What is spiritual enlightenment?
Whatever it is, people have been trying to describe it for thousands of years: Lao Tzu called it the Dao, Jesus Christ called it the kingdom of heaven, the Buddha called it Nirvana.
The problem is, nobody can fully adequately describe what it is with words because there is no “it” at all. Words can only deal with the tangible, so everything has to be communicated indirectly, with metaphors or by pointing out what it’s not.
Today people have new words and phrases to describe what it is, with labels like Union with God, eternal bliss, or unity consciousness.
But none of these are it either. Even the word “enlightenment” is just a label that can set us off in the wrong direction if we latch onto it.
In this video we will discuss what this state actually is and what’s required for you to perceive it.
In the next video we will discuss the actual step by step process required for the realization of enlightenment, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it.
What Enlightenment Actually Is
Spiritual enlightenment at its simplest level is just the realization of ultimate truth.
Perhaps ancient sages like the Buddha did actually achieve this state, but when we read their works now it is inevitable that the words are pulling us in the wrong direction.
Think about the telephone game we all played as a kid and how badly the original message gets distorted as it passes from person to person.
When we are reading texts from gurus and other supposedly enlightened individuals, isn’t it likely that what we’re reading now is distorted to the point of being completely worthless?
Especially since the subject is something so nebulous. For every 100 books or teachings that claim to have something valid to say on the subject, it’s safe to say that maybe one actually does.
The core paradox in this process is that it is the self that wants enlightenment, but enlightenment is the lack of self.
And it is this self, our ego, that perpetually sends us off in the wrong direction.
We go on this journey because we believe that something is wrong with the way things are and we want to look for ways to make it right.
What that something is and what’s wrong with it differs from person to person but the pattern is all the same. It’s a key component of the human drama.
This is why people land on spiritual teachings. Love, God, heaven on Earth, gurus, consciousness; these are all safe havens that people stop on because they allow us to feel safe and snug without actually seeing the truth. Which is exactly what ego wants.
The pursuit of truth doesn’t require any books or gurus and it isn’t pretty, it is simply about finding the shortest distance between being asleep and being awake.
It is to realize that the truth is right in front of you at all times, you just need to adjust your vision to see it. That’s why It’s not about knowing more things, it’s about shedding everything that is false so the only thing that remains is the truth.
When you hear someone say that searching for enlightenment is like a fish in the ocean struggling to find water this is what they mean.
Why it’s So Difficult to Perceive
If you encounter someone who has never seen fire you can use analogies to explain to them what it’s like, but nothing you say will come close to them having a direct experience of fire.
That’s why nobody can tell you what the truth is, you have to figure it out for yourself.
This process is about discovering what’s true. Anything that’s not about getting to the truth must be discarded.
The first step is to loosen your grip on everything: your opinions, your morality, your most cherished and deeply held values.
Everyone is full of false beliefs and false perceptions, and everyone identifies with the false personality that’s based on them. These are all worse than useless for this journey.
In short, we must discard everything that makes up our ego structure, our false self.
The truth is in the void, but ego abhors the void because it cannot exist in the void. So it scrambles to create the illusion that there is something where there is actually nothing.
If we identify with this ego, we will also latch on to these stories and belief systems in order to avoid dealing with that void.
Remember: no belief is true. Let me reiterate that again: not a single one of your beliefs is true.
When we start to question these beliefs about ourselves and the universe the ego will experience a lot of fear. As we begin to peel back the layers, we will see that all fear is ultimately fear of this inner black hole, the inner abyss.
We must constantly remind ourselves that nothing on this side of that vacuum is true and the only way out is through this fear. There can be no rebirth without a death.
Nothing outside of you can help you, this is a journey you must take yourself. But if you think for yourself and are willing to pay the price, it’s inevitable that you will eventually see the truth…
The JJ Experiment 