Enlightenment
Enlightenment
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. - November 27, 2020
The Elusive Enlightenment, Yet, It is Within Us.
Enlightenment is the in-thing among truth-seekers across the globe today. It is a subject of discussion daily in the social media. Everybody wants to be enlightened and for very good reasons.
But what is it really? Is it worthwhile pursuing? If so, is there a measure by which we can say we are already enlightened ? How does one attain enlightenment? Finally, is enlightenment lasting or does it fade away?
Enlightenment comes from the root word "light". To be enlightened is to be engulfed by the light. Once, you were in darkness, now you are in the light. That, in essence, is enlightenment.
But what does it mean in relation to our daily life?
Enlightenment is a sudden realization of something extraordinarily unusual but remarkable and spiritual, given name in such expressions as AHA, YAHOO, or Eureka. It can be an experience of a sudden understanding of what was previously an incomprehensible problem or concept that is at the same time insightful and inspirational.
One main feature of enlightenment is that it's not derived through reasoning, use of logic, or empirical testing, but through a sudden flash of insight, idea, or experience of something symbolic.
One may just be walking idly along the beach, engrossed purely in its own little world, thinking of nothing, just relaxing, and purely in communion with one's self.
One of the oldest and well-known tale revolves around Archimedes' legendary “Eureka!” moment while taking a bath in a tub, when he made a remarkable discovery of what is now known as the Archimedes Principle.
Many people also experience enlightenment during and after their moments of near-death-encounter or when they have tasted an afterlife experience.
Is enlightenment lasting or does it fade away?
One enlightenment leads to another. It grows and matures as the individual journeys the ascending ladder of the cosmic evolutionary process. But it has to be nourished and sustained daily from moment to moment, otherwise it fades away and darkness slowly takes over.
The Buddhist sage Thich Naht Hanh has something to say about enlightenment in our day-to-day life:
"Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive - that you can touch the miracle of being alive - then that is a kind of enlightenment."
Is it something to be aspired for? If so, how do we know that we are enlightened? It's better that you answer these questions yourself because the experience of enlightenment differs from individual to individual.
Experiencing heavenly bliss from within
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. – April 19, 2021
As we grow old, hormones subside decreasing our appetite for food, sleep, and sex because of some aggravating illnesses. Yet, the desire for sensual satisfaction remains, the reason why we need some external assistance. In many cases, even these external aids do not help at all. One may just have to accept that this is part of life. But let's learn the art of experiencing heavenly bliss by activating our energy centers.
An Inquiry Within: Look, Who's talking?
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. - October 22, 2020
It's you talking to yourself about yourself, then, after a long pause....you talk to yourself about yourself again because you yourself are still uncertain of what to talk to yourself about yourself. Going out of this quandary has become a challenge to yourself.
Getting tired and stressed, you take a rest awhile and sleep. And soundly you dream. You are in some place where you are alone in silence and solitude, with no-one around except yourself to commune with and talk to. You don't know how long you were in this dream state.
But now you're fully awake, relaxed, and refreshed. Yet, you're still haunted by the thought that you're unable to think of yourself talking to yourself about yourself. Still feeling dazed and empty, you have mysteriously come to your senses.
It's you talking to yourself about your problems and worries, after all. It's you talking to yourself about what you are thinking, about what you're feeling, and what you're going to do about them.
Now that you yourself know what to talk to yourself about yourself, you start doing something about them by clarifying to yourself some things about yourself.
You formulate your vision, mission, and goals in life. You even come up with some plans, strategies, approaches, and projects for implementation. You feel very happy having achieved something for yourself, knowing that you now have something to talk to yourself about yourself.
But your joy is not for long...
Now that you're done, you yourself become suddenly reluctant to talk about the things you have prepared for yourself.
What if ...
Yes, what if things go wrong? Will you yourself accept this one unavoidable consequence when you present this to yourself? And you ask yourself: "Who prepared all these things for yourself?" "Were they not just simply voices playing in your head or apparitions you imagined for yourself?"
Now, you're beginning to doubt yourself and you're starting to be confused. You reach a dead end. You cannot proceed, paralyzed and overwhelmed by the elaborate plans and projects you will be giving to yourself, maybe for the rest of the remaining days of your life, which you yourself know pretty well, you cannot fulfill.
You begin to wonder. "Who was really talking to yourself about the things you designed for yourself?" There, the voice again: "You didn't get what you deserve. You got what you wanted to take."
Unable to confront yourself yet about the things you have prepared for yourself, you want to do it all over again...to talk to yourself again about yourself.
Maybe there's something in you that you're still unfamiliar with because it's hidden in your subconscious self. You still don't know what this is, the reason why you want to do the entire process all over again. You don't want it hidden permanently within yourself, without you yourself knowing it.
But then you realize that you are only making a fool out of yourself doing things that are "never ending or beginning...like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel".
Yet, you still resolve to do it all over again. You justify yourself by saying to yourself that the world is round and this is what's going to be for everybody.
But should this be so?
Then, Eureka. Instead of chasing rainbows and your own shadows, you implore to yourself:
"Chillax...Learn to relax. Go to sleep and dream again. The "you" in your dream might be able to enlighten the "you" when you're fully awake."
And relax you did, nothing else. You do nothing to yourself.
In the meantime, you remind yourself not to talk to others about yourself talking privately to yourself, but don't know what you really wanted to talk to yourself about yourself.
You realize you don't have to rub the lamp any more to summon the genie for answers because you are the genie.
You also warn yourself not to talk to anybody especially because you still don't know who is really talking to yourself about yourself. Maybe, they were just faint voices you heard from nowhere, which you yourself had to listen to seriously, by doing what these voices had to tell you.
But you really do not know what transpired anymore. You simply admonish yourself that if perchance you happened to oblige yourself to reveal yourself to everybody what it is about yourself, hope that, in your absence, it's not you they're all talking about now.
Nevertheless, whatever happened, you relentlessly resolve to yourself to continue moving forward until you find out who or what the real source of the voices that kept on whispering and egging you to act, because they are the ones deciding the direction of your life now.
So long, farewell. I hate to go but may you be guided in your search for meaning within.
You Had an Epiphany!
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. - October 21, 2020
Imagine that you were once blind, then one day, you open your eyes. Where before you could only dream of what the world outside must have been, now you can see everything. But, then, you realize that the world outside is far worse than what you have always dreamed of. You went back to your own little world and persisted on dreaming and now you want to make that dream of yours come true. You had an epiphany!