What is Enlightenment?
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the concept of enlightenment in Buddhism, focusing on the meaning of awakening, nirvana, and their implications for human consciousness. The speaker explains that our ordinary existence is conditioned by desires and fears, but enlightenment offers a state of calm, clarity, and deep understanding. Using metaphors like a still pond, the video describes how letting go of attachments and self-centeredness leads to compassion and interconnectedness with others. Enlightenment is seen not as an isolated experience but as a way to engage in healing the world through empathy and compassionate action.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Enlightenment is central to Buddhism, signifying an awakening from ordinary, conditioned consciousness.
- 🔍 Buddha means 'awakened one,' and ordinary consciousness is likened to a dream that we rise out of through enlightenment.
- 🌀 Enlightenment is difficult to conceptualize and often described using metaphors due to its experiential nature.
- 💭 From birth, we are conditioned by external influences to form a worldview, which enlightenment helps us transcend.
- 💡 Nirvana, enlightenment, and awakening are considered synonyms, with 'nirvana' meaning stillness or calm in Sanskrit.
- 🌊 Nirvana is compared to a still pond, where clarity emerges as agitation and mental noise settle.
- 🧘♂️ The process of enlightenment involves releasing attachment to desires and fears, leading to serenity and clarity.
- 🤲 Enlightenment fosters compassion (Karuna) and empathy, as one feels interconnected with all beings and their suffering.
- 👣 Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who commit to alleviating the suffering of others while still engaging with the world.
- ❤️ Compassionate action, as taught in Buddhism, serves both others and oneself, expanding one’s own sense of virtue and well-being.
Q & A
What is the central idea of Buddhism discussed in the script?
-The central idea discussed in the script is enlightenment or awakening, which is seen as the core of all forms of Buddhism. It is about rising above ordinary consciousness, which is considered a kind of conditioned dream, into a more liberated and realized state of awareness.
What is the meaning of the term 'Buddha' according to the script?
-The term 'Buddha' comes from the Sanskrit root 'budh,' which means to awaken. It reflects the idea of awakening from ordinary consciousness into a more enlightened state.
How is 'nirvana' defined in the script?
-In the script, nirvana is synonymous with awakening and enlightenment. Etymologically, it means 'no wind' (nir meaning 'no' and vana meaning 'wind' or 'moving air'), representing a state of stillness, calm, and serenity.
What metaphor is used to describe the state of nirvana?
-Nirvana is compared to a pond that has become calm after a windy day. Once the wind subsides, the water becomes still, clear, and reflects the sky. This metaphor highlights the clarity and depth that come with stillness in consciousness, akin to nirvana.
What are the two lists that people keep in their minds according to the speaker?
-The two lists people keep in their minds are the list of things they want and the list of things they don't want (aversions). Life, according to the speaker, is about managing these lists—bringing desired things closer and keeping unwanted things away.
What exercise is suggested to understand nirvana better?
-The speaker suggests an exercise of imagining how it would feel if both the lists of wants and aversions suddenly vanished. This shift from craving and fear to gratitude and equanimity offers a glimpse into the state of nirvanic consciousness.
How does enlightenment affect one's perception of others' suffering?
-Enlightenment leads to the development of compassion (Karuna), where one feels the suffering of others as their own. The enlightened person becomes less self-centered and more concerned with alleviating the suffering of others.
What role do Bodhisattvas play in Mahayana Buddhism according to the script?
-In Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have one foot in nirvana and one foot in the world. They remain in the world to help others by alleviating suffering, rather than withdrawing from it.
What does the Dalai Lama say about compassionate action?
-The Dalai Lama is quoted saying that 'Compassionate action is the highest form of self-interest,' meaning that when we act virtuously for others, our own virtue and well-being naturally expand and brighten.
What is the next topic that will be discussed in the series?
-The next topic in the series will explore what an enlightened person knows and how reality and experience appear to someone who has achieved enlightenment.
Outlines
🌅 Understanding Enlightenment in Buddhism
The speaker explores the concept of enlightenment, which is central to Buddhism. Enlightenment, often referred to as awakening, is about transcending ordinary consciousness, which is seen as a kind of dream or conditioned existence. Although difficult to fully explain due to its ineffable nature, enlightenment is described using metaphors like 'awakening.' The speaker stresses the importance of rethinking the worldview handed to us by society and embarking on the philosophical quest for wisdom, a journey that leads to a deeper understanding of enlightenment. The term Nirvana is introduced, symbolizing stillness and serenity in consciousness, contrasting with our typical agitated state of craving and fear.
🧘♂️ The Stillness of Nirvana
The speaker delves into the metaphor of Nirvana, comparing it to a pond on a windy day. When the wind is agitated, the water is muddy and unclear, much like our minds in ordinary consciousness. As the wind stills, the water becomes calm and clear, reflecting its surroundings with depth and clarity. This is used to illustrate the essence of Nirvana, a state of consciousness marked by stillness and serenity. Nirvana is described as the release of attachments to craving and fear, bringing clarity and inner peace. The speaker also touches on the daily lists of desires and aversions that govern our lives, inviting listeners to imagine how it would feel if those lists disappeared, leaving only peace and acceptance.
🙏 Compassion and Enlightenment
In this section, the speaker focuses on the role of compassion (Karuna) and empathy in enlightenment. Enlightened beings, like the Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism, experience the suffering of others as their own. This state of empathy leads to a deep interconnectedness with all living beings and a diminishing self-centeredness. Drawing parallels to Jesus' teachings on fearlessness and the lilies of the field, the speaker explains that enlightenment brings not only inner peace but also a greater sense of responsibility for alleviating the suffering of others. Compassionate action is emphasized as the highest form of self-interest, with the Dalai Lama's words highlighting the reciprocal healing that occurs when we help others.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Enlightenment
💡Nirvana
💡Ordinary consciousness
💡Craving and fear
💡Metaphor of the pond
💡Compassion (Karuna)
💡Interdependence
💡Bodhisattva
💡Renunciation
💡The examined life
Highlights
Enlightenment is central to Buddhism, with the word Buddha coming from the Sanskrit root 'budh,' meaning 'to awaken.'
Buddhism teaches that ordinary consciousness is a conditioned existence, like a dream, which we can awaken from to achieve a fuller, liberated state of consciousness.
Enlightenment and higher realized states of consciousness are experiential, not conceptual, and thus are difficult to describe using ordinary language.
The concept of Nirvana is synonymous with enlightenment and awakening, meaning 'no wind,' symbolizing stillness, calm, and serenity.
Nirvana is metaphorically illustrated as a still pond after the wind calms down, where stillness leads to clarity and depth in consciousness.
Ordinary consciousness is characterized by craving and fear, but Nirvana represents a state free from these agitations.
Life often revolves around two lists: things we want and things we don't want, and striving to balance them.
A glimpse of Nirvanic consciousness is possible by imagining life without these wants and fears, leading to gratitude and equanimity.
Enlightenment involves a shift from self-centeredness to a recognition of the interconnectedness of all life, diminishing personal wants and increasing joy and freedom.
Compassion (Karuna) naturally arises in the enlightened state, where the suffering of others is seen and felt as one’s own.
The Bodhisattva, a key figure in Mahayana Buddhism, is an enlightened being who commits to the alleviation of suffering while remaining engaged with the world.
The Bodhisattva ideal reflects the purpose of life: to heal the world and reduce suffering through compassionate action.
Compassionate action is described as 'the highest form of self-interest,' as helping others leads to one’s own virtue and well-being.
The question posed for further inquiry is: 'What does an enlightened person know?' and how does reality appear to someone who has reached enlightenment.
Transcripts
So, here in our continuing series on Buddhism, today I want to take up the
question "What is enlightenment?" Because enlightenment is at the core of all
things Buddhism. Remember the word Buddha came from the Sanskrit root "budh," to
awaken. So at the very center of all, all of the different kinds of Buddhism is
this one idea: that ordinary consciousness is a kind of dream, a kind
of program, a conditioned existence that we can rise up out of into a fuller, more
realized, more liberated form of consciousness. And it's described by
these metaphors: as enlightenment or awakening. And we have to figure out what
that means if we're gonna understand Buddhism at all. And yet it's difficult
to talk about enlightenment. You know we pore through the literature, we consult
with lifelong practitioners, and I'm afraid the
I'm afraid the travelers tales are a little murky. And we're up against that
idea that always confronts us in all of our religious studies, namely,
ineffability. Those higher realized states of consciousness are experiential,
not conceptual, and in the end they can't be talked about down here at the level
of ordinary consciousness. So we're stuck with metaphors and, you know, fingers
pointing at the moon. So let's do what we can to keep this simple and unpack this
in as clear way as possible. Maybe we'll start here. Think about it.
When we were born they brought us home. We were in these amazing bodies with
these sensory apparatus and cognitive capabilities and we began to take in
perception and we learned language and when they taught us a language that
carried with it a worldview, a value system, and these are the beautiful
things, these are the ugly things, these are the true things, these are the false
things, you know, we were told what was what.
And our whole worldview was imparted to us by I think, you know, all these
well-intentioned sources: teachers and ministers and parents and society and
culture and all of that. I don't think it was a nefarious conditioning process. It
was just, it's just what happens when you take form in the world of embodied forms
and you try to piece it all together conceptually. So our worldview was
largely handed to us. We didn't really choose it. And then you grow up and you
become an adult and you start asking questions and you begin living what
Socrates called "the examined life." Remember he said "the unexamined life is
not worth living." So in the philosophic life we start wondering on what grounds
should I believe everything that I have been taught? Or as Descartes put it, "What
do I really know with certainty?" So the quest begins for wisdom, for knowledge,
for truth. And this is a universal philosophical quest and Buddhism is just
one of the many responses to that, to that longing for knowing, that longing
for wisdom. And maybe another good place to start for us and our in our inquiry
into what is enlightenment is with the word nirvana.
The word Nirvana in Sanskrit is I think synonymous with awakening and with
enlightenment -- let's just make all three of those words synonyms: awakening,
enlightenment, and now Nirvana. Originally in its pure literal meaning Nirvana in
Sanskrit means "no wind." Nir is a negating prefix and vana means wind or
air that is moving. So Nirvana implies stillness. Sometimes it's translated as
"to blow out" like to blow out a flame. So in its, in its root sense Nirvana is a
one word poem denoting stillness, calm, serenity,
the opposite of the state of consciousness that we're always in, you
know, agitation and fear: that craving and fear in an agitated state that you
and I call thinking. So what if Nirvana, initially anyway, in original Buddhism,
simply referred to a state of consciousness characterized by stillness
and serenity. You know, think about, think about a pond out in the woods on
a very, very windy day. And the wind is blowing and the water is choppy and
the the waves on the pond are swirling around and the water is so
agitated that all of the silt and mud on the bottom of the pond as has
kicked up into the water and is suspended in the water and it's muddy
and murky and it's a mess. And then imagine the wind calming down
and becoming completely still. Soon the pond has gone to glass and the
water's become so still that all of the silt has settled back down to the bottom
of the pond. And this is going to take some time by the way. But as the
stillness takes over and the mirror surface of the pond reflects every cloud
in the sky, and you can see all the way to the bottom of the pond and see every
pebble. With stillness comes clarity and depth. And that conveys I think what is
essentially meant by nirvana: a state of consciousness, of clarity and
depth, that is only possible when we release our attachment to the agitated
state of craving and fear that characterizes our ordinary existence. So
I don't know about you but I have two lists in my head going all the time and
I bet you do too. Let's let's think about consciousness
for a minute. One list is all the things I want, and it's a long list. And and some
of its sort of trivial, like I want a cup of coffee, and some of it's grave and
intense, like I want world peace. And I want more money, and I want health, and I
want to all my friends to do well. And there's all these things that I want. I
want the sun to come out. And then there's this other list, and I bet you
have this list too. Here's all the things I don't want -- my aversions. I don't want
skin cancer so I wear a hat when I go outside. I don't want my car to break
down so I keep it maintained and my phone charged up. I have a long list of
things I don't want, and I have a long list of things that I want, and life is
kind of the maintenance isn't it of those two lists. You try to bring the
things you want closer to you, and you try to keep the things you don't want
away from you. And that's life. Let me ask you a question now. With those two lists
in mind, your two lists, how would it feel right here in your gut, how would it feel
if both of those lists suddenly vanished?
Now there's nothing you want, there's nothing you need. You've shifted from the
consciousness of scarcity and craving to the consciousness of gratitude and
appreciation. And there's nothing that you are afraid of. Anything could happen
and you would be okay. You would accept it with equanimity.
The arising and fading of forms. Fine. And so with that exercise we catch
a glimpse the possibility of nirvanic
consciousness. The simple surrender, what in Hinduism we called renunciation,
letting go of attachment to outcomes. And what also happens in enlightenment,
the Buddhist literature tells us, is we begin to think less and less about
ourselves. You know there's that wonderful Tibetan Buddhist saying, "Want
to go to hell? Think about yourself. Want to go to heaven? Think about other
people." When in the enlightened state, in the nirvanic state, we look out at the
world, we see the deep and real interdependency and interconnectedness
of all energy, all consciousness, and all forms. And in that beautiful ballet my
own needs and wants pale and shrink in relative comparison to the grandeur of
it all. And I become slightly less self-obsessed, and my joy and my freedom
begins to increase. I realize my inherent wellness and I realize the way
in which I am supported, and I don't have to panic all the time about everything.
You know Jesus says so often in the Gospels, "Fear not." And in the Sermon on the
Mount those beautiful anti-anxiety passages, you know, why are you worried
all the time? Look at the lilies of the field or look at the birds, they
don't, they don't worry, they don't toil, they don't store up, and look how they're
supported and taken care of. Do you not think that you are supported and taken
care of? And so another element of enlightenment is Karuna or compassion. we
begin to see the suffering of others as our own suffering because that is what
compassion means, from the Greek passion or "suffering" and com, meaning "with." So when
we have compassion we suffer with another. And another word that fits pretty
well here: empathy. The suffering of the other is felt as my
own suffering. This is a natural outcome of enlightenment as well. As my
self-centeredness begins to decrease I suddenly am just as concerned about you
as I am about me. So with these words we try to paint a
picture that brings into somewhat clearer focus of this nebulous idea of
Nirvana or enlightenment. And throughout Buddhism there are many examples. In
Mahayana Buddhism they're called Bodhisattvas. The Bodhisattva, the
illumined being, is, like the Buddha, someone who has one foot in Nirvana and
one foot in the world. They're kind of bridge beings. They exist in
Nirvanic consciousness, but they're not off on a mountaintop just blissing out.
They're back in the marketplace. They're back in the street. They're back in the
dusty world serving, healing who and what they can heal. That wonderful Jewish
phrase "tikkun olam," to heal the world, this is our Dharma, this is our purpose --
to participate in the sustenance of the world. This is what all the spiritual
teachers call us to. And out of the enlightened state the Bodhisattva
commits to the alleviation of the suffering of all sentient beings, and
that's held up in Buddhism as a kind of ideal. That's the purpose of life. It's
why we're here -- to participate in the healing of the world. I mean I don't need
to tell you, look around, there is woundedness everywhere. And when we
attend to the wounds of others our own wounds begin to heal mysteriously. As the
Dalai Lama put it "Compassionate action is the highest form of self interest."
Compassionate action is the highest form of self interest because when we are
virtuous for others our own virtue naturally
expands and brightens. So as we continue this series of inquiries into the
wonderful philosophy of Buddhism the next question we need to think about is
well, what if this enlightenment business is real? What if there's some merit to
this? Then what does an enlightened person know? Looking through the eyes of
enlightenment, how does reality appear? How does experience unfold? So that's the
question we take up in our next video. What does an enlightened person know?
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