--- In [email protected], anonymousff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > --- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" > <snip> > "his enlightenment eludes him" > > A sign of great writing is you can read it over several times and find > great new gems. > > Jim, I admire your enlightenment tradition, what ever it is, for such > unique view of enlightenment, distinct from any other enlightenemnt > tradition I have encountered. > > In fours short words, its almost aphorismic, to both assign > posseionship of enlightenment to an individual "his enlightenment" and > the implication that it is an individual who is enlightened, > "enlightenment eludes him" is in such stark contrast to other > traditions, I have to stand up and cheer that you are revealing some > new yet uncovered, distinct description of the multi-cultural vast > diversity in the use of the term enlightenemnt. It certainly supports > the thesis that many different cultures and traditions experience > many different things that they paradoxically all call the same thing > "enlightenement". > > While being steeped in your enlightenment tradtion, you may, or may > not, be aware of how other traditions use the same term -- but with > clearly a vastly different experience attached. For example many > eastern traditions hold that possessionship of an enlightened status > makes no sense whatso ever. The phrase would never enter their lexicon > because (they claim) that is not the experience. In their world, there > is no possessor, no experiencer, just the commonality of all existence > that pervades ones awareness.
Absolutely correct that enlightenment can never be possessed in an absolute sense. What I was getting at was the process of becoming enlightened, which is something every individual who wishes to do so, takes accountability for, simply in the way they go about it. I am using the phrase 'enlightenment eludes him' in that context. Also, although it is true that an enlightened person is said to have no individuality, or as I prefer it, that the individual and Infinity are indistiguishable, for the benefit of being practical and operating in this world of relativity, and describing relationships in a common sense way, I use 'I' when referring to my experiences, states of consciousness, etc. > > And they go on to hold, that an individual never becomes enlightened. > Thus enlightenment "eluding an individual" again would be non- sensical > to these classical eastern traditions. It is the commonality of all > existence that awakens unto itself. It has nothng to do with the > individual. Some such traditions even hold that any sense of > individuality is an illusion. Please see above. I get the distinction you are making. It is valid to an intellectual understanding of where we 'belong' both pre and post enlightenment. However I am operating and expressing myself in a relative sense, although it is absolutely true as you point out that I as an individual no longer exist in the conventional sense. > > So keep up the good work in reporting these utterly unique > descriptions of the term enlightenemnt, from your enlightenment > tradition, and the correspondng implied experiences that are so > utterly different and unique compared to classical enlightenment > traditions. > > By the way, what is your enlightenment tradition? > Honestly don't understand the question. TM along with self reflection and one pointed desire for enlightenment works for me. Your personal tradition may be different. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Need Help? Get Help! Tools and Strategies for Healthy Drug-Free Living</a>. http://us.click.yahoo.com/wI.OUB/dbOLAA/d1hLAA/0NYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
