[Last updated: 8 March 2019]
Do you know anyone who is enlightened?
Buddha showed us that it wasn’t all that difficult – it’s just a simple process of sitting and watching the breath.
Why isn’t there anyone who is enlightened today?
At least I haven’t met anyone. Have you?
Sure you might have read about someone – but, can you trust what you read? For me, I’d have to meet the person. Could I then tell – enlightened or not? I’m not really sure. 😛
There must be 100,000 monks here in Thailand – and yet – who of them is enlightened? None I’ve met. Nobody is talking about any of them alive today that’s enlightened. India is claiming some – but, here in Thailand, a land of 65 Million plus people – 98% Buddhist… I can’t find any.
Why is that?
I believe that the problem lays in the double bind.
Having gone along the path to some degree I realized that the couple keys to progressing are:
1. Meditating not to get anywhere.
2. Letting everything go that comes up during meditation. Sure, look at it in the case of feelings, pain, fear, uncomfortable feeling, heat in the body, sweat running down your cheek – tickling… but after you look at it and gain wisdom about it… let it go.
Same goes for jhana and other experiences. Let them go. Don’t take them to mean you’re on the fast track to the same state as the Buddha – just let them go as if they are nothing.
Now, how does someone do this if they’re whole life is centered on the act of reaching Nirvana – or progressing as far as they can?
Nirvana is set up as this ultimate and unattainable goal that is so important…
How does one not get excited and attach to the various states that precede jhana… let alone once inside jhana?
The states are amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing states. They are so awesome in their depth and character… so unlike anything people have ever experienced before.
How can someone go through that and not make a big deal of it?
That’s the thing – most can’t. The more you’re a die-hard Buddhist and stuck on tradition and some magical formula for getting jhanas… the less chance you’ll have of ever getting further than your first experience because the goal suddenly seems realistic then – and you blow it all out of proportion, attach to the experience and never see it again.
I believe that enlightenment is not very likely for any monks or serious students of Buddh-ISM. The less you read about what should happen – the better.
The less you care about reaching the higher states of jhana… enlightenment – the better.
Otherwise when presented with some of the feelings of jhana or what precedes… you’re blown away by it and can’t get over it… every time you get close from then on – the anxiety arises and you’re attached to getting the experience again.
Jhana just goes away at that point… it won’t come when you’re attached – wanting – desiring it. It just won’t.
When you get into Jhana 5-8 the states are so intense… for lack of another word – that few can get past them – especially realizing that level 8 is supposedly the one Buddha launched into enlightenment from.
Much better that you don’t even know what Jhana 8 is. I didn’t have any idea I was at the last door.
Don’t read anything about Buddhism. Just follow the physical steps of meditation and see what happens.
Download my ebook about how to go about it. It’s basically just what I did. Without the ‘-ism” … without the fluff that goes with any religion and that makes experiences you have while meditating bigger than life – and ultimately get in the way of you getting anywhere at all.
If you have any questions about anything or want to attack me for discounting all the books you’ve read and all the attachment you’ve built up in your mind about how the process leading to Nirvana should be – feel free in the comments below.