What Do Enlightened Guys Look Like?
Written on July 15, 2008 by Tom Stine
The other day I wrote a little article commenting on Eckhart Tolle and Oprah. A reader left some comments concerning Eckhart and the general issue of enlightenment, and rather than reply in the comments, I thought I would do a short article in response.
I think it is safe to say that my reader and I may not see eye to eye on the subject of enlightenment. I won’t try to summarize his point of view, but I encourage you to read the comments on that post.
Let me being by saying that I’m not really into the term enlightenment, so I will use the word awake or awakening. Just a matter of preference. Less baggage for me associated with the term awakening.
The only “criteria” I have for awakening is seeing, truly seeing, beyond the self, the “I”, the “me” that everyone thinks they are. When that is seen through, completely through, it is as if one has awakened from a dream, a dream of self. One then knows oneself as the Unborn as the Buddha would have said. Or we can say Emptiness, Spirit, the Formless.
However, as one great Zen master pointed out, “to encounter the Absolute is not yet enlightenment.” This awakening has to penetrate the entire being. When it does, the person knows through and through the truth: there is only One. Wherever they look, they see One. And this One has the appearance of form but is in fact Formless, Empty. When they look inside themselves, they see Nothing, Emptiness, the Absolute. All is Emptiness, all is One.
This whole awakening, then, is about identity. In my experience, it has nothing to do with experiences. One can have profound experiences of bliss, and even experiences of awakening, but that in and of itself is not it. When the sense of self has gone, that is it. No Self. Over and over, that message comes at us in spiritual literature (well, at least in “the good stuff”).
As for those who have awakened, in my experience, there are plenty. Eckhart for certain. They come in all shapes and sizes. I personally know a few that don’t look anything like the popular image of “an enlightened one.” The outer form means nothing. Absolutely nothing. Life expresses itself in all manner of forms. And in awakening, too. Here are a few examples of some well known and not so well known folks:
Ramana Maharshi (pictured left), who by anyone’s definition would meet the tests of “enlightened” sat around in a loincloth and asked for nothing (except a newspaper and food). And yet he had a strange obsession with a mountain. Go figure. He “looked the part” of the great enlightened one, partly because of his particular experiences and partly because he was living in India.
Nisargadatta Maharaj (pictured right), again someone who passes almost anyone’s “tests”, smoked cigarettes like a chimney and owned a little store (where he sold cigarettes amongst other things). He was a common man, uneducated, but as awake as could be. He certainly didn’t look enlightened. He even would shout at his visitors in his passion to bring the truth to them.
Okay, one more: my favorite is a man who currently plays banjo at the Grand Ole Opry and tells silly hillbilly jokes on stage. He is billed as a “banjer funnyman” yet when he has done satsang, the beauty of the truth in him echos from his voice. He is vibrant, alive, amazing. And yes, he was on Hee Haw 20 years ago (I’m not making this up, I promise!). His name is Mike Snider, and you can find out more about him here.
All awake. All aware of the Truth.
These are some examples. I know of others. As a matter of fact, I’m going to be posting an interview I did recently with someone who has realized the truth of who he is. He is a delight to speak with, but again, he won’t look like the common conceptions of “enlightened guy.” Which to me means those conceptions are probably quite mistaken.
To be honest, it is probably best to throw away these beliefs about enlightenment, and we should probably begin with the term enlightenment. Too much baggage as I said before. In point of fact, probably the best way to express it all is to simply say, “one who has realized the truth of who she is.” Much better. Because it isn’t any more complicated or exciting than that.
Again, as I mentioned above, that realization can’t simply be “oh, yeah, I get it.” It must penetrate deep, it must be thorough, it must be through the entire being. But don’t worry. You’ll know. Believe me, when the truth dawns, you won’t have any doubts. You probably won’t be able to stop laughing for a while.
As an addendum, I would like to thank Vern over at aimforawesome.com for getting this discussion rolling. He has a terrific blog with great articles and killer images. He writes from his experience, which is rare in the world of spirituality. Again, thanks Vern.
If you enjoy this article, please vote for it or share it with others. I appreciate your support.
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on July 15th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I know little bits and pieces about Buddhism that I have gathered from different sources as I go along. So I am no expert. I was listening to a CD earlier today by Reinald A. Ray called Meditating With the Body. In his introduction, Mr. Ray says that enlightenment isn’t, in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, looked upon as a destination. He says that enlightenment is all about the journey.
I don’t think what a person wears will define him as enlightened or not and I think it is sad that someone would get caught up in the clothes rather than the message of the teacher. Sometimes a drunk can be the perfect teacher for the lesson that we need to learn at that particular time.
Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker’s last blog post..Healing And Letting Go Of Repressed Emotions
on July 15th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I agree with you, Tom, that enlightenment doesn’t come in any specific recognizable packages. I also agree that the term gets tossed around too much.
However, I don’t think awakening is an adequate replacement. Lots of people have an initial experience of One-ness, of true identity. Full enlightenment, however, is the absolute embodiment of that One-ness, at all times. Only a handful of people have done that in the last few thousand years. The first glimpse of enlightenment is just the beginning of the journey. It’s where we start from.
I think a great many people mistake spiritual awakening for enlightenment. I guess it’s just terminology, in the end words don’t capture the experience, anyway.
There’s a great resource on enlightenment at http://www.meditationexpert.com - really awesome stuff.
Blessings,
Andrea
Andrea Hess | Empowered Soul’s last blog post..The Answer to Our Prayers
on July 15th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
@Patricia Thanks for the comment. I’m not certain I would call it “sad” but I think the situation just illustrates how there are many different opinions as to what enlightenment is or isn’t. That’s why I reject the term to an extent. We get caught up in how it should appear.
@Andrea I understand why you don’t like awakening. It is true that experiencing our true nature is one that many people have had. As time has gone on, more and more people have had a taste, sometimes a veritable “gulp” of reality. I would agree with you that what is generally meant by enlightenment would be best described as an embodiment of Oneness. Through and through, the One is known. We could call that an “abiding awakeness,” where the awareness of Self, as Ramana would say, is continual. But as to numbers and extent of the “full enlightenment,” here is where we disagree. Not that it matters, but oh well.
I will plunge in, knowing full well I’m about say something utterly meaningless. 
I personally have met, face to face, at least 2 that I know of who experience an abiding awakeness. And one of them, who is clearly “there” if you are in his presence, has personally known hundreds. He was shocked to discover after many tastes and then some clearing and finally an abiding realization that he would have the joy of seeing so many others experience what he had.
When I first heard this, I thought, “what a crock.” But as time has gone on, I know it is the truth. Especially having known a few myself. That’s why I think it is actually quite important to toss out our beliefs about awakening and especially enlightenment. Even my one “test” of it is not really a test. The only “criteria” (if there is one) is realizing Self continually. Beyond that, who can say? What standards would we use to judge the fullness of an awakening? Who would qualify as enlightened, and who would not? Too hard to assess. Actually, impossible.
Now I’m not advocating throwing out your “bullshit detector” any time soon. I think our sense of rightness in this regard is probably the best thing we’ve got going for us. Sometimes, you just know a so-called “teacher” is full of shit. Pay attention to that! But on the other hand, I say leave the rest alone. It really doesn’t matter in the end whose guru is the biggest and baddest. Even a hack of a teacher, someone as awake as a stump, can still be beneficial to someone. Hell, look at Billy Graham. He sold a lot of snake oil, but he helped a lot of people in the process (I liked ole Billy, by the way). Oh, God, now I’m REALLY digging a deep, deep hole for myself. I better quit while I’m waaaayyyy behind.
But for the record, and not that it matters a hoot, I think Eckhart Tolle knows himself as Self. When I see him or hear his voice, I can feel it. I have no proof, nor do I care. I just know how the Light in him feels to the Light in me. That’s all I can really say. Thanks for the wonderful comment, Andrea!
on July 15th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
@Patricia
That was so well said! Nice to see you again, by the way.
@Andrea
I understand completely what you are saying. And it may indeed be the case, but there is really no way we can ever know. Full enlightenment, if there is such a thing, can only exist as the idea. What I mean to say is, it seems people talk about enlightenment in such a way as to lead others to believe it is something the self can get. (As another form of attainment.)
In the end there is only one’s idea of what enlightenment is supposed to be, I suppose. But our ideas have nothing to do with any of that.
Some people call it - this process of awakening, if there is a process - taking out the trash. But I have found it is not so much trash needs to be taken out, but there is no trash at all to begin with. The idea that trash needs to be taken out might cause someone to stick, to wilt, or become a slave to the process itself.
It is all very interesting to go into for oneself.
Also, it is nice to see you again, too. I go to your site every now and then to see what is new and it is always interesting and thoughtful. But my behavior might be stalker-ish because I always lurk and never comment, haha. Maybe I am too shy?
Takuin Minamoto’s last blog post..Questions Arise?
on July 15th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Hi Takuin, nice to hear from you!!! I didn’t know you like to lurk on my blog!
Tom, this is a really great discussion. As I’m reading your comment and Takuin’s, what occurs to me is that our focus must always be on our own path. Who cares what might be classified as “enlightened” or “awake” or who has reached what stage of spiritual development. In the end, it only matters where we are, and only we can know the Truth of that, right?
I agree with you, too, that sometimes the “hacks” do teach us a lot. And so they aren’t really hacks, huh?
Takuin, I totally agree that enlightenment cannot be attained. Actually, I think trying to “get” enlightened pushes it further away. After all, it’s an experience of being. It’s not something we do, it just IS, right?
Blessings,
Andrea
Andrea Hess | Empowered Soul’s last blog post..The Answer to Our Prayers
on July 15th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Takuin, it is always nice to see you. Isn’t it wonderful that no matter what path we choose to take to enlightenment, remembering who we are is the only real goal. I agree with Andrea that enlightenment isn’t about any action that we can take. It is about being. The journey is our becoming.
Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker’s last blog post..Healing And Letting Go Of Repressed Emotions
on July 16th, 2008 at 11:28 am
What about Jesus? he looked kind of weird too
Juan S’s last blog post..Marcha por la paz y liberacion de todos los secuestrados
on July 17th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Hi Tom
Interesting (and quick) follow-up to your earlier post and, particularly, the comment of the ‘enlightened man’ wearing a $100 shirt! :-O
I’d like to say that I am not enlightened or awake and nor am I “one who has realized the truth of who []he is”. But I still think it is *highly amusing* that some seem to want to use words - the right words, mind! - to describe such a state. Then they want to use other values to decide if someone is in this state or whether they’re a charlatan. And it all strikes me as, well, odd and a little pointless and (dare I say it) perhaps I smell the involvement of the dreaded E-word! (Steady!)
This is not something that can be explained by words - surely? (And I’m getting involved with my own words now and my own intellectualising.)
So I wonder if the still Oak tree that has been in the valley for hundreds of years sneers up at the showy newcomer (let’s call it a willow tree) whose leaves are swirling madly in the wind at the top of the hill. Or are the two trees just different.
I guess what I’m saying is what’s the point of intellectualising on such a subject? Words (and maybe thoughts and definitely values) are just not up to this particular job.
Havind said that, I like where you are coming from Tom!
There, some words of endorsement for you (should you have been in ‘need’ of them lol)…
Steve
PS My recommendation? Read Siddharta by Herman Hesse. All the non-answers are there…
on July 17th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
One thing is probably fer sure, any “enlightened guy” who claims he is “enlightened’ most likely AIN’T. I think it’s interesting that it’s the UNenlightened who seem to decide who is, and who is not, ‘enlightened’ or ‘awakened.’ Neither Ramana nor Nisargadatta ever claimed enlightenment or awakening, they just seemed pretty darn wise about things. (course, so do alot of others who most likely are NOT awakened, yet they have followers, nonetheless). If we’re talking about ‘Oneness’ then why address individual awakening?
Seems the enlightenment police are always on the lookout for the enlightened ones. Maybe YOU are next!
BTW, seems to me this concept of ‘enlightenment’ or ‘awakening’ is a bit suspect. It’s as if God or Divine Consciousness, or whatever, picks and chooses who gets to ‘awaken’ and who doesn’t. So if I dutifully perform my meditation and contemplate the divine long and hard enough I will meet God? seems like a marketing ploy of somebody, but NOT God (I hope!).
It’s as if we can merge with God one at a time, just take your place in line at the “pearly gates.” Only parts of the whole, but never the whole shall transcend. But then, if we are a ‘whole’ as created, then whassupwidat!
Seems separate ego’s have an investment in the ‘I’ or “me” attaining enlightenment and most likely this will muck up (and probably has for centuries) the ‘whole’ project. I suppose we will have another few centuries of individuals who seem to be enlightened, while the rest of the world continues to suffer through the misery of UNenlightenment or UNawakening. What, with all these “awakened” ones running around, you’d think the world would have something to show for it! LOL!
I sense that many may glean or get a brief glimpse of the Truth, but in the Oneness of undivided Creation, I like to think that if one of us gets ALL OF IT (the whole Truth and nothing but the whole Truth), then we all will, together, as One. Now that’s a real awakening! I don’t think anyone can claim that yet, but then it will probably be claimed by all of us when it ‘happens.’ (of course, to the autonomous ego invested in separation this is an absolute absurdity).
Truth doesn’t come in separate, isolated sound bytes and I think that’s all we have to show for, so far.
We all go together or we all stay put.
Whadaya think?
Great Essay! Great Blog!
Thanks,
mike S
on July 17th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
@Takuin A lurker? I never knew.
As for enlightenment, I couldn’t agree with you more. We go from believing we have to empty, empty, empty the trash, ie, the ego/mind/self to realizing there never was any trash to begin with. Because we never were.
@Andrea You are right! It only matters where we are. Or, better yet, what we are. Over and over again, I am faced with the glaringly obvious: it’s all about identity. What am I? And who is asking? And in the end, I see that there is no “I”. I’m enjoying your comments!
@Patricia You are speaking my language! Who we are. Yes.
@Juan I’ve always been jazzed by the fact that so many hard core Jesus followers have always been opposed to long hair and hippies, and in all the Jesus images over the centuries, he looks like one wild, long haired hippy dude. Is that cool or what?! If there is a God, he has one amazing sense of humor!
@Steve I love words of endorsement! And criticism, too. I love playing with words. I have more fun with them the less I take them seriously. I agree that there is absolutely NO WAY to discuss enlightenment/awakening/realization in words. And yet, as the Zen master would say, we can be “fingers pointing at the moon.” We can point. It helps others to finally see. Or maybe not. Thanks for your comments.
@Mike S Nice to have your comment, too. I have to confess, it is the rare awake one who worries much about the other awake ones. Probably because, as Sailor Bob likes to say, the only difference between an awake one and one who is not awake is that the awake one KNOWS there is NO DIFFERENCE! You gotta love that!
I know what you mean, though, in that there is something about the awake vs non-awake that seems amiss. Adyashanti has said that when he first “completely” awoke (my words, not his), he was shocked that everyone he met didn’t admit immediately that they, too, were awake. He said he could “tell” that they were, but they were “pretending” not to be (I’m badly paraphrasing his words, but you get the idea). To him, you and I are as awake as could be. And, yet, most of humanity walks around seemingly asleep at the wheel. Does that make sense? NOPE. Not one bit. But then again, I think all this is so far beyond the mind as to not be sensible. But it is obviously something we must account for.
Thanks for the compliments!
I enjoyed the comments, everyone. Thanks!
on July 18th, 2008 at 8:45 am
What a great discussion! Personally, I found myself judging someone else for judging someone else. Ego. Gotta love it.
So what does it matter if ET is wearing sackcloth or silk if everything we are looking for is within ourselves (was plural appropriate if we are all one?). Ones likes and dislikes are just another part of our “story” that needs to be dropped in the long run, and then again, I see them as essential parts of the individuated journey(s) we take. They have something to teach us. These leanings are learned, not innate. Hamlet said it well: that there is no right or wrong but thinking makes it so. Was Shakespeare an awakened being? Compared to me he certainly was.
OK back on track. Who taught us to think? Is it “God’s” will that we not experience oneness; that we give everything a name so it is separate and therefore suspect and fearful? Is it learned or in our genes or is it beamed into our heads to misdirect us? Just kidding; they’re waves not beams. But seriously if they were my thoughts of judgment shouldn’t I be able to shut them off? Why can I not experience stillness at will? Behaviors, including thoughts, are habituated. So if we come across someone who doesn’t, or does, resonate with us we need to be aware that their expression of truth is being filtered through our definition of the world. Of what is right and wrong.
It seems to me that anyone pointing to truth is trying to explain the unexplainable; to define or “make finite” the infinite. They’ve got a pretty tough job cut out for them. So, for myself, I will continue to try to surrender to what is and allow truth to be. Especially if that truth contains judgments because that is part of what is.
on July 18th, 2008 at 9:27 am
@Eric Some excellent questions! It is so apparent, is it not, that all of the spiritual journey is a paradox. I know that doesn’t help in many ways, but it is. You said it just right at the end: anyone pointing to truth is trying to explain the unexplainable. Yes, that’s it. As long as we always, always, always remember that everything said about awakening is simply a teaching tool. Nothing is RIGHT or TRUTH. Just tools for deeper seeing. Nothing more. Thanks for the great questions and comments! Namaste.
on July 18th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Interesting about enlightenment vs. awakening. I prefer awakening as well. Recently I’ve been working on some Buddhist-inspired poetry and while revising, I swapped “enlightenment” for “awakening” in several poems. Somehow, intuitively, it feels better, more natural, to use.
on July 18th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Great post! There is too much misunderstanding and hype regarding enlightenment/awakening.
“The only “criteria” I have for awakening is seeing, truly seeing, beyond the self, the “I”, the “me” that everyone thinks they are.”
That has been how I have described and definied it as well. It is an all or nothing kind of thing…either you truly see beyond the self or you still are deluded that you are this little me.
on July 18th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
@Kirsten What a cool idea. I bet with just a simple language shift, the poems might take on a different feel. Admittedly, enlightenment is just a word. I get the sense of it, and I can see why the term was used. But awakening just nails it for me. It really is like waking up from sleep.
@Eric Glad you liked it. Although, I have to say, there may be more to awakening than “awakening.” I know what you mean, though. I’m going to post something of Adyashanti’s to make this discussion even more fun.
on July 18th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Fascinating discussion. And I think a much needed post, Tom. I’m with Tom on the terminology front. Partly because awakening better describes it, and partly because one of the last barriers to enlightenment is often our ideas of it. They are ALWAYS wrong. This is simply because enlightenment has nothing to do with the mind. It is a change in our perception of who we are, as Tom observes.
The difference between an experience of Self and awakening is a becoming. In awakening we become That. Very, very simple and normal. Not usually flashy.
It’s also very important to understand that awakening is a process, not a goal. There is a shift in being but then some time is required for integration. Then that inner being begins to move forward into the world. The heart is absorbed, then the lower centers. The Oneness within becomes the Oneness without. All is One, even the dust. That is the dawning of full enlightenment.
But even that never ends - there is always greater refinement, greater expansion possible. Many get stuck at the first waking, thinking they are “there”. This is why it’s important to know there is more. If you think unassailable bliss is good, it is only the beginning.
Andrea observes that only a handful of people have achieved this in a long time. This has been true. In the middle of the last century, they waited almost 150 years for a qualified Shankaracharya in India. But times are changing. People are not only waking with much greater frequency but numbers of people reaching complete Oneness have begun to climb now too. There was 2 on a small retreat I was just on. Certainly further integration required, but the change has happened.
I fully agree with Tom on the looks like. Awakening has nothing to do with appearance. I know an awake bus driver, shoe salesman, grannie, and day care operator. I’ve seen people wake with a broken arm and a serious neurological disorder.
Not only is appearance not a barrier, but neither is pain, nor stupid ideas. That’s why waking can be so funny.
Davidya’s last blog post..6,000 stairs
on July 18th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Oh - one other thing. ‘Enlightened Guys’ do NOT look like teachers. The vast majority who wake up continue their lives as before, but from an entirely new perspective. Waking does not make them a good teacher. That’s a different skill set.
Davidya’s last blog post..Appearance
on July 18th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Tom -
Swami Vivekananda was one heck of an enlightened atma in the last century. He observed life with different lenses, lenses of wisdom and enlightened spirituality.
I really enjoyed your post.
Shilpan
Shilpan | successsoul.com’s last blog post..Warren Buffett’s 7 Secrets for Living a Happy and Simple Life
on July 19th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Mike raises a point I’d like to touch on. The statement that anyone who says they are awake isn’t. This first arose with Yogananda in an interview. This is tricky territory as those in the mind are very quick to judge.
While its true that any “I” statements are prone to indicate ego, there are terminology variations. For example, I know a teacher who uses “me” for ego self and “I” for cosmic Self. So it’s less about words and more about context and where they speak from. There are some very big spiritualized ego’s around that are best taken with lots of salt. Placing oneself above others is not a good sign. And there are some with very big personalities who are quite awake. Taste in clothes has nothing to do with awakeness. Same with food, relationships, work, etc etc.
It’s also true that people who awake often no longer consider “enlightenment” a good word, mainly because it’s a concept and concepts are all wrong for anything beyond mind. They speak ‘around’ the subject to reduce engaging the mind. They are not avoiding speaking of their experience but rather avoiding engaging the mind and making new concepts. They are working to speak directly with Self.
That said, you have to ask yourself how anyone can describe their awakening experience in an environment where people make such blanket judgments. The newly awake can feel gentle about it. I know some who refuse. A few are more brave. I’ve seen people hammered by their friends - the ’spiritual’ can be harsh with ‘competition’.
Enlightenment is not a mental thing. You will likely find that how someone “feels” is a better gauge. Until you are that, you cannot know. Once you are fully that, everyone appears as awake as that is the deeper reality. It is only for us to discover it.
So be nice and be open. You may be surprised by what is around you.
on July 19th, 2008 at 11:38 am
@Davidya I have to say that it is more and more obvious that ideas about anything are always wrong. Especially enlightenment or awakening. And you are right: very few who awaken actually teach. Only the poor schmucks, as Adya would surely say.
@Shilpan Thanks for the comment. I don’t know much about Vivekananda. But now I’m curious. So, I will check him out. I love reading about awake ones.
on July 19th, 2008 at 11:50 am
@Davidya I think Yogananda did most people a disservice by that statement, to be honest. I’ve met a few people who go to great lengths to avoid saying the word “I” as a result. Seems silly to me.
The point that Yogananda was trying to make, as you’ve alluded to in your comment, is that anyone walking around spouting off “I’m enlightened” quite likely isn’t. It’s that arrogant vibe that is so easily detected, especially when you’ve experienced this stuff for yourself. It’s just a matter of where someone’s awareness is: stuck in ego, or aware of Itself. The simple thing is, as you suggest, get a feel for the person. They may be using terms you don’t use, but the feel may still be positive.
A simple test: fire up some YouTube videos of some current gurus. Then use the Frodo test: do they feel fair and look foul, or do they feel foul and look fair? As Frodo said, “A servant of the Enemy would look fair but feel foul.” You’ll know, or at least get a sense. That’s why Eckhart Tolle is okay in my book. He may not say the words that my mind grooves on, but when I see him or hear his voice, well, he’s “there.” He may look foul, but he feels fair!
on July 19th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
@Tom - the Frodo test. Love it! (laughs)
I’ll also observe a recent trend that is quite positive. Women teachers. This was once quite rare. Mostly a bunch of odd Indian men who talked with squeaky, accented voices. Some of the women, like Neelam, bring a soft gentleness that will dissolve any heart. The retreat that starts tomorrow is lead by a woman. The one I’m just off was lead by a couple.
In this case, they are fair all around.
Davidya’s last blog post..Integration vs Growth
on July 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Maybe the words enlightenment and awake should both be set aside for awhile and use the word
AWARE.
Also be aware of a law of physics, “For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.” Therefore, you cannot “pull’ enlightenment or “push” its opposite from what you are at the moment.
on July 19th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hi Harold
Aware is a great word. But it doesn’t describe the change, which is what a newly awakened person is seeking. They ask, What is different here? Who am I? Where am I? We consider ourselves aware in waking state. More aware in first awakening, more aware in realization, and more aware in second awakening or Unity. Indeed, the more aware aspect continues ad infinitum. It defines more the change than the being.
There is also an aspect of awakening as we approach unity that transcends awareness. It transcends the dynamic of the observer, observed, and process of observation that dominates reality until then. When one is both observer and observed, there is no longer an “inside” and an “outside” but rather a continuum or flow. Everything is aware, so ‘Aware’ can become as meaningless as Enlightenment. Vague words like alertness and clarity become more suitable.
As usual, words fail anything that is beyond mind. And what is the ‘right’ word for one, is off for another. Perhaps Aware is the word for you.
I agree that enlightenment has nothing to do with doing. Indeed it is an allowing, more a not-doing. It is beyond the field of action, in being.
on July 20th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
@Harold I love the word AWARE. It pretty much sums it up for me.
@David I’m not so certain I agree. I think aware is a great word. Possibly AWARENESS might be more accurate. But the feeling is one of utterly acute awareness. What was once a fog now feels clear.
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