Tag Archives: nirvana

Prerequisites to Reach Enlightenment

This is my answer to the question What does it take to reach enlightenment? Permanent happiness? on Quora.

I believe that there are many prerequirements needed to reach enlightenment. But permanent happiness is not one of these. I believe that happiness have nothing to do with enlightenment.

Sure, I got happy when I became enlightened, but that was an effect of discovering enlightenment. Happiness was by no means causing my enlightenment. Rather the opposite.

For example, recount the famous tale of Siddhartha Gautama. It wasn’t him being a happy prince and all that, which made him become enlightened. First he had to see someone sick, a corpse and then live ascetical for several years, before he could hit the right train. He had to have his share of unhappiness.

If the reincarnation theory is legible, then perhaps you even can’t reach enlightenment within this life, but only do your best to get a “better position” in your next.

I believe, as several persons already have stated, that the road to enlightenment is individual. I can’t tell you exactly how to become enlightened. Nobody can. You can only become enlightened by making your own separate choices how to live your life. And by that I mean choices of action, not choices of belief.

Decisions. You need to make your own decisions.

Honesty is an important prerequisite. You need to be honest to other people, but it is ultimately more important to be honest to yourself.

Acceptance is crucial.

Several answers contain introspection as an alternative. I do not agree, although it might be semantics. Enlightenment is ultimately to reach out to everything but yourself. It is about eradicating yourself. Introspection is the opposite, and therefore not so great tool for reaching enlightenment.

Responsibility for your actions.

Love.

The Feeling of Enlightment

This is my answer to the question How does it feel to experience the state of nirvana? on Quora.

I reached enlightment by four separate steps of insight while I was 17-18 years. Each and every of these insights where filled with a joyous, fantastic feeling of bliss together with amazement and oneness with everything. A great feeling.

The thing is that I didn’t fully realize that I was enlightened. Yeah, from time to time I thought that I might have reached nirvana, but I didn’t thing so much about it. It is not a big deal to me, since I am not a Buddhist. It hasn’t been until the recent years of my life, that I have realized that I am enlightened (I am 38 now).

So, the feeling of discovering enlightment is hilarious (at least it was for me). It’s like ten thousands orgasms.

But being enlightened is totally empty. It doesn’t make you feel anything. It curbs feeling, although curbing is the wrong way to express it. It is the feeling of nothingness.