The Concept of Enlightenment
This video is part of the Mindfulness Incubator video series. (6/16)
Transcript
To achieve the state of enlightenment as if it were something that you can add to yourself or something that will suddenly transform you into a miraculous being which you already are but you won’t know it if you think that is going to come in the future, enlightenment or let’s so call it the egoless state okay, I want to achieve the egoless state, and of course, the egoless state cannot be achieved in the future or in time. It is only by looking through it now that the egoless state is here now, a state that you want to achieve is a mental concept in which that’s endowed with self and as such you can never reach it because it’s an abstract concept of who I want to be, not realizing you are it already. So the egoless state it does not lie in the future; it has nothing to do with the future; you cannot make it into a goal.
You cannot make whether you call it the egoless state or whether you call it enlightenment you cannot make it into a goal. Goal implies future because the very entry point into the egoless state or the enlightened state is the present moment. If you make it into a goal that you want to achieve you miss the entry point because you’re looking to the future because goal implies future, and that is the dilemma of all spiritual seekers because they listen to spiritual tokens or read the spiritual book and say there is such a thing as the egoless state or the enlightened state and I perhaps I can achieve it too, and immediately they make it into a goal, project it away it becomes mind, a mental image of who I want to be, future, and not realize that their very search for to actualize that image prevents them from being it now because the entry point is here this moment only.
The ego can only be transcended through accessing the power of the present moment, no other way. Enlightenment is only in the power of the present moment, nowhere else. So it’s never, it’s only humans who give up the search who realize it’s already here. So you have to one way or another either because you’re totally frustrated with the spiritual search or because you suddenly see the truth of it give up the search as if we’re future.
Now does there’s still it seems to conflict with certain teachings I’d say basically they’re two conflicting spiritual teachings one says that seems what I’ve just said but it’s not quite it one says there’s nothing you can do and you might as well totally relax because you can’t bring it about there’s nothing absolutely nothing you can do about it, so let go forget about all some teachers say that forget the whole thing just have fun the other the other teaching says if you do not want enlightenment as intensely as a man a drowning man wants air you’re not going to get it now what I had what I just said seems to be more towards the other that is you cannot make it into something to want or to get but really the truth is hiding if you bring the two together and how does that look if you bring how can you bring those together on the one hand there’s nothing you can do that’s true and on the other hand an intensity is required you bring it to today the very intensity that is mistakenly interpreted as an intensity that’s driving you towards a future goal can become an intensity that is driving you into the present moment that’s the uncompromising intensity of this only this moment and that yes that is there’s an intensity there that ghost takes you deeper into this it’s not an intensity that drives you into future there’s nothing you can do is true in the sense that if doing requires future and time that doesn’t help you and of course going into the present moment and becoming internally aligned with the present moment isn’t really a doing in that sense there’s nothing you can do you can only allow the present moment to be and go deeply into it it’s it’s it’s a question of how you use language but so in that sense they are right yes there’s nothing you can do and the others are also right the intensity is required the intensity with which you embrace the now so that’s there’s the point no future state you’re not becoming something that you are not now and so you may have heard some spiritual teachers saying you’re enlightened already and that’s deep down that is true every human being is already complete within on the level of form there are all kinds of things that perhaps you could still do and play around with and add to yourself and learn or experience but in the depths of who you are your essence identity is already totally complete it doesn’t require more time or more things to be added to who you are in your essence and really that is what matters in that sense only future can only prevent you from being it finding it and being it now so it’s truer to say you are already it you just need to realize it that you are already fully yourself you are already fully yourself you don’t need more time or more of anything to be who you are already now you’re already divine timeless eternal in your essence everything else is on the level of form and it’s a it’s a dance a game a play a form there you sometimes you get more and then you lose again you can play so no more spiritual seeking intensity yes but the intensity that drives you into the now not an intensity that wants to actualize an imagined state me as the enlightened one which you already are.
Reflection
In the pursuit of enlightenment, one often wonders if it’s something that can be acquired, a transformative experience waiting in the future. It’s an aspiration to become something more, something extraordinary. But what if the key to enlightenment lies not in the distant future but in the present moment? This is the essence of the wisdom shared in a recent discourse.
The concept of achieving the egoless state, or enlightenment, can be misleading. It’s not a goal you can set for the future because true enlightenment resides in the here and now. To make it a future objective is to miss the entry point entirely. It’s like chasing a mirage on the horizon while missing the oasis at your feet.
The present moment is the gateway to transcendence. It’s the bridge to enlightenment. This isn’t a call to abandon all efforts, but rather a shift in perspective. Instead of striving towards a future enlightenment, one must embrace the present moment with unparalleled intensity.
In the world of spiritual teachings, two seemingly conflicting narratives often emerge. On one hand, some say there’s nothing you can do but relax and let go. On the other, there’s an emphasis on the intensity of desire for enlightenment. How do we reconcile these seemingly opposing views?
The answer lies in recognizing that the intensity required isn’t about pursuing a future goal but in diving deep into the present moment. It’s an uncompromising commitment to the here and now. It’s not an intensity that propels you towards a future state, but one that immerses you in the present.
Enlightenment isn’t something you strive to achieve; it’s a realization of what you already are. Every individual is inherently complete, divine, and timeless. The search for enlightenment isn’t a quest to become something new; it’s a journey of self-discovery.
So, instead of fixating on a future state of being, it’s time to recognize that you are already who you are meant to be. You don’t need more time or external accomplishments to define your essence. You are already fully yourself.
In essence, the pursuit of enlightenment is not a journey forward in time but a deep dive into the present moment. It’s a realization that you are already enlightened in your truest form. This shift in perspective can free you from the never-ending search for something that you’ve possessed all along. Embrace the intensity of now, and you may find that enlightenment was never a distant goal but a timeless reality waiting to be acknowledged.