ENLIGHTENMENT...........

Last night a friend asked me what my definition of Enlightenment is. It seemed a simple enough question; however, I had to stop and think. What does Enlightenment mean to me?

Albert Einstein’s definition of enlightenment is: "A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

The lotus flower is used as symbol of enlightenment.
The lotus has its roots in the mud,Grows up through the deep water,And rises to the surface.It blooms into perfect purity and beauty in the sunlight.It is like the mind unfolding to perfect joy and wisdom.

The fact is if you look up enlightenment in the dictionary you will find many different definitions. I am pretty sure if you ask 10 people what their definition of enlightenment is; they would give you 10 different definitions.

So, I begin to ponder what enlightenment means to me. I believe that there are different levels of enlightenment. I believe that enlightenment is very individual to each person. As I write this I am hearing in my right ear; “it is a knowing, a knowing that everything that is happening or has happened in your life is as it should be”. Yes, I agree with that but there are those of us who choose to use, as Doreen Virtue says, “logic override”. When we use logic override, does it mean we are any less enlightened? I think the mere act of questioning the knowing is an act or a level of enlightenment. I know some people would say, “But, life is hard, I have problems that seem insurmountable”. I once read that problems are our greatest teachers in disguise. To recognize a problem as a lesson is an act or a level of enlightenment.

Letting go is an act of enlightenment. Often I have held on so tight to something that I truly believed to be of the utmost importance, only to find, that letting go was the bigger lesson. In order to let go we must trust in an infinite source of intelligence. That infinite source of intelligence is a web of energy, love and information surrounding the tiniest atom in the Universe. This is enlightenment. Enlightenment could be the simple recognition of the existence of the infinite.

I think enlightenment is being present; focusing on what is now and not what was or what may be. How often do we fret over what has happened in the past, instead of being joyous for what is happening now? How often have we missed “now” because we were busy looking ahead? Being present is an act or level of enlightenment.

Enlightenment is realizing, that we are all connected, connected to an infinite source of love and energy. Connected by one consciousness. It is when we believe that we are separate from each other, from the one consciousness, that suffering becomes a mainstay in our lives.

Embracing and facing our shadow self is an act or level of enlightenment. A facing of what we fear, yet, knowing that source will lead us to the light. A friend once said she is embracing what she fears the most, the ultimate experience of enlightenment. Pain I believe is the Universe’s way of saying, “Let Go”. Think of pain, be it emotional, mental or physical pain as the universe’s way of expediting change.

Embracing the positive instead of the negative is an act or level of enlightenment. It is the lack of awareness of our connection to source that sends us spiraling into the abyss of the negative. When we look for answers from outside, instead of from within, we get caught up in the victim trap. If we continue to be programmed with the same thoughts day after day, we create muck; we stay stuck in a situation that day after day seems to become worse and worse. The only way through the muck, to make room for anything else, is choosing to be responsible for your thoughts. Enlightenment begins by choosing empowering and freeing thoughts that allow for a space to open. A space that source can illuminate and transform the negative into the positive.

What does enlightenment mean to me?

1. Knowingness.
2. Letting go.
3. Being present.
4. Embracing that we are all connected.
5. Embracing and facing our shadow selves.
6. Embracing the positive instead of the negative.

I believe it is only a matter of when, not a matter of if, we are all enlightened, whether it is in this life or the next. Through this enlightenment we find answers we seek. I believe that we are children of God/Goddess, and as with our own children he/she seeks to provide us with everything we could ever need or want. We are given every opportunity to be enlightened; the universe will not allow us to sleep forever. It is our choice, our journey. We can choose to seek or simply live on a rollercoaster of chaos and confusion, which we may or may not be completely aware of. Enlightenment allows us, each of us, to live in a world of our making, good or bad. It allows us the choice, the choice to live free or live locked within walls of oblivious consciousness.

Love, Light and Angel Blessings Theri