Correct Pathways to Enlightenment ... and Emotional and Intellectual Fulfilment

[sound]

I was told this evening, here in the community, that i am following an Incorrect Pathway to Enlightenment and Emotional and Intellectual Fulfilment. I am going to sleep on it and revisit it tomorrow, however I just thought I would throw the idea out into the community and see what it means for others ... is it possible for someone to know what is best for another in that regard and what is a correct path ... indeed what is enlightenment? These are not new questions, but always seem to inspire new insights ...

**Thanks in advance for all contributions ... apologies if I dont manage to respond to everyone who replies ...

IMO, anything that helps you discover who you really are is the correct path for you. That is the Realization, the fulfilment, IMO.

Good night!

[Triner]

Originally Posted by sound

... is it possible for someone to know what is best for another in that regard and what is a correct path ...

In my opinion, no. Someone cannot know. Knowing, to me, implies that someone is absolutely correct in something. Someone can only make suggestions from their own personal journey as to what may help you on your path.

Originally Posted by sound

indeed what is enlightenment?...

Wow... that's far more of a question than I'm going to try to answer now... I may make an attempt later.

Sound,

I didn't even know you were persuing enlightenment as a goal or destination. Can't be on the wrong path if you're not trying to get to the place at the end of the 'right path', and there is no 'right path' if the destination is not well-defined. Instead of chasing after snipes, a better way of moving forward would be to ask yourself what you are yearning for in life and what questions you would like to have answered? We are all going to die at somepoint, so how do you want to spend your short time on this planet?

People who pursue enlightenment by definition have never experienced it. They imagine that this state or experience will bring total satisfaction or a superlative state of being. If these are the ultimate goals, then they should be pursued directly. "total satisfaction" and "superlative state of being" are descriptive definitions of goals. The term "enlightenment" is non-descriptive of a goal. And that is the problem. People have to keep inserting a description of what enlightenment is as a goal. I say forget the pursuit of enlightenment and pursue a more tangible description. "I want to be fulfilled". "I want to be happy". "I want to be free of existential crisis.". "I want to know Truth.". "i want to know Love." These are tangible descriptions that give you some idea of how to proceed, whether or not progress is made, and when the goal has been reached.

[Arcturus]

i would say we are all on the wrong path so in a sense they may have been right but perhaps not in the way they meant. were they aware of the incorrectness of their path? i would never say "you" as that would place me as the knower, but would say we are on the wrong path.

truth is a pathless land:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEATY...eature=related (j krishnamurti disbanding of the order of the star speach which he re-iterated when he arrived in california. its the only time he spoke from notes.

[Nameless]

Nope.

Anyone that is trying to convince you that they have the answer for you doesn't understand what they are talking about.

We each have our own reasons for being here, and no one can tell you what you came here for. You have to discover that yourself, and it is not going to be the same for anyone else in the Universe, because we are all unique creatures.

Light.

[Xan]

I was told this evening, here in the community, that i am following an Incorrect Pathway to Enlightenment and Emotional and Intellectual Fulfilment.

Maybe this person was being funny. That's how it strikes me, anyway.

Knowing you, Kate... probably there's some kind of opening you will get from the message beyond what was intended.


Xan

I did not know there was a "wrong path" towards enlightenment...

I have a lot to learn, but I have always thought that "Enlightenment" was IT, where you have a realization of who you truly are, free from whatever attachments that bind you to your illusion of reality, free from attachments to materialism, I though it was complete freedom, the ultimate freedom, Heaven, Nirvana, etc. Maybe I am wrong but that's what I have always thought.

And I don't know if I'm right, but don't we all get there anyway, whichever path we choose to take? We will all die right? Maybe we can achieve it while we are still "here" in this dimension, but, I don't know, I really think we are all just taking our own paths, all leading home.

[Arcturus]

Originally Posted by Sybilline

And I don't know if I'm right, but don't we all get there anyway, whichever path we choose to take? We will all die right? Maybe we can achieve it while we are still "here" in this dimension, but, I don't know, I really think we are all just taking our own paths, all leading home.

hmmm death may very well induce enlightenment i would feel. i think the idea is generally to "achieve" it here in the physical or as i have heard it eloquently put "to enter the house of death whilst still living". it is strange that death comes on many levels, i.e. physically or psychologically and possibly emotionally. death is the light..

[Louisa]

Originally Posted by Topology
"total satisfaction" and "superlative state of being" are descriptive definitions of goals. The term "enlightenment" is non-descriptive of a goal. And that is the problem. People have to keep inserting a description of what enlightenment is as a goal. I say forget the pursuit of enlightenment and pursue a more tangible description.

I think I kind of agree with this. Although the abstract states such as "love" can be subtly and mysterious evoked and pointed to, and most people seem to have some common idea of what they mean, to an extent, there are always differences of perception regarding them. I think the Buddha said there are many ways to enlightenment, and when you get there, you don't need the raft, or maybe that was a Taoist teaching I read. Buddhist teachings are a raft. Every way to peace is a raft, not the destination. What is the destination? Just what you want it to be, maybe ever changing, as you uncover layers of what you really want, what really brings peace, or satisfaction. It is subjective, and only what is suited to the individual. That's just my perspective.