Enlightenment

[Dead Sun]

Many religions talk about this "pinnacle" of human reasoning referring to it as "Enlightenement." This sin't a thread on whether you think this is at all reachable during your life, or if you an only gain it after you die, but rather what you think Enlightenment means.
What does Enlightenment mean? To me it means utter inner peace, which will extend out to all you encounter and understand. But that might not be what other people think. Perhaps it means to be totally rational or to have knowledge of all things.
What do you think Enlightenment means?

[Chaigidel]

Nothingness.

I dont really know or think any sort of "ability" is conferred(so to say I am not sure all you encounter somehow know your inner peace, or benefit from it), as you said I think it is more a kind of peace about existence, and oneself.

[Caduet]

Nothingness.

Achieved when one becomes glorious shaheed.

[Ummon]

More precisely: nothingness here, and nothingness also, there.

[Tankbuster]

Spiritual enlightenment can refer to all sorts of things.
In many buddhist sects (as well as in many self-help books), you are told that when you reach nirvana, you will be rid of all doubt and stress.
For some, stoics for example, spiritual enlightenment would mean being completely devoid of irrational emotions and urges.
For many religious people, it could be described as a sense of perfect unity with God.
In modern society, it could be the acceptance of what material means you do have and not constantly seek the next level in financial and material wealth.

Personally, I tend to reject most of these.
I think that the beauty of human life is that you will never reach complete fulfillment through the reaching of goals. If you want to, there's always a higher level, there's always more to learn and do. Ultimately, the trick is probably to continue to pursue your goals, but be fufilled in the quest, rather than the results.

[hellheaven1987]

Enlightenment??

It means a lot of revolt (or revolution, what ever the rebels said), a lot of beheading, then a lot of soldiers shooting each others, and finally people realized these were all stupid and "enlight" to be civilized.

[Ragabash]

Many religions talk about this "pinnacle" of human reasoning referring to it as "Enlightenement." This sin't a thread on whether you think this is at all reachable during your life, or if you an only gain it after you die, but rather what you think Enlightenment means.
What does Enlightenment mean? To me it means utter inner peace, which will extend out to all you encounter and understand. But that might not be what other people think. Perhaps it means to be totally rational or to have knowledge of all things.
What do you think Enlightenment means?

That one is able to perceive his views on terms not bound purely on selfish subjective world but can see -the error -and question his views through objective world view, and then proceed to reform opinions and beliefs on such bases; a rather endless cycle of conduct and repeat. Where one can not only question the nature of the subject but necessity and reality of the concept in the first place; such as in the case of concept of god to slavery et cetra.

This is not exactly the same as definition but to me "enlightenment" means a process in which one is able to find himself through "objective self (re)search". Where objectivity is required for subjective harmony.

[Genius of the Restoration]

In Buddhism is the blowing out of the desires. It's obviously the ideal state to be in. Just hanging out, without feeling greed, hatred, etc. It'd be damn groovy.

[Ragabash]

In Buddhism is the blowing out of the desires. It's obviously the ideal state to be in. Just hanging out, without feeling greed, hatred, etc. It'd be damn groovy.

I rather travel in a muddy road than remain trapped in a limbo. I see "ideal state" as the one where one is moving in wanted direction rather trying to halt the travel altogether.

[Denny Crane!]

happiness, the long game not the short run.

[Ummon]

happiness, the long game not the short run.

Definitely no. That's pseudosamadhi infact.

[Denny Crane!]

Definitely no. That's pseudosamadhi infact.

Say what you like, based upon my definition of happiness and nibanna it fits the bill quite nicely. Since it isn't an empirical fact, more of a subjective ideal based upon an immeasurable set of principles you can't really object to it (especially considering you have no idea what I mean by happiness)

But of course your of religious persuasion so you are obviously going to look for something different, involving an afterlife and some other spiritual BS.

[Ummon]

I am not saying what I will, I am telling you that: http://www.tricycle.com/feature/nirvana-three-takes

The Vajrayana position is to counter the dry notion that nirvana is a dead end: the terminus of every experience from sorrow to bliss. The Vajrayana doctrine regards this as a pseudo-nirvana, which is nothing more than a pain-free vegetative state. It defines awakening as a state that is not only free from sorrow, but also the embodiment of transcendent love, wisdom, and ecstasy. All schools of thought in Buddhism seem to agree that great cessation is true nirvana. Buddha himself taught that nirvana is the realm of inner peace in which all gross and subtle turbulence of mind has subsided. This comes into being by awakening to the sacred nature of all things. Vajrayana postulates that nirvana is an awakening in which one sees all things as divine, the universe itself as Buddha paradise, living beings as deities. Its unique outlook is that ultimate truth is not just shunyata, or emptiness, but all-pervading sacredness, which is called dakpa rabjam in Tibetan. One of the main features in the Vajrayana practices is to visualize beings as deities in accordance with traditional iconography as a means to gaining realization. Such practice may not be found in other traditions.

Elsewhere too Nirvana is described metaphorically (and if I have ever got a glimpse it is) a nightmare of the waking hours. Do not expect happiness. It is not that nor the opposite. To be happy you need a ego.

[My Favorite Martian]

Et il ajoutait: "Désespérée est la perception du sage qui, dans le Tout, ne voit que le Rien et, dans le Rien, le Tout." "Et le sage sanglota".

Paraphrase
And he added: "Despairs are the wise's perceptions who beholds the whole merely in nothingness and in nothingness the whole." "And the wise sobed."

Edmond Jabès, Un Étranger, 50.

[Ummon]

That is beautiful.

[Denny Crane!]

It is being free of kilesa, happiness is not egoism, bliss is not egoism.

In sramanic thought, Nirvana (Sanskrit: निर्वाण, Nirvāṇa; Tamil: நிர்வணா; Pali: निब्बान, Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण; Thai: นิพพาน, Nípphaan) is the state of being free from suffering, and the cycle of rebirth; as well as mental fetters, mental confusion, and mental poisons in the case of Buddhism. It is an important concept in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
"Nibbāna" is a Pāli word that means "blowing out" — that is, blowing out the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion.