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Enlightenment



Enlightenment refers to a state of deep knowledge or understanding, as if the truth behind all mystery has been revealed. It can have specific meanings in certain spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism or Hinduism, but it is generally understood to be the end stage or goal of personal spiritual development. Spiritual teacher Gangaji further describes enlightenment as an ongoing ebb and flow of “fulfillment, discoverable only by you. A state that is always evolving and reveals the truth of who you are.” Often described as inner peace and the ability to be fully present within the moment, enlightenment is a journey unique to each individual. Thích Nhất Hạnh notes, “Sit and become aware that you are there, alive. To be alive is already a miracle. And if you can touch that fact that you are alive, that is already enlightenment.”

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The Taboo of Enlightenment

One of the most popular Buddhist teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area these days is not a Tibetan lama or a traditional Zen master but an unconventional, an American-born lay teacher named Adyashanti.

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12:13

Charles Tart - What Are Altered States of Consciousness?

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On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence: Unpublished and Selected Writings

“The ultimate goal in the pursuit of excellence is enlightenment.” Robert M. Pirsig wrote this unpublished line in 1962 while a patient at Downey Veteran Administration Hospital in Illinois, where he was admitted as a psychiatric patient.

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FindCenterWith our sense of self out of the way we are liberated from doubt and insecurity. With time gone, there is no yesterday to regret or tomorrow to worry about. And when our sense of space disappears, so do physical consequences.

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In the Moments of Non-Awakening

Larry Yang takes an honest look at what it means to be a dharma teacher who hasn’t been, and doesn’t imagine ever being, enlightened.

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07:35

After Enlightenment, What’s Left, What’s the Point? —Shinzen Young

Shinzen responds to the questions, “What’s left after enlightenment? What’s the point?” Filmed in April 2009, at Mt. Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls.

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The New Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness

A detailed and practical explanation of one of Buddhism's best-loved teachings, Eight Verses of Training the Mind, by the great Tibetan Bodhisattva, Langri Tangpa.

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FindCenterJust as the light of a single candle can dispel the darkness of a thousand years, the moment we light a single candle of wisdom, no matter how long or deep our confusion, ignorance is dispelled.

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Wherever You Are, Enlightenment Is There

In our practice the most important thing is to realize that we have buddhanature. Intellectually we may know this, but it is rather difficult to accept.

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01:42:13

Laughter Breaks Through the Ego

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Spiritual Awakening