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Enlightenment is one’s destiny, not a goal, wish, or hope.210
- David R. Hawkins
Seeking enlightenment seems like a lofty goal but for most of us we hold the picture in our mind of monks sitting with their legs crossed in a cave somewhere in the Far East. They appear to be in a state of nirvana or an enlightened state or at the very least, some kind of trance. But is that something we can do? I personally don’t have any caves close by and I’m not too fond of the idea of climbing in one to sit for however long it might take. It might work for the monk, but for the majority of people in the western world, it’s not only not practical but you might be considered some type of freak if you attempted this – not that you should care if you are seeking enlightenment.
Just because you can’t sit in a cave doesn’t mean you should abandon the journey, the quest for enlightenment. As I have found on my never-ending quest for freedom, every day that I read, study, and practice the ideas mentioned in this book as well as all the teachings from the great spiritual teachers throughout time, I am “becoming” a little more enlightened each and every day. I do know that as I read, study, and contemplate these teachings, it’s the best part of my day. It enlightens my day. And as David Hawkins says below – it is my self-evident Reality.
The term enlightenment is semantically correct. It is the recognition and realization that one’s reality is the light of the Self – and that it stems from within as an
awareness and profound, self-evident Reality. 211
- David R. Hawkins
I try to incorporate my quest for enlightenment into all aspects of my day, which is difficult when you are at work with all kinds of distractions, when you are driving, going to the grocery store, running errands, paying bills, dealing with life. Life seems to get in the way of enlightenment and yet that is when we need it the most. There is a Zen saying that is applicable to life getting in the way of enlightenment, “Before enlightenment chop wood carry water, after enlightenment chop wood carry water.”212 It may not make sense to you but the essence of the saying is that as you become more enlightened, you still have to carry out the seemingly routine and mundane tasks of life. That doesn’t go away just because you are becoming more enlightened. However, these mundane tasks can become more meaningful. You become more present when doing them instead of wishing you were somewhere else doing anything but what you are doing. You become more aware. The tasks still have to get done but now they are getting done with an entirely different outlook.
That is why I practice every day. I know that as I go through my day I am much more calm than I used to be, much more understanding, nothing really upsets me, things arise and subside and I know that. I stay in the present moment better than I used to. I feel like no matter what happens throughout the day, nothing really bothers me. I have an aloof feeling but not to my detriment where I don’t care. I still want to grow my business, be active in it, be creative. I am still active in my family’s life. And even though certain things are important, nothing is too important. You come to understand this, that nothing is too important. This is my journey with enlightenment and it is very freeing. Most of us have our own unique version of what enlightenment is to us, which is great, but the key is to make it our daily journey.
All human beings are already mystics and innately attracted to enlightenment, whether they are aware of it or not. It is an extension of the qualities of learning and curiosity, which are innate to the mind. 213
- David R. Hawkins
You may think that you don’t need enlightenment. Enlightenment being something for the people in the caves, spiritual seekers,… but not something for you. You might say something like, I am fine with my current state and I don’t have time to seek something that I don’t even know what it is I am seeking. But there is something inside all of us that wants something more and I am not just talking about money or happiness, both of which are fleeting. We want something more of ourselves. To become. Enlightenment is freedom. Freedom from all the beliefs and thoughts that keep us from being free. Free from perceived dualities, free from suffering, free from all our old beliefs that have not served us well. Free from all the man-made concepts that we buy into that are not necessarily true but we believe them anyway. Enlightenment for me is all of this as well as personal expansion and growth as a person. It is seeing perfection at all times. Will I ever reach this enlightened state? I hope not.
God, keep me still unsatisfied.
- Louis Untermeyer
Deep down, I don’t want to become enlightened. I know it seems like a strange thing to say after everything that has been said, but it’s the point of this chapter. I never want to actually achieve enlightenment because once I got “it,” then what would I do? I wouldn’t have to read any more books, listen to CD’s, practice on a daily basis everything that I have learned. I could just sit back and revel in my new-found bliss with a big smile on my face. I could then go through life “knowing” that I was enlightened.
And I would be bored out of my mind. It was never about achieving enlightenment. That’s just a word. It can mean so many different things to each and every one of us. I am not sure how you would ever know if you were finally enlightened? Our true nature is to be continually expanding, growing, and aspiring. That is enlightenment. It’s all about the process. That’s why the monks and sages continue to sit in their caves or wherever they sit and mediate. They don’t stop after a day of sitting, a week, or a year. They know it’s a process, not a destination. It’s a journey. I am always concerned that I am going to run out of books on the subjects mentioned in this book. That I will have finally read all the books that I could possibly read on these concepts. But it will never happen. There will always be an infinite number of books and authors available on these topics. I am continually amazed how one book leads to another and another and another… and my process will never be over.
To pursue enlightenment serves God and fellow humans. Be alert and attuned to the innate
beauty of all that exists. See the charm and quaintness of whatever the world would considerold, beat-up, and ugly. 215
- David R. Hawkins
There are many books that talk about how everything is perfect now. That there is no need to seek. This moment is perfect as it is. All of which may be true, but there is an inherent quality in all of us that is the same as life and the universe which is forever expanding. We need that continual expansion. That growth. That’s what gets us up in the morning. Otherwise, we are like a river that doesn’t flow, stagnant water which is muddied with scum. A flowing stream is constantly fed by a higher source and the water is fresh and dynamic. We need to be like this stream of fresh, dynamic water continually renewing ourselves. Continually being fed from a higher source. Continually expanding. We need it. We need the process. The process is the real joy, the real enlightenment. Each day in your pursuit of the elusive enlightenment, there is something new to learn, to practice, to meditate on… and each day you do this you will be a little more enlightened. We’re like the professional athlete always striving to improve, to get better. The painter, the musician, the writer, the actor, the archer, the businessman, the scientist,… all continually striving for something higher. If the athlete accepted everything as perfect now, eventually his or her game would be similar to the stagnant water and their athletic prowess would soon become stagnant and their fellow competitors would quickly pass them by. We need that constant inflow from a higher source.
Flowing water never goes bad. 216
- Taro Gold
As mentioned above, it’s not just confined to enlightenment. It’s true for everything we do. The end result can be great, but that’s not where the real joy is. In business, I don’t know what yearly sales figure I would ever be satisfied with. If your company sells one hundred thousand dollars in a year, the natural inclination would be to have sales greater than that the next year. If it’s one hundred million, then maybe one hundred twenty million the next year (or more). Same for a billion. The amount doesn’t matter. It’s the growth – the process. That’s what’s fun. There is no end result. You may eventually sell your business, but it was the journey that provided the satisfaction and the growth in you as a person, not the dollar amount you get for your business when you sell it (although don’t turn it down).
The process of learning is often more important that what is being learned. 217
- Taro Gold
The same goes for almost every aspect of our lives. I am an avid tennis fan and I will use professional tennis as an analogy. It can also apply to the everyday hack like me. Each day the professional athlete practices, they get a little better. Each day they may learn something a little different, try something new, get in better shape, adjust their grip slightly, change their service motion. Each day is a process to make improvements from the previous day. Each day they are a little more enlightened with their game and may learn something they didn’t know the day before.
And like most athletes, they have goals. Perhaps being ranked in the top 50 in the world, maybe top 10, or perhaps winning the US Open or Wimbledon. Once they reach these goals, they don’t stop there – they want more. Sure they are happy and content for a while, but it won’t last (unless they are retiring). They are all seeking something greater. Not because things aren’t perfect right now, but because it is our inherent nature. Tiger Woods has won numerous tournaments including many majors and what does he do? Changes his swing and hires a new coach! You would think that would be the last thing he would do with the type of success he has experienced. But it’s a continual, never ending process of improving yourself. It doesn’t matter what endeavor you are pursuing. If you bake pies, you want to bake better pies. Same for horseshoes, equestrian riding, skiing, chess, dancing, piano, bowling, writing, business – it doesn’t matter what it is, you want to improve. There is no final destination or resting place. Even in retirement there has to be a lingering feeling of, Did I accomplish everything I wanted to accomplish in my life? It’s all about the journey.
An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit. 218
Pliny The Younger
(A.D 61 – 105)
As I mentioned, my favorite time of the day is the time I spend reading in the mornings before I start my day. If I were finally enlightened and no longer had to pursue anything greater, I know for certain I wouldn’t be happy or content. I need the process. I need the growth. You need it. It’s the growth, the aspiring, the expanding of ourselves – that’s enlightenment. I personally never want to achieve enlightenment – but I want to come close!
To even hear of enlightenment is already the rarest of gifts. Anyone who has ever heard of enlightenment will never be satisfied with anything else. 219
- David R. Hawkins
Enjoy the journey.