What does it take to become enlightened?

Question

You are at the point in your life when you know that nothing else can matter to you as much as to feel the oneness with everything and everybody. You are through with the obsession with “the outside world” as you realized that everything is within you and everything else is just an illusion. You are not afraid to loose your identity anymore and you are excited to feel no separation anymore. You are still scared to be judged as crazy, but you’re ready to take that chance. You are ready to renounce your ego and you practice being as humble as you can. You make effort to step outside of your tiny world and to reach others and offer them your help; even if it comes in a form of simple compassion.
What else? What’s the next step? How do you transform completely? What kind of decision do you need to make to realize what you already are?

Answer 1

Enlightenment is about seeing into your self and finding who and what you really are. As we become young adults, if we are motivated in this way to find out more, we realize in some way that the world, and our selves are a mess. Everything is a vast combination of forces pushing and pulling everything in a multitude of directions, all without sense, beauty, or harmony. We may then begin to long to find something within ourselves that is True. But, when you start down this "path," you find that your mind is full of confusion, brought about by your own past, the conditioning of society, and religion, to name a few. How are you going to end the confusion and see? When you look carefully, if you are really serious, all the confusion lies in the realm of your thoughts, and most of those thoughts either come from, or are heavily influenced by others. None of that is the real you. The real you is silently, non verbally waiting to be discovered and set free from this confusion and tangle of thoughts dancing in our heads. The next step is to leave all that behind by becoming very quiet inside so that you may come face to face with the real truth residing quietly inside your self. To transform completely means you must give up the old thoughts and embrace the new in yourself and the world so that you may be free and able to creatively and lovingly express your real self.

Answer 2

I would like to add an answer to the other 'wizards of oz' answers.(that one is for cosmicdrifter :), Why do you feel you are not enlightened? Some of your details are those of an enlightened individual. Are you looking for nirvana? ("You are not afraid to lose your identity anymore and you are excited to feel no separation anymore.") This may be what is preventing you from taking your experience of life to the next level. To discover your core identity is not to lose your identity, and to experience the oneness is not to sacrifice your individuality. Run from nirvana. ("You are ready to renounce your ego and you practice being as humble as you can.") The ego is an important psychological structure. Without it, you would not be able to function in the world as an interdependent entity. It represents your singular integrity(completeness). You as an ego need more training and your ideas of the ego need expanding. The ego is an assistant to the whole self. Don't let the ego 'take over' completely, and it will serve well. True pride is recognizing your self-worth and integrity, true humility is recognizing that all beings possess this self-worth and integrity. Study your inner world and discover how vast it truly is. See how your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. Look for the light within you. Know that you are creating yourself and your world. When you experience these 'truths' for yourself, you will be changed, "in the twinkling of an eye".

Answer 3

What does "IT" take ha? ....Start with "michaelsan" answer! excellent stuff I might add and now this is how you do it!.... focus concentration dedication you have to rid yourself of anything that stops you knowing just how great and how humble you can be... The enlightenment starts to happen as you see with your inner eyes the outer world and how it is connected... WISDOM is what you need to "grow" now and wisdom comes from realisation of truths and truths come from knowledge and information that the inner eyes sees with the "light" of the mind. That information comes from everywhere because there are no limits on the mind only the ones you put there. When illuminated your minds eye can see the connections in time between all things that exist past present and future. Know this though, it is a gentle and gradual process that grows like a mustard seed! So start small DO not mealy believe but KNOW you have the light in your mind and surly you will find what you seek.
want to understand Air? try holding your breath
want to understand how to see? try closing your eyes.

Now here is the most important point what is it that you seek? Would you like to know?

Your honesty with this question is inspiring and inspiration is a key you seek also, see here in those who answered your question the many and different perspectives? No I see the same one in all, Now step back from your question and the answers, see you not that all are but are an expression of their moment in time, yes each and everyone of us is on a path some are standing still pointing others are looking and some are doing! Action is what is required and it is action through the body we must start with. It is as simple as breathing but focus on it with the mind and you will begin! See sunmans answers also very important but the path is yours to find no one can give it to you.

Answer 4

Haha you pretty much lay out the story of my life. It's funny because when I walk around I don't feel like thinking about much else besides oneness with God. I've gotten over the fear of being judged as crazy, most of my friends know how spiritual I am, and even though sometimes they call me swami (all in jest of course), I know they respect me for my desire for greater spiritual progress.

Your identity is a function of your ego, know that you are that which everyone else is, whether that's one with God or just one in general, it's pretty much the same thing. Some say you have to renounce society completely for any such advancement, and from years of research on the matter, I just don't think that's true. You are a part of society, but don't have to give in to societal pressures. I'm a student, and pressures are all around me, and I have succumbed in the past, but no more. You are your own self, but that self's goal is there and cannot be forgotten.

I'm not sure if you're religious or not, but for me, I've found that loving the Divine makes me lose sight of my own self and the burden of my day to day existence, at least for a while, and I relish that feeling. One of my friends is someone who is the epitome of the ideal spiritual-seeker, and one of the best pieces of advice he gave me was to associate yourself with good company. Good company can mean family, it can mean friends, it can be other spiritual seekers, basically people who feed you positive energy and don't detract from your progress.

I hope this helped somewhat, this is based solely on my own experiences. Hopefully they will help you as much as they have helped me. Best of luck. :)

Answer 5

Enlightenment is over rated. undergo in concepts: "previously Enlightenment, there is slicing timber and wearing water, after enlightenment there is slicing timber and wearing water." no longer something truly ameliorations and that is damn close to no longer feasible to get there...or truly you're already there and it is totally perplexing to are attentive to it. I purely informed you on the prompt and also you do not have self belief me. I understand the Buddha interior you. Do you? also: "in case you spot the Buddha on the component of the line, kill him!" Yeah, good things. It did not end Islam from crushing Buddism interior the East, although. truly, what good is enlightenment? Why do you want to spend years meditating to locate what you already are? i imagine I lined it. i go off to e-bay now. Later.

Answer 6

"The great way isn't hard, just stop views". 3rd zen patriarch. It really takes nothing to be enlighened. Society & reigion taught me beliefs that I took to be true. Where do you think the saying " I'm only human" comes from? "What you are seeking will never be found by seeking, but it is only seekers who find it". True words. Watch The Wizard Of Oz . Dorthy is everyone & she is a orphan. Ever feel like that? She just wants to go home {enlightenment}. Her journey is everyones if they want it.

Answer 7

That's one thing I find myself thinking about on a daily basis. I'm not sure if there's any one specific answer. It feels like one person is simply too miniscule to make a difference. Perhaps we just take baby steps, one person at a time?

To quote a well known shoe manufacturer: Just do it.

Answer 8

When you stop standing in the shadow of your own light
Let go until there is no I
Peace
Sheikh Mehdi Malang
Rhiannon is my daughter

Answer 9

to be filled with love from the Goddess Aphrodite,and Venus.i dont have Them though,i have Hekate's powers,and the small bit of Hades.but i know where you are coming from.Wiccan you must be,lol.Praise thee.
Hekate's witch of the Underworld)O(

Answer 10

When we know we are sitting ignorantly in the dark and so is everyone else. We are then enlightened


Sorry for being so koan like (as in zen koan)