ENLIGHTENMENT
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2002 2:08 pm
Interesting cases Lisa!
On the question of Enlightenment - I do realise that there is a link to
light but I think there are vast differences between desire for
enlightenment and desire for light.
Desire for light I would take as something physical. If you are in the
dark, there is immediately a fear for one's safety and what will happen in
the next step (Believe me as a blind-folded detainee I know all about
that!). You don't know what is going to happen and how. You cannot avoid
any danger as you do not know it exists.
The roots of the word ENLIGHTEN are to make more luminous, or to make more
shiny. [The 'En' or 'In' makes the word more intense!]
Desire for enlightenment is to obtain spiritual knowledge or INSIGHT.
INSIGHT is a sight that needs no light!! It needs knowledge. (Difficult to
explain by someone like me who has little insight.)
The seeking of knowledge itself requires a set of values - of rights and
wrongs. Where do these rights and wrongs come from? From earlier teachings
by parents and society. If these teachings are not correct, then the effort
and thought to change one's values are very great. (As an example, some
people have great difficulty in dropping their accents when the speak
despite being away from the motherland for a long time - so one can easily
tell where they come from!)
Then deep questions arise: Was my father wrong? Was my teacher wrong? Have I
been wrong all this time? (These are painful questions and answers may be
even more painful.)
And do these earlier values make us prejudiced (mental eyes closed to
further evidence?)?
On matters spiritual, as it says in the Holy Quran, There is none as blind
as he who does not want to see and none as deaf as he who does not want to
listen (i.e. prejudiced.).
So one needs to consider evidence with care and not throw the baby out with
the bath-water.
I would issue a warning however. History of mankind shows that many
a-leading-light, despite carrying the torch, has gone astray. This is often
because of personal pride and refusal to look around at other issues
presenting themselves.
The lesson that I learn is that not all leading lights are going in the
right direction, despite the fact that some evidence shows that they may be.
One needs to seek the truth with one's MENTAL EYE WIDE OPEN and importantly
without prejudice.
{It is better to travel in hope than to arrive!!]
Safe journey everyone! Let us hold hands so if one of us falls we can help
them get back up!
Good healing
Soroush
On the question of Enlightenment - I do realise that there is a link to
light but I think there are vast differences between desire for
enlightenment and desire for light.
Desire for light I would take as something physical. If you are in the
dark, there is immediately a fear for one's safety and what will happen in
the next step (Believe me as a blind-folded detainee I know all about
that!). You don't know what is going to happen and how. You cannot avoid
any danger as you do not know it exists.
The roots of the word ENLIGHTEN are to make more luminous, or to make more
shiny. [The 'En' or 'In' makes the word more intense!]
Desire for enlightenment is to obtain spiritual knowledge or INSIGHT.
INSIGHT is a sight that needs no light!! It needs knowledge. (Difficult to
explain by someone like me who has little insight.)
The seeking of knowledge itself requires a set of values - of rights and
wrongs. Where do these rights and wrongs come from? From earlier teachings
by parents and society. If these teachings are not correct, then the effort
and thought to change one's values are very great. (As an example, some
people have great difficulty in dropping their accents when the speak
despite being away from the motherland for a long time - so one can easily
tell where they come from!)
Then deep questions arise: Was my father wrong? Was my teacher wrong? Have I
been wrong all this time? (These are painful questions and answers may be
even more painful.)
And do these earlier values make us prejudiced (mental eyes closed to
further evidence?)?
On matters spiritual, as it says in the Holy Quran, There is none as blind
as he who does not want to see and none as deaf as he who does not want to
listen (i.e. prejudiced.).
So one needs to consider evidence with care and not throw the baby out with
the bath-water.
I would issue a warning however. History of mankind shows that many
a-leading-light, despite carrying the torch, has gone astray. This is often
because of personal pride and refusal to look around at other issues
presenting themselves.
The lesson that I learn is that not all leading lights are going in the
right direction, despite the fact that some evidence shows that they may be.
One needs to seek the truth with one's MENTAL EYE WIDE OPEN and importantly
without prejudice.
{It is better to travel in hope than to arrive!!]
Safe journey everyone! Let us hold hands so if one of us falls we can help
them get back up!
Good healing
Soroush