Who is Enlightened?

[Guest guest]

1. Enlightenment is called by many names<br><br>

Self-Realisation - Atma gnana<br> Sahaj Nirvikalp Samadhi<br>

etc<br><br> By definition the "experience" of Enlightenment

cannot be described since it is beyond words. <br>

Scriptures and saints say when an individual realises the

Self (atma ) they realises the truth of atma =

paramatma. There is only One! <br><br> You can say

Enlightenment is the continous realisation of One-ness. This is

not a great definition but I cannot think of any

better.<br><br>2. The term Saadhnaa is a generic term to describe

the many systems of yogas - <br><br> Hatha Yoga <br>

Kriya Yoga<br> Raja Yoga<br> etc<br> These

methodologies developed over thousands of years are the means

for enlightenment.<br><br>3. I also would like to

know of any enlightened ones. To be truely honest.

Such a person is extremely rare. Either when they are

born they are close to realisation [shri Ramana

Maharishi <br> Shri Ramakrisha Paramhamsa thus little

is required] or during there life they perform a

profound super-human tapasya.

[Guest guest]

Thank you, v_thakor for your imput. I have heared

that explainationg of enlightenment before. I finished

reading the gospel of John and am now reading the gospel

of Mathew. The more I read, the more I think Christ

and Buddha are of the same being. It's like I like to

say to my mother (who loves to meditate) "We are all

the same person." Somewhere deep in my being I know

this. It's very hard to describe this knowledge. Funny

thing, it's so hard to remember this when agry. lol

That's the real trick isn't it?! <smile>

<br><br>Remembering the oneness of being allows us to love our

enemies and do to others what we would have people do for

us. In the book of John, Jesus talks about dying on

the cross so that his beleivers may become as one

with Him.... I could go on, but I won't ramble.

Besides, I can't get myself into a deep conversation about

Jesus and enlightenment when I'm not going to be near a

computer for a few days. <br><br>With love,<br>Audra

[Guest guest]

maddolphinpoet: "I think Christ and Buddha are of the same being."<br><br>Thich

Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama think so. Among many others.

[Guest guest]

I have studied a little of Hinduism (yoga etc)

even less on Buddhism. My knowledge of Christianity is

very poor. <br><br>Please enlighten me on what

Christianity has to offer on the meaning and methods of

achieving "enlightenment".

[Guest guest]

Read The Gospel of Thomas, probably the closest

you will get to what Yeshua actually said, it's more

like a master/disciple dialouge rather than historical

accounts based in Greek mythology.<br>He sounds like he

came from the East in that Gospel. If you can also

read Gospel of Mary, pretty intresting scrolls, there

are numerous gospels out there that the Church did

not allow in their Bible, most of them are sitting in

the basement of the Vatican under tight supervision,

I wonder why?<br>I once did the actual Aramaic

prayers of Yeshua(Jesus) at a Sufi Retreat a couple years

back, very devotional heart chakra based, the Aramaic

is like night and day compared to the English

translations. I take the story of Jesus in a more mythological

way as the story of the Hero, with all the certain

journeys they go through individually to get to

themselves.

[Guest guest]

v_thakor, I do not beleive my own words could

even begin to answer your question. Instead, I will

leave snippets of the gospels whick i find

enlightening.... I cannot now, that is to say, I would much rather

do it later when I have my whits about me. I haven't

gotten much sleep. In time (after returning home), I

will post snippets of gospels in this club. I assume

that's ok with the founders. Actually, i have the Book

of Mthew in mind right now....<br><br>See ya'll

soon,<br>Audra

[Guest guest]

Wow, clubcreation, you said a mouth full! I'm sorry, but i will have to wait

untill I am in a more wakeful state to reply....<br><br>With love,<br>Audra