Question regarding Enlightenment...?

Question

As we are All One, interconnected by the Light (the Energy) of All that Is (God); AND, as we can say that our Mind creates/moves reality around us (simply put, of course)...

Could limiting thoughts regarding others, inhibit the path to enlightenment for those others; and even ourselves?

Answer 1

Good question. All thoughts are limiting for they have to do with the past, or hope of a future. ~ : )

Answer 2

Anyone who limits their thoughts and imagination have a hard time grasping someone else's advice for the Walk of Life..

Its up to the person explaining to try to explain it as best as they possibly can without offending the other, which is hard in some cases since talking about religion or anything of the sort can, and usually is offensive, depending on the type of person you are and the opinions you have, and the other person's opinions...because conflict is sometimes inevitable, especially from a critical analysis of someone's life and how you are trying to "enlighten" their Walk of Life.

Answer 3

if the other allows the thought/projection to have a charge upon themselves - then yes ofcourse, as this "stoppage" is a stepping stone towards enlightenment.

unconditional love & acceptance, along with openess and taking nothing personally - to me is the path towards enlightenment in thoughts and actions ... or at least as near as damn it! ;-)

further - if the essential person - ie. the thought processor - is experiencing limiting thoughts - what is to this mind enlightenment may be full on - and to another whos thoughts are not limited maybe onwards towards enlightenment - who is the judge of this limitation?

nice question. thanks :-)
emma x

Answer 4

A wonderfully insightful question raising the issue of whether or not experience is Dual in nature or Non Dual commonly referred to as the Duality or Non Duality of existence. I am a Buddhist of the Theravada Tradition and adhere to the former whereas most others prefer the latter, your very question is posited from a Non Duality perspective...allow me to quote.."As we are All One, interconnected by the Light ..."

The following from a discourse on Non Duality as a Wrong View from the Bikkhu Bhodhi a Theravada Teacher...(hence the title Bikkhu) may prove interesting for comparison with the other fine answers already posted...I quote..

"From the perspective of the Theravada tradition, any quest for the discovery of selfhood, whether as a permanent individual self or as an absolute universal self, would have to be dismissed as a delusion, a metaphysical blunder born from a failure to properly comprehend the nature of concrete experience. According to the Pali Suttas, the individual being is merely a complex unity of the five aggregates, which are all stamped with the three marks of impermanence, suffering, and selflessness. Any postulation of selfhood in regard to this compound of transient, conditioned phenomena is an instance of "personality view" (sakkayaditthi), the most basic fetter that binds beings to the round of rebirths".

This Non Dual view can be a fetter not only as the Bhikku has explained in light of Rebirth, but it can also be a fetter to the Mind, binding it to the Consciousness which is another of the aggregates spoken of above. This binding is a result of thinking that as "We are All One" then our actions have no consequence to anyone else as we are bound together in this Non Dual view....the Consequences then being the same for everyone as well as everyone having the same Karma and therefore the same Samsara (suffering), this is clearly not so as everyone suffers differently and the consequences of my actions affect me differently to another person as does the consequences of their actions affect me differently to them...

It is therefore in my Dualistic view, that a Non Dual View not only binds and limits the Mind to a self image where we are All One, it limits our perceptions towards others and the possible consequences which will eventuate from our clouded Consciousness, unwisely choosing actions based on a One-ness as opposed to an every-one ness...fetters not only bind the Consciousness to "Self", they bind the Mind to the Cycle of Samsara, which we as Buddhists are trying to Unbind...

A Theravadan Viewpoint...

Peace from a Buddhist....

Answer 5

We should sincerely love ourselves and people around us,

yet the way of "love" could be something different from what we (not-enlightenen-yet-individuals) think.

I realized it for a while ago: first I thought I should focus on enlightenment so I limited my care and love to myself and family members, oh boy how wrong was I!

Once I realized I was wrong, I started practice loving myself, I transformed much better in few month than 7 years of struggling and none-loving.

Answer 6

Fair enough. I have no argument against that possibility, particular the idea of inhibiting the path to enlightenment for ourselves.

Answer 7

I am sure we can contribute to the limiting or other's enrichment but if they ALLOW it, just as we can affect them in a more positive way... but only if our voice/influence is allowed into thier life as well.
Ultimatley we are, and can only be responsible for our own personal growth.
There are a multitude factors that go into the way we interpret our lives, but ultimatley each individual deciphers his own life.... Some with more clarity than others.
Simply put I would say the only person that can limit, is one's self. And by limiting thoughts regaurding others, we do not actually limit others, but limit ourselves. It is not the person who is limited by our thoughts, but our ability to experience who the person really is.

Shakespeare's Hamlet (Hamlet 2.2.255-256) expressed the happier accepting belief, "There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so."

But we often try to limit others with our judgements, indoing so; we fail to love them unconditionally. Aurguing over right/wrongness, rather than just enjoying who they are.

Answer 8

the difficulty is, we don't comprehend in the event that they're enlightened or not with the aid of fact while they left this worldwide, basically they themselves comprehend that no count if or not they have escaped this cycle of existence or not. Theravada is with the aid of far the main the main suitable option thank you to benefit Buddhism. they quite follows the dharma laid out with the aid of Buddha that instruction manual you in the direction of enlightenment. Do stick to Theravada and you're on the the main suitable option direction. yet another subject is a thank you to tell apart between the actual one and the pretend one. people who respected and glorify their monk is the pretend one, maximum (not all) that ask for money are pretend. people who say that in case you chant particular words, you gonna attain enlightenment are fakes. Dhamma is something you do and practice, not basically with the aid of uttering words or offering to any "monk" available. Buddha will continuously be your instructor :)

Answer 9

As I read your question I thought of 'limiting thoughts' being those kinds of thoughts that are judgments about others and myself, and as soon as I judge, I have created the separation between us. I have placed the one I judged either above me or below me, and this usually leads to resenting those I placed above me, and ridiculing those I put below me. I actually used to think I was better than some people (my X boss and X husband) because I was 'kinder' talk about ego! So yes by my own doing I impede my journey on the path to living in Bliss, enlightenment, pure joy in the here and now by not seeing the equality of potential all souls are created with. This outlook of mine would not necessarily inhibit my brothers journey, as he makes his own path by either judging others or seeing the equality in all. So it is really my own outlook that shapes me. Spirit, or true self knows I am equal with all, just as deserving of joy and love as the next. This sense of equality with all, has healed my old resentments and wards off old hatred, leaving me free to reach heights of joy I never thought possible! Fear, it seems, is the beginning of judgment and isolation. Courage must be the beginning of Unconditional Love and Unity of Spirit. At one ment.
Peace yall!

Answer 10

Yes. That could lead to underestimating another, or yourself. You will be cut short of your own sense within thine own self.
If you come across a thought that is good for someone else, tell them. Give them positive asperations. It is always good to have positive thoughts about yourself, and others. No matter what the situation may be like.
If you come across a thought that is negative, keep it to yourself because if you tell them it could hurt them or you in the relationship, but dont forget about. Ask yourself where the thought is coming from, and why you have that thought. Dont be to quick to judge with negativeness.

Answer 11

I'm not sure of the version of Enlightenment that you are speaking, but the Enlightenment I know and love has no specific god. Can you clarify a little?