Buddhist monks, Hindu yogis, modern spiritual teachers, and Burning Man enthusiasts all use the term “spiritual enlightenment” – but are they speaking about the same thing?
In this article I will explore what spiritual enlightenment is, both the traditional definition as well as the modern interpretation. There is no consensus around this topic, and it’s an area of intense metaphysical debate.
My purpose here is to eliminate some misconceptions, and to discuss the optimal attitudes to develop in relation to this lofty goal.
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| The term enlightenment has different traditional and modern interpretations. |
The Traditional Definition
The traditional concept of enlightenment comes from the spiritual traditions of India – notably the various schools of Yoga, Vedanta and Buddhism – and denotes the highest state of spiritual attainment. The end of the path.
Some of the synonyms for enlightenment, given by different schools of thought, are:
· Buddhism — Nirvana, Liberation, Awakening, Cessation
· Yoga — Liberation (moksha, mukti), Realization, Release, Aloneness (kaivalya), Union (yoga), Perfection (poorna)
· Vedanta — Self-realization, Self-knowledge, Jnana
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| The concept of enlightenment comes from the spiritual traditions of India. |
The Root of Enlightenment
All these traditions have several points of disagreement when it comes to defining the “metaphysical nature” of enlightenment. However, at their root they all seem to agree on at least three points:
1. It is permanent (cannot be lost once attained)
2. It involves transcending the ego
3. It is the end of all forms of suffering
As you can see, the bar is high.
There are similarities between this concept and what is called Salvation or the “Kingdom of God” in Christian Mysticism, and “Union with God” in Sufism, but exploring those is beyond the scope of this article.
Modern Conceptions
According to the Bhagavad Gita, only one in a billion people “knows the Truth”, that is, is Enlightened.
Yet, nowadays there are many people who judge themselves to be enlightened. That being the case, for 99% of those people, one of the following is true:
· (a) They believe to be more advanced on the path than they actually are.
· (b) They postulate different levels of enlightenment, calling the traditional definition “full enlightenment”, and place themselves somewhere in that scale.
· (c) They consider the traditional definition of enlightenment to be mythical, exaggerated, or impossible. Unable to fathom even how to reach it, they redefine liberation according to their level of experience.
There will always be people in category “a”, and I’m not so worried about that. The ego is a master of deceit, and it can clock itself in spirituality too.
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| People tend to redefine enlightenment to suit their own spiritual journey. |
The True Awakening
I also have no problem with category “b”, although I find it potentially confusing and misleading to name certain stages of the way as “enlightenment” when they don’t actually meet the traditional standards defined for this state (as per Hindu and Buddhist references).
There are levels of experience. There are no levels of Realization. – Ramana Maharshi (paraphrased)
There are many milestones on the way, after which deep and permanent transformations happen, and a lot of the possibility of future suffering simply drops away. I speak of this from having observed several teachers, and also from my own personal experience. These milestones are better called “awakening” – and there are many awakenings before final enlightenment/liberation.
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| There are many awakenings on the way before you reach final enlightenment. |
Distorting The Meaning
Moving on, the real problem is people in category “c”. They are distorting the essential meaning of enlightenment. Perhaps they confuse certain awakenings along the way with full liberation, judging themselves to be enlightened.
In order to “make that work” for themselves, they need to redefine enlightenment in softer terms, so that it matches their level. And then, because there is obviously a lot of work still ahead for them, they either say that “enlightenment is a step in the journey and not the end of it” or they pretend that all which is still lacking is not important (like most neo-advaitins).
I don’t mean to say that everyone that claims to be enlightened is being deceitful – nor does it mean that they are not effective spiritual teachers. But, if they do not meet the “traditional requirements”, it seems to me they are either lacking humility or self-awareness. Or else they should use another word to describe their experience/state.
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| The essential meaning of enlightenment gets distorted in modern times. |
