Enlightenment?

butthead · Post by **butthead** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:39 pm

What exactly does it mean to be enlightened? Transcendence of the ego self? Death of the ego self? Do humans wish to be as gods and do they run from the harsh bitch-slapping truth of reality that they are NOT godlike, by egoism and escapism into the senses and fantasies?

Kevin Solway · Post by **Kevin Solway** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:50 pm

butthead wrote:Transcendence of the ego self?

Yes.

Death of the ego self?

Yes.

Do humans wish to be as gods

Some do.

and do they run from the harsh bitch-slapping truth of reality that they are NOT godlike, by egoism and escapism into the senses and fantasies?

Some do.

wookie · Post by **wookie** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:38 pm

Is truth naturally recognized by the mind or is truth learned intellectually?

If truth is recognized by the mind as we become aware of the basic truths of existence, then book learning and reading about truth is not the real path to enlightenment.

To become aware of the present moment is to face the truth about our existence. The "ego" might try to escape from this reality of everpresent truth by distracting itself with fantasies and thoughts, being lost in memories, through the senses, etc.

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/9151/hagakure.htm

There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing left to pursue.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 6:47 pm

wookie wrote:Is truth naturally recognized by the mind or is truth learned intellectually?

I would say it's a combination of both. Everyone is born with a different set of characteristics, some being stronger than others. Someone born with the characteristic of courage would be more prone to understanding Truth, but without some of lifes experiences to help strengthen and build character the person may never utilize it. Of course there are an infinite number of factors required for any one thing to happen, and without intellect we wouldn't be able to understand the who, what, when, where, and why of these experiences in a conscious way.

wookie wrote:If truth is recognized by the mind as we become aware of the basic truths of existence, then book learning and reading about truth is not the real path to enlightenment.

Those things can be used to point you in the right direction and prepare you for the path to enlightenment, but you would be correct in recognizing that by no means are they the path itself.

Carl G · Post by **Carl G** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:49 am

It is impossible to even discuss enlightenment effectively on an Internet Forum. Words can be taken so many different ways, and we are deprived of body english and kinetic transference. Nor is any group of mutual support possible, as we are only pixels.

Internet has the disadvantage of being an illusion within an illusion, which is deadly for wisdom. Two is a hundred times one. The most we can glean here is occaisonal crumbs of inspiration that worm their way through the cyberspace, with which to strenghten what self-motivation we may already possess. These may or may not counter-balance the useless tangents which also come through.

wookie · Post by **wookie** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:37 am

Law of Thought

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_thought

1. A is A.

2. A is not not-A.

3. A is either A or not-A.

4. If A then B.

Truth is preferable to not-truth. To be enlightened is to discover the truth.

GENIUS FORUMS

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