The original word for becoming enlightened is Bodhi, which means “awakened”. The words the Buddha uttered involuntarily at the moment of enlightenment were:
“Wonder of wonders! Intrinsically all living beings are Buddhas, endowed with wisdom and virtue, but because men’s minds have become inverted through delusive thinking, they fail to perceive this.”
A human being, whether clever or stupid, male or female, ugly or beautiful, is capable of being awakened to the fact that he is naturally endowed with wisdom and virtue. There is no perfection other than this state of being awakened.
At the moment of enlightenment, the person is suddenly out of the trap of his deluded thinking that is preventing him from perceiving his true nature.
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The Goal of Meditation
The goal of meditation is to become enlightened. When you start practicing meditation, it immediately reduces the turbulence in your mind so you can become more aware. With increased awareness you can start spotting your deluded thinking and make it disappear.
At first you may be in doubt about your true nature. But as you make progress through meditation there comes a point when you suddenly awake to your true nature. You now have a certainty that harbors no doubt. It is a unique moment that fills you completely with joy and happiness.
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The Enlightened Individual
An enlightened individual is not absolutely free of flaws, but he is cleared of his deluded thinking. He has a mind in which perceptions continually divide into fine discriminative elements and get freely associated and assimilated into an orderly mental matrix providing rational solutions.
The cleared individual does not avoid, resist, suppress or deny any thoughts, emotions, and sensations when thinking; and so, he perceives things objectively with clarity. He is able to examine and overcome all prejudices, biases and fixations. He is keenly perceptive and knowledgeable and continues to explore new areas of knowledge.
The cleared individual is universal in his outlook. He rises above any idea of self or individuality. He is not subjective, self-centric, or human-centric. There are no conflicts within him. He would not hesitate to sacrifice himself if need be.
The cleared individual can look from the viewpoint of others as well as objectively from the viewpoint of all life and the environment. He continues to expand his understanding of the physical and spiritual aspects of the universe without resorting to superstitions.
The cleared individual is the first to realize his error and correct himself. Whenever he senses resistance or observes some oddity, he follows it up until it is cleared. If he suffers a painful experience, heavy loss, or confusion he is able to sort it out quietly in his mind.
The cleared individual is in good health and has no psychosomatic illnesses. He is purposeful in his demeanor, and graceful in his movements. He is strong and calm even in adversity. In no way is he trying to win or dominate, but he is passionately engaged in bringing order to his environment.
Above all, he is compassionate.
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