i experienced awakening/Enlightenment

[catmoon]

I'm from poland and it's not easy to find someone awakened.

Internet to the rescue. There's a fellow named Matthieu Ricard you might want to take a look at. I don't know if he is enlightened or not, but he's an example of someone who is much farther along than Osho and Tolle. Search his name on Youtube.

If it has to be Tolle, Osho, Chopra, and such like go with Tolle. At least he is sincere and honest.

[Jinzang]

It's not unusual for someone to have a powerful spiritual experience, even without any formal practice. And unfortunately, sometimes they decide what they've experienced is enlightenment based on their misunderstanding of what they've read. No one can judge what you've experienced without seeing you and talking to you in person. And without that, they can't give you advice. There are Buddhist groups in Poland, including both Zen and Tibetan. I'd advise you to visit one of them even if it involves a little travel.

[Lazy_eye]

I'm from poland and it's not easy to find someone awakened.

Internet to the rescue. There's a fellow named Matthieu Ricard you might want to take a look at. I don't know if he is enlightened or not, but he's an example of someone who is much farther along than Osho and Tolle. Search his name on Youtube.

If it has to be Tolle, Osho, Chopra, and such like go with Tolle. At least he is sincere and honest.

Yes, I wouldn't lump Tolle in the same category as Osho -- who by all accounts was a manipulative fraud. Hanging with Osho or his followers could put a person in real danger. Tolle seems beneficial to some degree, even though he isn't a Buddhist.

[AlexanderS]

Maybe it's best to claim that you experienced insight into the minds nature.

Going around claming you experienced enlightment is not so skillfull.

[Quiet Heart]

Please describe the practice that led you to this breakthrough.

I didn't knew anything about neither meditation nor enlightenment before i experienced it.
I broke up with my girlfriend and for first time in my life i decided to accept my situation rather than denying it and with this acceptation of other things in my life has came. After one week i experienced something that i was caling "awakening". I heve came to realization that i was asleep this whole time, just like everyone around me. For next week i have more powerful awakening states every day, and after about one week - i have had achieved maximum, which i was reffering to as "enlightenment". After that i spent 2 years being obsessed about going back to this state, unable to think about anything else.
The only way to achieve this is to be at present. However, this sounds enigmatic and unclear; one could say you have to follow your heart all the time, starting now. It may be hard at beginning, because this inner voice may be drowned because of years of denial - but once on right path it takes very, very little time to "look through the clouds".
My state was not pernament and i'm not sure how should i call what i have experienced - however it was 100% like enlighted people describe their enlightenment.
It's interesting coincidence that i was calling this "enlightement"/"awakening" before i knew that others call it the same way.

------------------------------

This is personal opinion only....so just be aware of that at the very beginning.

I think what you achieved was some kind of a personal revelation....and personal understanding...not "Enlightenment".
In fact I personally don't believe there is such a thing as "complete Enlightenment"....where everything is suddenly known and understood.
There may be a series of personal "enlightenments"..."realizations" I would prefer to call them. Perhaps these "realizations" or "understandings" may be leading to some greater realization...a real Enlightenment later. But I don't know that for certain.
I do know that some of these "realizations" may be accompanied visual effects....I, for example, saw some.
But I came to the conclusion that these visual effects were NOT any total "Enlightenment"....but part of that deep "realization" that I had.
I think anyone who practices Buddhisim sincerely for a long time will go through some of the "realizations" during that time.
But I"ve come to the conclusion they are not "Enlightenment"....they are "realizations".
The crucial questions to ask are:
1. Exactly how did this "realization" change my life?
2. Is that change continuing long after that realization?
3. What understanding did I gain from that realization?

And the most important question:
4. NOW (after that understanding or realization).....WHAT do I DO NOW about it?

Personal opinion again...but....
I do not believe there is one and only one Enlightenment....and I do not believe that Enlightenment gives you any:
1. omnisience
2. Physic powers
3. or Magical powers.

In case you're wondering....I thought I saw the all-pervading light....but now I realise that was an illusion.
Beautiful yes, but just an illusion.
And I'm still thinking about that most important question....What do I do about it NOW?

[Kunga Lhadzom]

Maybe this person[hellbike] is a Enlightened Lama, just doing this to see our reaction/judgement/equanimity ?
EQUANIMITY ?
What does that mean ?
Is a Buddha Omniecient ?
Do we exist ?
What exists ?
Who's Enlightened ?
WHAT DID BUDDHA REALIZE ?
Who's doing What ? [Practicing]

[gregkavarnos]

I dunno, hellbike seems sincere, sincerely deluded about what he experienced, but sincere nonetheless (one may also wish to add the label socially inept).

Good luck on your path hellbike!

[kirtu]

My state was not pernament and i'm not sure how should i call what i have experienced - however it was 100% like enlighted people describe their enlightenment.

And how is that?

Kirt

[kirtu]

to clarify things - what i have experienced seems to be called kensho. Name of this topic states that i have experienced enlightenment which is true, but I'm not enlightened any more.

So what good is this kensho then?

Kirt

[xabir]

You don't have to be a buddhist to become enlightened. The enlightenment is "the main purpose". It's the final state, it's the maximum awareness of reality.

What is reality?

[David N. Snyder]

to clarify things - what i have experienced seems to be called kensho. Name of this topic states that i have experienced enlightenment which is true, but I'm not enlightened any more.

Enlightenment is not something that you fall from. Once you reach a certain stage of enlightenment, you don't regress from that point.

This is from a Theravada perspective, but I believe the Mahayana is somewhat similar; see 10 hindrances to enlightenment.

By checking your mind, body, actions with the hindrances you can somewhat gauge where you are at on the path. For example, how many hindrances have you eradicated? If you still have any desire, be it sex, food cravings, entertainment, etc. then you are not enlightened and not even the third stage (out of 4) which is non-returner.

Enlightenment is difficult to attain which is why there have been so few enlightened ones and why there is so much suffering in the world.

[pemachophel]

Hellbike, For information on meeting a realized Tibetan Buddhist master in Poland this summer, go to "Tibetan Buddhism," "Nyingma," and then "Dupa Do" on this forum. Here you'll read about a series of initiations being given this summer in Poland by the current head of the Nyingma lineage. This is the real deal. I'm sure you won't be sorry.

[Pero]

The word "enlightenment" should just be erased from the Buddhist vocabulary. At least in public.

[Josef]

The word "enlightenment" should just be erased from the Buddhist vocabulary. At least in public.

Absolutely.

[Jinzang]

The word "enlightenment" should just be erased from the Buddhist vocabulary.

Well, saying anuttara samyak sambodhi is quite a mouthful.

[Pero]

Hehe, I think Buddhahood would probably be sufficient.

[kirtu]

The word "enlightenment" should just be erased from the Buddhist vocabulary.

Well, saying anuttara samyak sambodhi is quite a mouthful.

It would certainly raise the bar. However our friend is clearly not talking about anuttara samyak sambodhi even before he mentioned kensho.

Kirt

[5heaps]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gGN7gGwJKo

from 3:42 to 5:15


this is the best short exaplanation of "how to achieve enlightenment" i have seen, but i don't know if it can be fully understood by someone who hasn't achieved it yet. It's very easy to fall into loops that will make enlightenment impossible to achieve.

being in the present moment is a function of concentration (samadhi)

if you have good concentration it means your mind is fresh and has the power to pay attention to the present moment. by being fresh and pristine, you are no longer prone to mental staleness / nonrefreshness, which is what most of our suffering relies on and is built out of.

obviously if the causes for concentration are not maintained you will necessarily lose your concentration, therefore lose your fresh and pristine mind, therefore will be prone to ordinary suffering again.

[Meditator]

I experienced awakening/Enlightenment Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Also, i wonder how many people have experienced this - because i know only 1. maybe this is common and this topic is unnecessary.

So, what's next? Will this experience help you to get up early peacefully every morning? How do you get along w/ people around you? What about the ones you don't like? How's your job? How does awakening help you w/ your job? or even relationship? How do you deal w/ anger, hatred, sadness or disappointment?

What do you do if you feel sleepy? -are you still awaken while still going to sleep?

What about thoughts? What do you think about? How do you handle worry/ thought in general? Can you look at your thought and your mind? What are they like?

[gregkavarnos]

This is a recorded message: hellbike has left samsara and will be unavailable to answer to your posts. Thank you!