That’s the question
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Is enlightenment synonymous with ‘peace of mind’?
- Thread starter The Sum of Awe
- Start date
No more than a wall is synonymous with a brick.
mikkel_the_dane
My own religion
Well, that is one version. Another is the most objective version of truth, reason, logic and all that. It is the highest form of human knowledge.
My understanding of enlightenment is when you've learned to think for yourself. IOW, you no longer follow a path/teaching laid out for you by someone else but forge your own path to whatever goals you set for yourself.
Secret Chief
Degrow!
Don't expect a consensus.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Think of it as not being wrapped up in things anymore and not reacting in a way that constitutes suffering.
Plus realizing the little joke about enlightenment helps as well, but that part is for you to figure out on your own.
If enlightenment means understanding the truth of reality I doubt this is synonymous with peace of mind, unless one simply wants to disregard so much of reality and choose to live in one's favoured version of this - for humans at least.
mikkel_the_dane
My own religion
Well, I get you. But if you include modern cogntive theraphy as true as a part of reality, you can find peace of mind in some sense. But yes, that is just one version of what is consider the truth of reality.
Depends on the tradition.
In Druidry (the tradition I became a member of anyway), it would probably be more accurate to compare it to the cultivation of wisdom by being open to the currents of inspiration. Does that bring about peace of mind? Yes. Is that really the point? No.
In Druidry (the tradition I became a member of anyway), it would probably be more accurate to compare it to the cultivation of wisdom by being open to the currents of inspiration. Does that bring about peace of mind? Yes. Is that really the point? No.
It's not a level where once you have reached it's there forever. In Buddhism Enlightenment may never happen. Or it might happen for a few seconds or minutes. It is a state of being, not a goal. The irony is that you can't strive for Enlightenment and achieve it. The more you strive for Enlightenment the farther away you get from it. It's more of a negation of self, ego, thoughts, and it results from discipline and practice.
RestlessSoul
Well-Known Member
If you have peace of mind even when the circumstances of your life are far from peaceful, then you can call yourself enlightened.
No enlightenment is just knowledge.
ajay0
Well-Known Member
In the state of enlightenment, mind becomes no-mind.
The enlightened sage Rajini Menon had answered thus to a query...
www.lifepositive.com
The enlightened sage Rajini Menon had answered thus to a query...
A light unto herself
personal_growth, spirituality, wellness, no guru, seeking, energy, lifestyle
www.lifepositive.com
I view enlightenment as understanding.
wellwisher
Well-Known Member
We have two centers of consciousness, the inner self; inner man and the ego; conscious mind. The inner self is the natural center of consciousness and connected to our human DNA. All animals have an inner self that defines the consciousness and instincts of each species. The ego, which came much later, and only appears in humans, is more connected to cultural learning. The ego is groomed by its environment and can make choices apart from the inner self and instinct. The inner self is connected to natural instinct and collective human propensities and allows even a baby to get food by crying and the mother to sense this need. The ego is more connected to cultural learning such as using a brand name manmade baby formula.
Enlightenment is where the ego questions what it knows, based on its external learning. It also learns to look at the internal data, such as dreams, habits, motivations, compulsion, fears, and learn hook up with the natural wisdom of the inner self. In Christianity this process is symbolized by the old self; ego, dying and the new self or inner self becoming conscious and more central to your perception and behavior. Buddha who was originally very wealthy and a part of royalty, understood this cultural role was based on the ego, so he moved away in his mind, to find that which is innate; inner self. The promise of the Spirit in Christianity is about an inner voice that can guide one to truth. Nobody has to teach you this truth since it comes from within; processed via the inner self. Since the inner self defines us as species and also defines our human nature, it speaks to all, for all; enlightenment.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Technically, no. However, hopefully enlightenment will lead to peace of mind plus other benefits for us and others.
As for myself, I'm working on it, but at 79 I'm running out of runway.
I recall hearing Swami Sarvapriyananda explain that enlightenment is a breakthrough. A result of that breakthrough is seeing everything very differently than people who are not yet enlightened. So, if enlightenment is synonymous with anything, that might be it, in my humble opinion.
