4 Levels of Enlightenment Explained - Stages of Enlightenment

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19 Feb 202305:37

Summary

TLDRThis video script delves into the concept of Enlightenment, detailing four distinct levels. Level one, preliminary Enlightenment, involves awareness of one's thoughts and emotions. Level two, insightful Enlightenment, sees the true nature of reality, dispelling illusions. Level three, Liberation, offers freedom from physical and mental suffering, transcending ego. The highest, level four, perfect Enlightenment, is a state of complete awakening, associated with spiritual leaders like Buddha, characterized by universal compassion and perpetual bliss.

Takeaways

🔍 Enlightenment is a state of complete freedom from mental and worldly sufferings, leading to an egoless state of being.
🌟 There are varying levels of enlightenment, with individuals not necessarily progressing uniformly through them.
🧘‍♂️ Level one, preliminary Enlightenment, involves becoming an observer of one's thoughts and emotions, often achieved through mindfulness meditation.
🌱 At the insightful enlightenment level, illusions and delusions are seen through, leading to an understanding of the interconnectedness of all things.
🕊️ Liberation, the third level, offers permanent freedom from physical and mental sufferings, achieved through practices like Zen or Advaita Vedanta.
🌐 Non-duality is a key concept at the Liberation level, where the illusion of separateness is overcome, fostering deep compassion.
🌟 Perfect Enlightenment is the highest level, where one is fully awakened and experiences permanent bliss, even in adversity.
🧘‍♀️ Perfectly enlightened beings are fully conscious, connected to the universe, and embody compassion without attachment.
📈 Enlightenment can occur instantly or may take a lifetime, depending on individual triggers and depth of awakening.
🙏 The video encourages viewers to engage with the content, suggesting that the insights shared may be valuable for personal growth.

Q & A

What is Enlightenment according to the video?
-Enlightenment is described as a state of being where a person achieves complete freedom from all mental and worldly sufferings, entering into an egoless state full of compassion and perceiving everything as interconnected.
Is every enlightened being at the same level of enlightenment?
-No, the video explains that not all enlightened beings are at the same level; some may be more enlightened than others.
Does Enlightenment follow a fixed path or sequence?
-No, there is no fixed path or sequence to reach the highest level of Enlightenment. It depends on individual triggers and how deeply one awakens to the reality of the world.
What happens at the first level of Enlightenment, Preliminary Enlightenment?
-At this level, an individual becomes aware of their thoughts, observes their mind without interacting with it, and gains the ability to control emotions and thoughts. This level is often achieved through mindfulness meditation.
What distinguishes the second level of Enlightenment, Insightful Enlightenment?
-At this level, an individual sees the true nature of reality, with illusions and delusions fading away. The ego starts to dissolve, leading to an understanding of how everything is interconnected and a deeper experience of the present moment.
What is Liberation in the context of Enlightenment?
-Liberation, the third level of Enlightenment, refers to a person achieving complete freedom from all physical and mental sufferings. The enlightened being is unaffected by praise or insult, pleasure or pain, and even death.
How is the concept of non-duality related to Enlightenment?
-Non-duality, introduced at the third level (Liberation), teaches that the illusion of separateness arises from ego and ignorance. The enlightened being knows that all is one, resulting in deep love and compassion without attachment.
What is the highest level of Enlightenment and its characteristics?
-The highest level is Perfect Enlightenment. At this stage, an individual becomes completely awakened, fully aware of everything inside and outside their body, and feels a deep connection to the universe. This state is associated with the Buddha and other spiritual leaders.
How does the perfectly enlightened being experience life?
-A perfectly enlightened being enjoys a permanent, blissful state even in extreme adverse situations. They are fully conscious and free from all forms of suffering.
Can Enlightenment happen instantly, or does it take a lifetime?
-Enlightenment can happen instantly, or it may not occur at all in a lifetime. It depends on the individual's awakening process and their triggers.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Understanding Enlightenment: Levels and Misconceptions

This paragraph introduces the concept of Enlightenment as a state of complete freedom from mental and worldly sufferings, leading to an egoless state filled with compassion and interconnectedness. It clarifies that there is no fixed path to achieve Enlightenment, and it varies in depth from person to person. The speaker emphasizes that Enlightenment can occur instantly or may not happen at all, depending on individual triggers and awakening to the reality of the world. The paragraph sets the stage for a discussion on the four different levels of Enlightenment, starting with preliminary Enlightenment where individuals become aware of their thoughts and emotions, and moving through to perfect Enlightenment associated with spiritual leaders like Buddha.

05:02

🌟 The Four Stages of Enlightenment

The second paragraph delves into the four stages of Enlightenment. The first stage is preliminary Enlightenment, where individuals observe their thoughts without interaction, leading to emotional control and new perspectives. The second stage is insightful Enlightenment, where illusions and delusions are cleared, and reality is perceived as it is, reducing ego and suffering. The third stage, Liberation, offers permanent freedom from physical and mental sufferings, unaffected by praise, insult, or death, achieved through practices like Zen meditation. The final stage, perfect Enlightenment, is the highest level where individuals are fully awakened, experience no suffering, and are in a state of permanent bliss, even in adversity. The speaker concludes by inviting viewers to engage with the content and anticipates future videos.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Enlightenment

Enlightenment, in the context of the video, refers to a profound spiritual or intellectual awakening where an individual achieves a state of complete freedom from mental and worldly sufferings. It is the overarching theme of the video, with the speaker discussing different levels of this state. The video explains that enlightenment is not a one-size-fits-all journey but a deeply personal experience that can be triggered by various factors and can vary in depth.

💡Egoless state

An 'egoless state' is mentioned as a characteristic of enlightenment where the individual transcends the self-centered identity and experiences a sense of oneness with the universe. This concept is central to the video's discussion on the advanced stages of enlightenment, where the enlightened being is described as being full of compassion and perceiving everything as interconnected without the barrier of ego.

💡Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a practice highlighted in the video as a means to achieve preliminary enlightenment. It involves being fully present and aware of one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. The script explains that through mindfulness, individuals can observe their mental processes as an outsider, leading to better control over emotions and thoughts.

💡Insightful enlightenment

Insightful enlightenment is the second level discussed in the video, where the individual perceives the true nature of reality, shedding illusions and delusions. This stage is significant as it marks the beginning of understanding the interconnectedness of all things and the fading of the ego, leading to the end of ego-centric sufferings.

💡Liberation

Liberation is described as the third level of enlightenment, where an individual achieves complete freedom from physical and mental sufferings. The video emphasizes that at this stage, the enlightened being is unaffected by external circumstances such as praise or insult, pleasure or pain, and even death, indicating a profound inner transformation.

💡Non-duality

Non-duality is a concept introduced in the video in relation to the third level of enlightenment, where the enlightened being perceives the world from a perspective that transcends the illusion of separateness. This concept is crucial for understanding the advanced stages of enlightenment, where the individual realizes that all is one, fostering deep love and compassion without attachment.

💡Perfect enlightenment

Perfect enlightenment is the highest level of enlightenment discussed in the video, associated with spiritual leaders like Buddha. It is characterized by complete awakening and a state of super consciousness, where the individual is connected to the universe and experiences permanent bliss, even in adverse situations. This keyword encapsulates the ultimate goal of the enlightenment journey as presented in the video.

💡Suffering

Suffering is a recurring theme in the video, particularly in relation to the ego and the liberation from it. The script explains that as one progresses through the levels of enlightenment, the suffering caused by the ego diminishes, leading to a state of inner peace and compassion. Suffering is used to illustrate the transformative power of enlightenment.

💡Preliminary Enlightenment

Preliminary Enlightenment is the first level discussed in the video, where an individual becomes aware of their thoughts and emotions, and starts to observe them without getting entangled. This level is foundational to the enlightenment journey, setting the stage for deeper spiritual growth and self-awareness.

💡Zen meditation

Zen meditation is mentioned as a practice that can lead to the third level of enlightenment, or Liberation. The video suggests that through Zen, individuals can achieve a unique perspective of non-duality and a deep understanding of their true divine nature, indicating its importance in the path to higher states of enlightenment.

💡Adweta Vedanta

Adweta Vedanta is another practice mentioned in the video as a means to achieve Liberation. It is an ancient Indian philosophy that emphasizes non-dualism and the realization of the true self. The video positions Adweta Vedanta as a path to enlightenment that helps in transcending the ego and realizing the unity of existence.

Highlights

Enlightenment is a state of complete freedom from mental and worldly sufferings.

An enlightened being enters an egoless state, full of compassion and interconnectedness.

Enlightenment levels vary, with individuals achieving different degrees of enlightenment.

There is no fixed path to reach the highest level of Enlightenment; it's about personal triggers and depth of awakening.

Enlightenment can happen instantly or may not occur in one's lifetime.

Level one: Preliminary Enlightenment involves awareness of one's thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness meditation helps achieve preliminary Enlightenment by observing the mind without attachment.

Level two: Insightful Enlightenment allows seeing the true nature of reality, dispelling illusions.

At level two, the ego begins to fade, leading to the end of ego-based suffering.

Level three: Liberation signifies complete freedom from physical and mental sufferings.

Liberation is achieved through practices like Zen meditation or Advaita Vedanta, realizing non-duality.

Level four: Perfect Enlightenment is the highest state, associated with full awakening and Buddha-like consciousness.

Perfectly enlightened beings are in a super conscious state, connected to the universe without separation.

The perfectly enlightened enjoy permanent bliss, even in adverse situations.

The video provides insights into the four stages of Enlightenment for spiritual growth.

Engagement with the content is encouraged through likes, shares, and subscriptions.