Becoming Enlightened

[Matt1]

I have thought to sum up Enlightenment in the limits of the intellectual mind which is as always cannot be an accurate description of what is beyond thought. We can also laugh at the limits of the discussion of something that as far as i am aware we have all yet to become. However this being the case we can still make use of the intellect and the stories of the Enlightened individuals we have been given through the ages, be it Jesus the Christ or Siddhartha Buddha , Krishna or Laozi. We must take in to account the fact that teachings in different Religions may have been fairly distorted from there original intent. The first point of discussion should be on the make up of the individual human being. I will take a fairly simplistic view point on this by summing up the human being as having a mind consisting of an Ego, Thoughts, Emotions, subconsciousness and a physical body. The main points that all Religions agree on is the exoteric moral values be it the ten commandments of the Judo-Christiananity, the precepts of Buddhism or Yama in the Yoga sutras of Patanjali. For this we can sum up moral values as something much more simpler than any list of do's and don'ts , this being the act of non harming. 

It is through non harming that all other commandments or precepts find there merit thus in. One must ask one self then at this point were does the act of harming come from? It is fairly logically to state that harmful actions come from harmful thoughts and emotions. If one is to live by moral values we must become aware of our thoughts and emotions that are harmful to that commitment. If all thoughts and emotions are the cause of harmful actions then the first point of action to stick to morals is to being able to become fully aware of our thoughts and emotions, in order to do this we must rise a second point that is the spiritual practice, be it the prayerful awareness of Christianity or the silent meditation of the Buddhist both have one thing in common, that is bring ones consciousness of awareness into the self. It is from this place of single pointed awareness that is generated that one can become aware of the thoughts and emotions that condition the self which is made up of an individual ego or persona.

The next point of questioning should be logically what does one do when they are within the self? They increasing become aware of not only the thoughts and emotions of the conscious mind but also aware of the subconscious functioning of repressed material of the ego. At this point i think it should be fair to introduce the 3rd and most important point of all, that is the cultivation of compassion or loving kindness as being the goal of all spiritual practice from love thou neighbor to the meditation of metta the basic function is the same. The thoughts and emotions of the ego in the mind have been cultivate over the course of time not only consciously but subconsciously, one seeking enlightenment is seeking compassion for all beings thus in order to be compassionate we must be able to balance negative thoughts and emotions.

I believe this is done not through rejection of thoughts or emotions as this will simply lead to a suppression into the subconsciousness allowing them to manifest in different , perhaps more self destructive ways. Nor do i believe indulging in unmoral thoughts or emotions, which i should clarifie at this point as anything that is harmful to self, other-self or environment, would yield any result. The course of action then must be within a point of balance, a middle way a syntheses of thesis and antithesis forming a dialectic triad as it were. To recap we have observed the cultivation of moral values of non harming into the consciousness act of going within the self to become aware of the mental processes that form habits that direct our ego in different directions which aren't always helpful to one on the spiritual path, although it must be said that every action has its purpose on said path.

The main focus of spirituality is universally agreed upon as the cultivation of compassion, we have all discussed albeit simplistically the mind as the roots of all positive and negative actions, the going within the self as the means of balancing or cultivating the loving energy that is spoken of so highly by all Spiritual teachers. Once we take conscious acceptance over our mind we can direct it in a balanced way to positive actions. These actions being rooted in mind before the body the physical. All positive actions like negative start out as a thought/emotion directed by the self as we begin to purify the persona with balance and loving actions we reach a point of interest, a crystallization or polarization of consciousness. However before we discuss such a concept we must also state that any mental action will also have an affect on the body, negative thoughts causing stress resulting in ill health. We also must think about compassionate dietary means such as vegetarianism and even the practice of fasting as practiced in all major religions.

Now to return to the 3rd point that is Love, we must ask ourselves if love is within the self though the cultivation of positive thoughts/emotions then were does it lay in time? Love doesn't exist in the past , the land of regret or the future the land of fear but within the present moment. This is the most important point that all the teachers agree upon that love is within the present moment, that is to say that we are ultimately trying to cultivate a loving awareness were everything we see, do think and feel, even if it seems to be negative if seen through a loving nature. Loving awareness is the secret that is so obvious that it is often over looked by complex philosophy or complex visualizations in esoteric practice. The balance of the body, the mind with its thoughts and emotions call focused inwardly on love brings about the mystical experience talked about so highly and wonderfully by the great teachers of the ages. At this point however one becomes without words as to discuss that which is not of this plane but beyond the physical in some sense of the word. I would theorize that this experience is brought upon as an at one-ment of non-dualistic consciousness based upon the stories told by the great mentioned teachers.

To conclude this little discussion i have summed up that all spiritual practices in the quest for Enlightenment follow the same basic 3 steps. Those are the cultivation of morals which in turn brings one into the self through a spiritual discipline such as prayer or meditation, leading to the main goal of cultivating loving kindness and bringing that love into every waken moment. The great perfection or the Magus opus being the complete balancing and forgiveness of our negative actions bringing one into the next course of evolution as a being of pure light which is talked about in Buddhism as the Rainbow body or the resurrected body of Christ.

[Plenum]

I think what you're asking about, Matt, is about the ways of seeking.

Don had a query about accelerating one's growth.

10.12 Questioner: Then although many entities are not aware of this, what they really desire is to accelerate their growth, and it is their job to discover this while incarnate. Is it correct that they can accelerate their growth much more while incarnate in third density than in between incarnations of this density?

and what was Ra's answer?

like you said in your post, seeking the ways of love and compassion are a fine thing in itself, and leads to an opening of the heart, which is the springboard for all positivity.

There are many among your social memory complex distortion who, at this time/space, engage daily, as you would put it, in the working upon the Law of One in one of its primal distortions; that is, the ways of love.

but when one seeks towards love/light, and takes responsibility for each moment, then progress is accelerated:

However, if this same entity, being biased from the depths of its mind/body/spirit complex towards love/light, were then to accept responsibility for each moment of the time/space accumulation of present moments available to it, such an entity can empower its progress in much the same way as we described the empowering of the call of your social complex distortion to the Confederation.

I think this is the essence of the so-called 'awareness' practices that are more present in the Eastern traditions.  One could say that is a more blue-ray oriented activity (taking responsibility, being aware of the contents of consciousness, processing catalyst in a more consciously directed way).  This, of course, is not separate from the activities of the heart, but it is using the positive motivation to better understand consciousness and our own inner workings.  

[Aion]

I believe 'enlightenment' is actually just resting in the 'natural state' or in a state of pure consciousness which is not confused. All of the many 'paths' are tools for untying and unbinding the many knots the consciousness has tied itself in to through the course of its experience. As such, I do not think there is any one perfect tool just as there is no one perfect way to seek. I think that sometimes it can occur almost spontaneously.

[Matt1]

I believe 'enlightenment' is actually just resting in the 'natural state' or in a state of pure consciousness which is not confused. All of the many 'paths' are tools for untying and unbinding the many knots the consciousness has tied itself in to through the course of its experience. As such, I do not think there is any one perfect tool just as there is no one perfect way to seek. I think that sometimes it can occur almost spontaneously.

Yeah i agree with that one, the natural state of consciousness from my understanding is loving awareness.

[Matt1]

I think what you're asking about, Matt, is about the ways of seeking.

Don had a query about accelerating one's growth.

10.12 Questioner: Then although many entities are not aware of this, what they really desire is to accelerate their growth, and it is their job to discover this while incarnate. Is it correct that they can accelerate their growth much more while incarnate in third density than in between incarnations of this density?

and what was Ra's answer?

like you said in your post, seeking the ways of love and compassion are a fine thing in itself, and leads to an opening of the heart, which is the springboard for all positivity.

There are many among your social memory complex distortion who, at this time/space, engage daily, as you would put it, in the working upon the Law of One in one of its primal distortions; that is, the ways of love.

but when one seeks towards love/light, and takes responsibility for each moment, then progress is accelerated:

However, if this same entity, being biased from the depths of its mind/body/spirit complex towards love/light, were then to accept responsibility for each moment of the time/space accumulation of present moments available to it, such an entity can empower its progress in much the same way as we described the empowering of the call of your social complex distortion to the Confederation.

I think this is the essence of the so-called 'awareness' practices that are more present in the Eastern traditions.  One could say that is a more blue-ray oriented activity (taking responsibility, being aware of the contents of consciousness, processing catalyst in a more consciously directed way).  This, of course, is not separate from the activities of the heart, but it is using the positive motivation to better understand consciousness and our own inner workings.  

Yeah basically what i was getting at. I am trying to show that all the the different paths of spirituality are all using the same basic methods once you boil things down to the basic points. By making a general comparison we can gain insight into the path that great teachers have walked before us to help us on our own unique path.

[Plenum]

Plenum said: "I think this is the essence of the so-called 'awareness' practices that are more present in the Eastern traditions.  One could say that is a more blue-ray oriented activity (taking responsibility, being aware of the contents of consciousness, processing catalyst in a more consciously directed way). "

I should also add that in the Western tradition, the study of metaphysics tends to develop an ability to consciously process catalyst in a more efficient manner.

In more modern times, different schools of psychology have also cast light on the inner workings on the mind.  Jung, especially, with his theory of the Shadow, and the associated mechanism of Projection offers an exceptional tool at being able to find the deep roots of catalyst within the self.

- -

Those are the cultivation of morals which in turn brings one into the self through a spiritual discipline such as prayer or meditation, leading to the main goal of cultivating loving kindness and bringing that love into every waken moment.

I can see that loving kindness is an aspect of heart activity.

but the thing that represents enlightenment is a quality of violet ray, and the lifting of the Veil (to the degree that it is possible for a 3d consciousness).

the heart loves all equally, as fellow entities.

the crown sees there really are no separate entities, but that there is only one consciousness being represented in millions (and billions) of temporary individuated complexes.

both those understandings (of the heart, and of the crown) are easy to state, and yet to live is another thing altogether.

[AnthroHeart]

There are even potentially trillions or quadrillions of unique mind/body/spirit complexes in this galaxy alone.

[Minyatur]

To me enlightenment is simply piercing the veil to become our self prior to this incarnation or slightly different because of this incarnation.

That or connection with intelligent infinity but what it gives depend on the person's soul. Lots of people only perceive nothingness through enlightenment because that's all they can perceive.

[Stranger]

There are many among your social memory complex distortion who, at this time/space, engage daily, as you would put it, in the working upon the Law of One in one of its primal distortions; that is, the ways of love.

but when one seeks towards love/light, and takes responsibility for each moment, then progress is accelerated:

However, if this same entity, being biased from the depths of its mind/body/spirit complex towards love/light, were then to accept responsibility for each moment of the time/space accumulation of present moments available to it, such an entity can empower its progress in much the same way as we described the empowering of the call of your social complex distortion to the Confederation.

Thank you for locating this very interesting quote, Plenum.  Being interested in accelerating spiritual progress, I asked my greater self what Ra meant by this.  I got the following insights - please take the following with a grain of salt and discard if it feels inaccurate to you.

Self: What Ra refers to is the conscious, deliberate act of accepting … ownership is a good word -- ownership, owning each moment of your accumulated experience across all of your lifetimes, but with particular focus on this, the present lifetime being experienced.  Any additional questions?
 
self: Is the essence of this not feeling oneself a victim of circumstances, but acknowledging that one is responsible for having created every moment, and for having acted and felt as one did in each and every moment?
 
Self: Again, Stranger, that is precisely correct and we are indeed impressed with your insight.  May we elaborate?
 
self: Please do!
 
Self: Okay.  The time/space moments Ra refers to is simply your entire history of being, as it has been chosen and deliberately created by you, step after step after step.  Are you with me so far?

self: Yes.

Self: Good.  Therefore, to take responsibility for these experiences in their entirety is to claim ownership of your higher self, as it would exist if it were created right now.  For your higher self is indeed the wisdom attained through these precise accumulated experiences we are discussing now.  Does that help?

self: Yes.  What is the consequence of doing so - by what mechanism does it increase one's spiritual progress?

Self: It affirms your identity as the larger oversoul.  No more, no less.  And by doing this, you begin to gain access to the accumulated wisdom which you have earned through the sweat of your brow.

[anagogy]

I think enlightenment is letting go of the tenacious hold we have on the ego.

The ego is line in the sand between Who You Are, and Where You Are.  When that bubble is popped, the line between subject/object or mind/matter collapses and we consciously become what we have been since before time: All That Is.  In that moment, which lasts forever, you will come to realize your center is everywhere, and your circumference is nowhere.

All the moral practices of every religion can be essentially boiled down to: those actions or behaviors that seem to be most consonant or congruent with unity.  That is what love is: Unity.  You treat others how you would like to be treated, because what you do to others, you do to your higher and more encompassing sense of self, which contains all consciousness.  This is the golden rule.

All the practices down through the ages have been to find the touchstone between and among all forms.  Compassion is the key because true empathy cannot occur without finding the sympathetic resonance between that which seems to many, but in reality, is One.

The price of the infinite is the finite.  The final sacrifice is the little self, in exchange for the Big Self.  This is the archetypal meaning of Christ being crucified for the sins of the world.  It is a metaphorical action in consciousness where you forgive the sins of the world, and are sacrificed, symbolically, by becoming so purely absorbed in service to others, that attention to the little self is transcended, and are then, in turn, resurrected purified of all distortions to rise to Heaven, which is oneness with the Father, or what we might more intelligibly understand as Intelligent Infinity.

You forgive your brothers and sisters for what they appear to do to you, and you yourself are absolved of the things you have appeared to do to them.  This negates the illusory separation between all forms.  What you do for others, is reflected back into the self.  

In a universe of unending unity, how could it be any other way?

[VanAlioSaldo]

I alway just viewed enlightenment as that occurrence when ignorance meets truth and then understands and accepts it.

So learning. Becoming enlightened is enlightening.

Actual enlightenment like transcending this octave may be as simple as learning the lessons to all llessons that pertain to you, hence making your need to be here not necessary, only your free will provides your next move.

[Stranger]