heartphone on December 23, 2008 06:58 AM

Merry Christmas and synonymously - here is to the celebrations of all life everywhere for this time or anther let life live in peace.

Enlightenment.. is growth..

someone said to me today "a leaf moves along the road blown by the wind - a force with no visible substance to it...yet it moves the leaf unseen"

and I said to him "The force that observed that very leaf through you is also unseen and you cant know it through your eyes just like you cant know the wind, but still it is there"

Now that is growth when you know that..

Many people aspire at this time of year to achieve or resole things in their life - but really you are already born into the classroom of growth. If you are alive then you are already being educated in the stream of the path back to God - even in pain and despair.

"Why don't you grow up"

we all must have heard that a million times...

but thats more true than we first realize..

we are here to grow up.. when we are all grown up then we will be beyond hatred, lust, pain, misunderstanding and deception. We will have grown up spiritually.. and thats what its all about, in this lifetime or the next - you will grow up one day..

Why not start today?

Love

Simon xx

Merry Christmas and a happy growing up for the year ???????????????????

14. Posted by Simon_Freejohn on December 23, 2008 04:27 PM

dear Simon,
Merry Wishes to you!
I wonder about the growing up .... yes, I think you are right ;-)

Isn't this journey of Life so amazing.
There is much to discover, to enjoy and celebrate, and to draw upon knowledge and inspiration to explore the Universe ...
and the inner universe.

To me,
the present moment is the Place to
Be.
yeah!

Lots of love to you,
and to the dear IB Family,
~ Kate

15. Posted by Kate... on December 23, 2008 04:38 PM

Self-realization is the realization that there is no self to be realized.

Merry Christmas!

16. Posted by yogi-one on December 23, 2008 11:38 PM

Self-realization is the realization that the Self is already realized, and now the mind and consciousness is realized.

Merry Christmas!

17. Posted by KAN on December 24, 2008 05:33 AM

#16 and 17:

A contradictio in termino :)

In other words a Koan

Merry and many realizations !

18. Posted by heartphone on December 24, 2008 06:30 AM

I heard your sweet voice as I read out loud your beautiful poems. You are a an enlightened spirit. This is for you Tabassom Ziba Man; Write your poems as if you were the....

"Hollow Reed"

Universe timelessly observes itself....
through all things ... through our emotional intelligence.
conscience experience ... find your true voice..
trust it...fear it not..
let it take over .. " hollow reed"..
don't own it..
let the experiencer...the wind... guide you through all the NOISES ...
in the ultimate peace...the silance of all beings...hear..it? the only voice..
that makes sense of all things...
that is the collective voice of the universe..
struggling to get your attention...amoung all distractions..
find it...bow to it...listen...that is your" inner voice"...
Not the voice of " needs"
Not the voice of " "wants"
But the voice of " reason"...
build your greatest temple for this voice.."the hollow reed"
worship.it ..timelessly..always at the present time.
as life unfolds...go with your " natural flow"..never let go of the " hollow reed"
Share the whole experience from all angels....
as if you were all...knowing...
feeling it from all corners..
be the rock ...solid..unshakeable
grow like the tree...One trunk...many branches..leaves
let your true self shine like the sun.
your mind open and spacious like one blue sky
Think of the all obstacles as the cloud..it will eventually rain down
soon you emerge from the " whole experience of wonderment" into the valley of " oneness"...
realizing all is one...knowing all truth...
WHICH means all but nothing...
1=0..BUT WE ARE ALL BUT 1 ENTITY observing itself from all sides...
suffering BECAUSE all desperate parts fell...
as if the " pieces of whole "famous mirror "of truth fell to the earth and shattered
to infinite pieces...
each" broken mirror"( each one of us) looking at its experience calling it " the truth"..Oh we are so wrong...hold your thoughts..your experience is just a stick in the water....
where is the stream...the river...the ocean..of truth.
Our quest just beginning.

Love
The experiencer
Farahmand Kalayeh

19. Posted by Farahmand Kalayeh on December 24, 2008 06:54 AM

Is there a difference between Self Realisation and Enlightenment, or Self Actualisation, or Nirvana, or Awakening, or knowing the Godhead, or transcendance, or God Consciousness, or Christ Consciousness,or tapping into a higher consciousness, or tapping into the collective unconscious, or experiencing no-mind, or becoming egoless, or Knowing?

I guess it all depends on either who is talking about it or what the context is.

20. Posted by Ahmadenijad on December 27, 2008 06:49 PM

Those who are earnestly are seeking " enlightment" will travel through many state of being...Doubt..then perhaps " Identification"..and " certainty" of " knowing..understanding where " self " transforms into a cosmosapian...part of a greater fabric of being. The next phase is stae of " wonderment" and " tranquality" ..Loving all things.

At a conclusion of this state " self" is overwhelmed with humility and fades into nothingness and totally submits to the will of the "all knowing" and vastness of universe and its limitations and finality. This journey can take a split second or 100,000 thousands years. It all depends on seeker's sincerity and openness.

During these events trials seekers should avoid getting trapped by the words. Words are simply diffrent sides of the same box.

21. Posted by Farahmand Kalayeh on December 29, 2008 02:29 PM

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