Thoughts on Enlightenment

Thoughts on Enlightenment by #globalite Zach #sundayoneday

A friend asked me what enlightenment meant to me. That’s a pretty big question. All sorts of things initially ran through my mind: the waking up in Buddhism; freedom from the mind; a true understanding of our nature; freedom from desire and sadness.

These definitions are certainly all part of enlightenment. The more I thought on this though, the more it seemed as if there was something more basic underlying all these ideas.

Living from a place of Love.

The word “Love” has become an anemic word in our society, something with little practical worth, especially when used in the broader Agape sense. The ancient Greeks spoke of three kinds of love: Eros, which is romantic love; Philia, a brotherly love or friendship; and Agape, the pure big and broad sense of love of all creation. This is the sense in which Dr. King spoke of Love–Love for all. No strings attached. Love simply because.

That sounds pretty strong to me.

And it is. That is precisely why the powers that be try to deface this word. An idea this strong can thoroughly change the world many times over. An idea this big does not need money or friends or business to keep it alive. It just is.

When we realize that power inherent in Love, we are called to begin living from that place. Each of our choices come from compassion and consideration. Each life has a unique and powerful irreplaceable purpose.

Enlightenment isn’t that unattainable goal. It isn’t some state relegated only to the yogis meditating for decades in the distant mountaintops.

We’re all granted access to this space, if we want it. Not that living from Love is easy. In fact, it’s far harder than living our lives in our current ignorance. Love is demanding. It calls us to act with the same compassion toward any and every living being and our planet itself that we would give to ourselves. I believe it actually calls us to act even better towards others than we do to ourselves. And many of us don’t treat ourselves very well, either.

Let us not be afraid to Love. Let us not be afraid to know that we can act in a completely different manner. Let us not be afraid to change ourselves. Let us not be afraid to give ourselves to those that need us.

That is what we are here for.

We’re already there.

Open your heart.

Enlightenment.