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Enlightenment Does Not Solve Your Problems
This past weekend, a few friends and I had the honor and privilege of spending time with Tibetan lama, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche.
To say it was surreal is an understatement…
One minute we were in the car talking about life, women, our children, our finances and the next we were sitting in a farm house with Rinpoche and his interpreter.
I am not at liberty to reveal specifics, but many questions were asked.
Some were very ordinary and some were very deep…
The answers were always very simple!
One thing that struck me over the weekend was the amount of confusion in peoples minds about meditation and enlightenment.
I would like to talk about the latter.
I think that many people are under the assumption that when one reaches enlightenment, all of their personality flaws and imperfections just drop away.
That is not the case…
Although we’d like to believe there is a path that is impervious to our own proclivities for self-deception, self-sabotage and our personal versions of delusion and ignorance, there is not.
From my experience, I have seen that most people approach things like meditation and other spiritual practices with a certain naiveté.
They seem to think that there is a way to practice that is impervious to their defenses, unconscious programming, beliefs and emotional patterns.
I am here to say there is not…
We have certain ways of being, a specific personal history and our own character to reckon with.
There is no way around it…
What I have found is that the more awake I become and the more “enlightened” I become, the more my shortcomings become painfully evident to me.
That may sound discouraging to some but believe me it is not…
It is a gift!
With this seeing comes the ability, the determination and the will to do something about our condition.
The understanding comes first but the change in behavior takes time.
Habituality is deeply, deeply rooted!
Much of what we are up against is emotional in nature. If we are to change our behavior, we first must do the work to neutralize our negative emotional charges.
Usually, much of this work takes place off of the cushion and uses means that are not specific to our practice as an adjunct.
More on this in my next post.
Until next time…
Kind Regards,
A
8 Responses to “Enlightenment Does Not Solve Your Problems”
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Anthony – It sounds as though you are learning much on your spiritual journey.
Pam
Expert Houston Retirement Planning & Wealth Management Services
Enlightenment involves a lot of challenges in order to overcome our own limitation and human nature. You are on a challenging path and surely the road less traveled.
Steve Chambers, Sale Trainer Speaker
Visiting this guy sounds really exciting.
I don’t really have any idea what enlightenment is, but I hope it helps me to walk on water.
“Usually, much of this work takes place off of the cushion and uses means that are not specific to our practice as an adjunct.”
I would like to understand this last line better.
For me, Enlightenment is a specific consciousness. When experienced we are enlightened, when we are observing ourselves in life operating sets of old routine behavior, we are observing.
It is much like going in and out of water. Holding our breath when under water, and at ease when we are above water just being.
I am glad you are growing. What habit, for you personally, if there were just one, could you change to facilitate new patterns of being? I wonder the same for myself?
Anthony,
Shortcomings and challenges are both things that I often give thanks for. In those moments we have the chance to change and grow and at times contribute to life.
Thanks Bro.
Lynn Lane
Success Strategies For Life
Anthony,
Alway great to read your blog.
“Answers are always simple.”
Once, someone asked a Guru, ” How do I get rid o my bad habit?”
Guru answered, “By stop doing it.”
Correct, simple & direct. But it is not much helpful UNLESS the Guru, thru’ his answer, infused directly with power, commitment and energy to stop that habit into the person who asked such Q .
John Ho
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion
Anthony,
From my perspective, our greatest battles are always with ourselves and the roadblocks we knowingly or unknowingly place along our paths to whatever we want. So it doesn’t surprise me that after “enlightenment” we still have ourselves to deal with.
Health, Fitness for Working People — Darryl Pace
I wish there truly was something to make all our personality flaws drop away.
Lisa McLellan
Child Care Expert,
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