Are there varying degrees of enlightenment? Out of two enlightened minds, can one be "more" enlightened than the other? Can you be just a "little" enlightened, or is it an all-or-nothing proposition?
You can say one person is more enlightened than another. There are levels of enlightenment, but if you mean Buddah enlgihtenment... not really . Once you are buddha, technically, you should be completly enlightened, but like the bodhidhamra, they were nelighten, but no yet buddhas... If you don't follow the buddhism bleieve that buddha is the end... maybe you believe like me, that once you are enlgihtened, there are now a whole new set of paths to go, like once you reach black belt. It isn't the end, there is so much more to do and learn.
"Enlightenment is instant in theory, and gradual in practice" - Zen founder Dogen, iirc. I think it will be a gradual process. Jack
Enlightenment can be defined as being filled with light. A state and a process. Gradually you fill up with the light of reason. Rgds, David
everybody have his/her own enlightenment level or degree... there's not possible to find correct measures to compare those degrees... -TkdWarrior-
But such degrees have been graded by Buddhists, Cabbalists and others. I suppose them crucial waypoints on the journey. Rgds, David
I believe there are three stages to enlightenment: 1.The barbell is held horizontally at shoulder height in a standing position 2.The legs are flexed so that the body is 'squatted' towards the ground. 3.The legs are extended so that the body returns to its original standing position
Funny that, KE, I could have sworn that was a painful physical movement involving the entire body, accompanied by unpleasent mental phenonenom. Oh, nope, that was last night's curry.
It is best not to define enlightment by degrees or levels. Enlightment is the realization of reality without education, logical or rational thought. The concept is in many religions and philosophies. Enlightenment does not necessarily go against logical or rational thinking, In fact it shouldn't, but it is not based on this thinking. Also referred to as awakening. In Christianity it may be called being 'born again' or 'seeing the light'. Buddha is called the 'enlightened' and Christ is called the 'annointed' which both reflect the same realization of a reality far greater than the realm of rational or logical thought. In Chinese philosophy and tradition one way of becoming enlightened is climbing the 'zhong shan' or the middle mountain of three of one or more of the great mountains of China. I relate well to this experience. 'From the middle mountain you can see both of the other two mountains and realize everyone in the world is climbing the same mountains as you. They may be taking different paths.' There are two types of enlightment in eastern philosophy. The first is the small realizations I call "Ah ha! That's it!". The second is the 'awakening' or the radical change in thinking or belief. To many this is a very joyous happy occasion when it reinforces their current belief or fulfills some deep inner desire to be saved or find the ultimate truth, which is an illusion. To me it was the reverse. IT was a very uncomfortable experience that reinforced nothing of what I believed before. It is more like an "Oh ****! This couldn't be true!" Despite my denial it was this realization that still haunts me. Existence is what it is without secets, miracles or mysteries. The unity and nothingness of reality was greater than any attempt I could make to explain IT, believe in IT or describe IT. I looked up miracle in the dictionary and the next word was mirage.
ok first of all... being buddhist i am not cool with that comment on the bodhidharma... if you are buddha you are not buddha, as soon as you stop reaching for higher enlightenment you are no longer buddha... that's where the saying if you meet a buddha kill him comes from... and when did lau tzu say taht?
Lao zi did not say it. 'When you meet Buddha on the path kill him.' comes from a Buddhist Koan composed much later on in history and does not mean that there are or are not Buddhas who are truely enlightened. t is true tat true enlightenmentis somewhat an illusion from the any poit of view because 'To claim to have it is to lose it!' is a common concept in the foundation of both Taism and Buddhism. It Taoism 'To know the Tao is to not know the Tao.' The meaning of 'killing the Buddha' koan is that in the search for knowledge, enlightenment or what ever we should not seek a master or enlightened one in our journey to provide us with the answers. We listen to the teachers to give us more knowledge and insight, but not to blindly follow them. In the Baha'i faith this principle is described as the 'Independent search for truth.' The message of Bodhidharma was not to follow him but to enter the river of life and end suffering by ending seperation. 'To say yes or no is to be immoble on two feet.' Ancient Vedic wisdom.
To akirabob Lao zi did not say it. 'When you meet Buddha on the path kill him.' comes from a Buddhist Koan composed much later on in history and does not mean that there are or are not Buddhas who are truely enlightened. It is true that true enlightenment is somewhat an illusion from the any point of view because 'To claim to have it is to lose it!' is a common concept in the foundation of both Taism and Buddhism. It Taoism 'To know the Tao is to not know the Tao.' 'When you meet Buddha on the path kill him.' is the title of a book by Sheldon B. Kopp which I highly recommend everyone read. The meaning of 'killing the Buddha' koan is that in the search for knowledge, enlightenment or what ever we should not seek a master or enlightened one in our journey to provide us with the answers. We listen to the teachers to give us more knowledge and insight, but not to blindly follow them. In the Baha'i faith this principle is described as the 'Independent search for truth.' The message of Bodhidharma was not to follow him but to enter the river of life and end suffering by ending seperation. 'To say yes or no is to be immoble on two feet.' Ancient Vedic wisdom.
