How to Achieve Full Enlightenment in 3 Years

why not just skip the 3 years and start praying to God. God doesn't care if you're enlightened. Not even close. It says in the bible "all of your righteousness is like filthy rags to God". Even the best thing you can do as a human is so utterly pathetic, useless and filthy. That's why "reaching enlightenment" lets call it, has nothing to do with you. It has to do with things that were done for you by God. And now you deciding to accept and embrace those things. You'll never profect yourself. That's stupid. You're only a human and as long as you're alive as a human you'll always have problems, flaws, sin, evil living and displaying itself in you; in your thoughts and actions. And even your best isn't good enough. You can't be "good enough" to somehow impress God. It doesn't work that way. You are a mortal human. But what you can do is 1 thing. Swallow your pride. Get on your knees and start praying to God in a sincere and humble manor. Show him some humility, some obedience, something! Anything! as you draw near to him he will draw near to you and start to work within your life in a variety of ways. And there's no time frame. The time frame starts the moment you get on your knees and swallow your pride. So it could take 3 minutes, not 3 years. Once you do that and you acknowledge God and and accept him into your life you'll start a new beginning. All other spiritualizm is mans attempt to try and prove himself to be a better man. That's so STUPID. It's rediculous! Absolutely rediculous! All men are equal in Gods eyes. But the moment you swallow your pride and take that leap of faith you'll be on your way to true enlightenment, lets call it. Just follow your Gutt instinct that tells you that you know it's the right thing to do, and swallow your pride and ego that are keeping you prisoner. That's my advice. And do it now before it's too late.

reply to post by spartacus699


That's quite a post Spartacus.
I have to confess my sins here, in that I took an instant dislike to you.
I'm sorry, I should rise above it, but I thought it might save time.
I get the impression you know you are right, and that your certainty extends to what others should and should not do or think.
Forgive my candour, but I find that rather nasty.


Thanks to WhiteHat for pointing out in timely fashion -"I believe the truth to be more simple. All true masters managed to put it in simple words and simple practices."

I couldn't agree more -- and if you don't mind a question ....
Do words get deeper in meaning as we grow in understanding?
If you strike a bell, and get a middle "C," you will probably also hear the octave above and the one below, at least I think that's how it works.
Lets imagine that with a better trained ear, we pick up an even wider range of octaves.
Until the smallest bell sounds with unparalleled richness.
And the simple words of Zen resonate on many levels.

Many thanks also Sahabi, for your comments, and excellent word-play (I laughed 'til I nearly dropped my k(g)nitting ).
Your vivid description of the fractal nature of things makes me think that quantum physicists might do well to make more of that model ?

Your final paragraph talks of our reaching a realisation and again it fits my frame of reference - may I add a final thought with which I feel you might agree - that realisation is never total, it just goes on and on .....


mistersmith.

reply to post by spartacus699


The very definition of faith, is to accept belief without question. Of course it seems obstinatus that a sheep question the Shepard especially when a blade of death is held at it's throat beyond it's control.

To not question eases fear and anxiety in the herd like an opiate, why question the human condition? You're a dirty little animal that can only be cleaned by the sheers of the Shepard, simply chattel and chaff in the wind to something far bigger and beyond yourself, and if your faith is strong enough the Shepard may take pity on you in an everlasting barnyard in the sky to happily bleat praises to him forever and ever.

Of course this rationality will fly out the window, because anyone that says otherwise is a goat spreading evil. Personification of the things occurring within oneself onto something external, keeps hell on earth because when the enemy is anyone but the self, the hoof is always pointing to someone or something else.

Nothing wrong with dropping pride, but how about picking up some personal responsibility for being part of the problem? Praying has never righted a single wrong against ones fellow men or women.

reply to post by KellyPrettyBear

Why perhaps, it's a matter of humans working with nature,
and not against nature.. maybe that's why it's so rare... I mean, whomever
has 'worked with nature'? That's been incredibly rare for a very long time.
Timmothy Treadwell worked with nature....

Nugget

nugget1
reply to post by KellyPrettyBear

 

Why perhaps, it's a matter of humans working with nature,
and not against nature.. maybe that's why it's so rare... I mean, whomever
has 'worked with nature'? That's been incredibly rare for a very long time.
Timmothy Treadwell worked with nature....

Nugget

I gots a warm spot in heart fur him fur some reason



Not what I meant though



KPB

Thank you for the time and effort that you put into your opening post. I enjoyed the read and hope that it eventually sinks in.

reply to post by mistersmith


words are like the ripples that branch out from a pebble dropped in a lake

we often look at the energy the words bring, how it effects the surrounding debris in its energy transfer as the small waves wash over the objects, and the reactions the objects have to the new energy present in their environment

but in all this, where did the pebble go?

the pebble itself was a thing was it not? that started the whole branch of effects... now sunk deep into the lake, probably most definitely lost to us

and where did the pebble come from? who threw it?

you see, words are effects, domino effects, reflections, shadows, how deep can a word be? uproot a word and you will see it was held up by nothing, but yet... its here, it has effects, it carries weight yes? because of all the relational phenomena arising with it, before it, because of it...

look behind the curtain, behind the word

this will give you a new world of subconscious activity... and often what we tell others, we are merely screaming it at ourselves to hear

words are the particles of light, and others are the mirrors in which we keep reflecting back to ourselves, its all light, but even particles break down, into pure energy, words break down, into pure energy

what is this energy? as subtle or loud as it can be, what is this ocean that all of existence swims within?

Words become VERY deep, not because of their nature, but because you now have the clarity of mind to effectively trace back the thread/wave of energy that made the word to begin with. Understanding and insight comes with this, and you will be equipped with the ability to transcend the words you hear, and look at cause and effect, why was that word chosen, why was it said. With equanimity you will not be attached to its perturbing energy, and with a masters grace can grab the string of energy and help direct it here or there, or simply observe, let it pass through.

Words are cool, but I like silence better.

reply to post by preludefanguy


Good reply.

Words are doorways between silence and noise.

Without being gripped by silence, you would be ungulfed by the noise..and never enter the door at all..

KPB

reply to post by spartacus699


funny, how you are saying the same thing that any Guru has said

except, the guru says it from the perspective of non identification with ego self
it is spoken from the perspective of atma

in this sense it is made more pure, and without the follies of judgement, beratement of ego identity
and you dont have to get so lost in the back and forth that this kind of thinking promotes

Surrendering is what the mind does, to you, a human

righteousness is belief and adherence to religious moral law

you are right, god/higher self/true self/whatever the hell you want to call it gives a flying F* about righteousness, plus you have to have someone being righteous before you can claim there is righteousness being done

you are right, reaching enlightenment has nothing to do with you, it has always been there, and always will be, the reaching is done by the mind or ego identified self... God was before, you were before, not as you identify NOW, but as you have always been deep within every atom of your existence

what can the human ego do? lots, just take a look around, good and bad as so judged by the mind

swallow your pride you say, get on your knees and pray you say, yes, DO THIS NOW you say before its all too late and your soul be destroyed yes?

What do you think a guru does when he dissolves identification with the ego? Surrendering the ego, placing the ego on its knees, praying to a higher consciousness, this is not so different than sitting down, closing ones eyes, and listening to the silent music that pervades all, forgetting all that we have learned about ourselves. Drawing closer to God, and him drawing closer to you. This is the middle way. In drawing closer to god, the light that shines from him will dissolve your ego identity, in sitting and meditating, drawing closer to stillness will illuminate the darkness in your mind so to see clearly at WHAT is actually being done, skillfully or unskillfully.

You can play the same song in different octaves. Some sound better than others, but in the end, the substance which creates the structure of the song is the same. Words are reflections and refractions of the self. Whatever self you identify with will have the biggest megaphone. Stop identifying with self and take the mouthpiece away.

Its never too late, time and existence is all relational to each other and there is no such thing as ultimate time or ultimate reality. But you are right once more, its better to do it now than later, for your happiness and well being and that of all other beings to the north, to the south, the east, the west, above and below and out to infinity.

reply to post by Sahabi


I'm sorry if you got the impression that I was speaking for you. I was simply taking your comment, mixing it together with mine, and putting my own two cents in.

At risk of repeating myself, I was simply taking your idea that there is no formula that you can take to enlightenment (?), and running with it.

I also like your comment because that's where I differ from the OP and you. I personally don't think that any religion (whether it's Zen or Jainism) can be used to arrive at any real truth. I believe that you can almost use them as a tool to get real close. However, I feel that religions are a distortion of the truth and that any arrival towards the truth is by means of a very personal method.

For example when I "meditate," I usually use a variety of techniques. However, even when I do use a variety of techniques I always, always, make it resonate on a personal level. If you noticed, I put the word meditation in quotes because I wouldn't even call it true meditation.

And for anyone that's interested, the key to making it personal is based on a variety of things. First of all, it all comes down to experience. You need to have experience in trying everything and in different combinations to see what works for you. In addition, what works for you in the past or future may or may not work with you now, so you have to be willing to experiment.

I also want to add that 3 years is an incredibly short time to achieve "enlightenment." If you take standard meditation techniques, the only possible way to achieve enlightenment in such a short amount of time is by meditating all day and stopping just to go to the bathroom, eat and sleep. And occasionally get the mail.

reply to post by brazenalderpadrescorpio


echoes of your past spiritual beliefs still resonate strongly within you and continue to shape and mold your current belief systems that you are relearning and rebuilding

dissatisfaction with the idea that any religion can have THE TRUTH
so turn inward, this is good, rely on yourself to accept things into your systems of belief or reject them, solely by trial and error in ones own commitment for the quest of truth, but dont be too hasty

settle it in, observation is where we learn, all actions for knowledge are precursors to observation, actions are precursors to observations and are born of observation and reflection

any time constraints placed on waking up are only constraints placed on yourself by your mind

every morning you wake up, and as soon as you think, oh here I am, these surroundings, this body, this idea of self, you fall back asleep

everyday you experience enlightenment, but its too quick for normal observation, washed away by the unending tides of the categorical mind.

Why is one ok with death when one is in love and feeling it full on? This moment is so splendorous ! Everything is right, nothing is wrong and I could die in absolute bliss right now and I would be ok with that !
For a moment the mind is satisfied, and relinquishes the tight grip of control it thinks it needs to keep getting at how one thinks it should be RIGHT NOW. Ah its all so perfect right now, no need to practice action, to practice pushing, pulling, changing, molding. One can rest in non action for a moment, and the bliss of non being is immeasurable. Rest is wonderful, be always restful, even in working tirelessly.

WAKE UP. Right now, dont think about it, dont do it, just let it HAPPEN. Just like you wake in the morning, you dont say, ahh I am going to wake up now, and then you wake up, well, for most of us anyway, it just happens naturally. But no, your mind will say, but there is much work to do before that... so do the work. DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO, until you have nothing left to do.

May you find peace and happiness, may you find equanimity and fortitude.

Where the word "enlightenment" points to, has in the end nothing to do with spirituality.
In a way, its the end of all "personal" spirituality. It points to the truth of your being, the simplest thing.
There is only awakeness. The problem is the "personal self" thinking it has to get there. One day, if you discover this, you will laugh yourself silly. That day, youl will also realize there were never "other days". Discovery can happen only now. What you call awakening is the end of your personal world.
Find the witness of this moment.
Its is not an object.
There is no other end to the "you", reading this.
It takes a split second, and its done.
Game over.

I see enlightenment as a process, not a result.
I think it never ends.
There will always be more to do, more to understand and explore.

This three year deal contains the confession of its own misunderstanding.
We all know the story of the foolish man who built a house upon the sand.
He advertised it for sale as being " only seven seconds from the sea."
We have all of eternity to walk down to the sea.


Desire impedes enlightenment.
Desiring enlightenment then, is like standing in a bucket and trying to lift yourself with the handle.

Philosophy impedes enlightenment when it seeks to improve the mind.
I'd rather drop my mind than polish it.

An example :-
The dancer Nijinsky was a sensation, he would leap high into the air, and to the astonishment of the audience, float slowly and gently to the ground.
No mistake, no wires, he just defied gravity.
When asked about it, he said that sometimes he was the dancer, and sometimes he was just the dance.
Only then did it happen.

To me, that explains a great deal -- and the brief snatches of " being just the dance," are the highlights of my life.

mistersmith.

Wow, I really enjoy those last two replies. Especially yours, mistersmith.

Thought I would share my two cents, cause why not?

I think enlightenment is a lot like beauty, as it exists solely in the eye of the beholder. No one can tell you that any specific way to live your life is better then another, it really comes down to preference and experience.

These kinds of discussions only provide a fallible interpretation of wisdom.

For me, wisdom is self-evident truth, which means if I were to 'enlighten' someone, the truth of my words would transcend the stumbling-block of their biases and stubbornness. It would beckon them to submit or retaliate based on the nature of their character.

I believe the content to be ones own extrapolation of transcendental concepts that have no resonance outside of ones own imagination. It's very easy to fool oneself into connecting imaginary dots that lead to a pseudo-epiphany (the stars are all aligned). How many people do you think are out there who think they have everything figured out?

I forget who said it, but the most relevant comment so far has been "we are all in a constant state of learning." There is no finite mental construct that underpins our existential perceptions, at least within the relative bubble that we currently inhabit. If you believe in an infinite God, one could argue that infinite knowledge equates to infinite learning... by that logic, even God is in a constant state of learning, however infinite means He already knows the answer as soon as the question presents itself, but still....

If you find happiness in your pursuit of wisdom, then that's beautiful, but to present that information as unequivocally substantial, extends hubris as a forerunner to that information. The reason I say this, is because the way you've written your chapters, you speak as if you have transcended your own words.

I want peace too, but the members of this fleshly existence struggle against all certainty of hope, including truth.