Enlightenment

See "Awakening vs. Enlightenment."

 (See also: Enlightenment, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

Enlightenment:

The stage of realization of the one Universal Spirit bubbling in all sentient and insentient forms; union of the individual mind with the Universal Mind.

(See also: Enlightenment, Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

Seven aids to enlightenment

(Jpn.: shichi-kakushi or shichi-bodaibun)

Seven practices conducive to enlightenment. They are memory, discrimination, exertion, joy, lightness and ease, meditation, and impartiality (also referred to as indifference).

Memory here means to recollect one's own past deeds and states, and keep them in mind. Discrimination means to discern the true from the false. Exertion means to be ever diligent in the practice of true teachings, and joy to delight in the practice of true teachings.

Lightness and ease means that one's body and mind are at peace and free from burden. Meditation means to keep the mind concentrated and unperturbed, and impartiality to abandon feelings of attachment and keep the mind detached and calm.

The "seven aids to enlightenment" constitutes the sixth of the seven categories within the thirty-seven aids to the way, or the thirty-seven practices leading to enlightenment. The Sanskrit for "aid to enlightenment" is bodhyanga.

(See also: Seven aids to enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

The Western intellectual history of term "enlightenment" is the basis for the secular idea that relates to a localized, religion-specific "enlightenment". It also attempts to bridge the traditional gap between religions and religious belief and psychological science. In this secular sense, 'the enlightened' are those who are not distracted by their thoughts but who stay focused —resisting the natural tendency to be come 'lost' in thinking about experience (rather than experiencing the present). This focus is called 'awareness ...

See also:

Enlightenment concept, Enlightenment concept - Definition, Enlightenment concept - Seeking enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - Kant's definition of enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - Adorno's and Horkheimer's definition of enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - Enlightenment in Western civilization, Enlightenment concept - The Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - People who have been said to be enlightened

Read more here: » Enlightenment concept: Encyclopedia II - Enlightenment concept - Definition

Perfect Enlightenment Sutra

(Jpn.: Engaku-kyo; Chin.: Y�an-chyeh-ching)

An abbreviation of the Complete and Final Teaching on Perfect Enlightenment Sutra. A sutra translated into Chinese in 693 by Buddhatara who had gone to China from Kashmir. In this sutra, Shakyamuni explains the mystic principle of perfect enlightenment and the practice for its attainment to an audience of twelve bodhisattvas including Manjushri, Universal Worthy, and Maitreya. Contemporary scholars view this sutra as a work produced in China, where this sutra was widely read and a number of commentaries written on it. It had considerable influence on the Flower Garland (Hua-yen) and Zen (Ch'an) schools, and was regarded highly by the Zen school in particular.

(See also: Perfect Enlightenment Sutra, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Prophecy of future enlightenment

(Skt.: vyakarana; Pali.: vey�akarana; Jpn.: juki or kibetsu or wagarana)

A Buddha's prediction that a disciple (or disciples) will attain enlightenment in the future. One of the twelve divisions of the teachings, vyakarana is rendered as the prophecy of future enlightenment and indicates the part of a sutra in which Shakyamuni Buddha pronounces that a practitioner will attain Buddhahood in a future existence. Such prophecies are common in Mahayana sutras.

The Lotus Sutra contains a number of passages in which the Buddha predicts enlightenment for his disciples and foretells what their titles as future Buddhas will be as well as the names of their respective kalpas (eras) and Buddha lands.

In the "Simile and Parable" (third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha predicts the enlightenment of Shariputra, and in the "Bestowal of Prophecy" (sixth) chapter, Shakyamuni predicts enlightenment for the four great voice-hearers, Mahakashyapa, Subhuti, Katyayana, and Maudgalyayana. In the "Five Hundred Disciples" (eighth) and the "Prophecies" (ninth) chapters, Shakyamuni predicts enlightenment for other individual disciples as well as for groups of disciples, thousands in all. According to the Jataka, stories of the Buddha's previous lives, in a past existence Shakyamuni himself received a prophecy of enlightenment from the Buddha Burning Torch (Skt Dipamkara).

(See also: Prophecy of future enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Earthly desires are enlightenment

(Jpn.: bonno-soku-bodai)

A Mahayana principle based on the view that earthly desires cannot exist independently on their own; therefore one can attain enlightenment without eliminating earthly desires. This contrasts with the Hinayana view that extinguishing earthly desires is a prerequisite for enlightenment.

According to the Hinayana teachings, earthly desires and enlightenment are two independent and opposing factors, and the two cannot coexist; while the Mahayana teachings reveal that earthly desires are one with and inseparable from enlightenment. This is because all things, even earthly desires and enlightenment, are manifestations of the unchanging reality or truth-and thus are non-dual at their source.

The Universal Worthy Sutra, an epilogue to the Lotus Sutra, states, "Without either cutting off earthly desires or separating themselves from the five desires, they can purify all their senses and wipe away all their offenses."

T'ien-t'ai (538-597) says in Great Concentration and Insight, "The ignorance and dust of desires are enlightenment, and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana."

In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren (1222-1282) states: "The idea of gradually overcoming delusions is not the ultimate meaning of the 'Life Span' chapter of the Lotus Sutra. You should understand that the ultimate meaning of this chapter is that ordinary mortals, just as they are in their original state of being, are Buddhas," and, "Today, when Nichiren and his followers recite the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are burning the firewood of earthly desires, summoning up the wisdom-fire of enlightenment."

(See also: Earthly desires are enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

The boundaries of the Enlightenment cover much of the 17th century as well, though others term the previous era "The Age of Reason." For the present purposes, these two eras are split; however, it is equally acceptable to think of them conjoined as one long period. Throughout the 1500s and half of the 1600s, Europe was ravaged by religious wars. When the political situation stabilized after the Peace of Westphalia and at the end of the English Civil War, there was an upheaval which overturned the notions of mysticism and faith in indi ...

See also:

Age of Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Short history of Enlightenment philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Key conflicts within Enlightenment-period philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Role of the Enlightenment in later philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Precursors of the Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Important figures of the Enlightenment era, Age of Enlightenment - External references

Read more here: » Age of Enlightenment: Encyclopedia II - Age of Enlightenment - Short history of Enlightenment philosophy

As with most periods, the individuals present within the Enlightenment were more aware of their differences than their similarities; within the period there were schools of thought, which saw themselves as widely divergent, even as later perspective has come to consider them similar. One key conflict is on the role of theology - during the previous period, there had been the splintering of the Catholic Church, not, as with previous schisms, largely along political control of the papacy, but along doctrinal lines between Catholic and P ...

See also:

Age of Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Short history of Enlightenment philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Key conflicts within Enlightenment-period philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Role of the Enlightenment in later philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Precursors of the Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Important figures of the Enlightenment era, Age of Enlightenment - External references

Read more here: » Age of Enlightenment: Encyclopedia II - Age of Enlightenment - Key conflicts within Enlightenment-period philosophy

The Enlightenment occupies a central role in the justification for the movement known as modernism. The neo-classicizing trend in modernism came to see itself as being a period of rationality which was overturning foolishly established traditions, and therefore analogized itself to the Encyclopediasts and other philosophes. A variety of 20th century movements, including liberalism and neo-classicism traced their intellectual heritage back to the "reasonable" past, and away from the "emotionalism" of the 19th century. Geometric order, rigor a ...

See also:

Age of Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Short history of Enlightenment philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Key conflicts within Enlightenment-period philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Role of the Enlightenment in later philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Precursors of the Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Important figures of the Enlightenment era, Age of Enlightenment - External references

Read more here: » Age of Enlightenment: Encyclopedia II - Age of Enlightenment - Role of the Enlightenment in later philosophy

As with most periods, the individuals present within the Enlightenment were more aware of their differences than their similarities; within the period there were schools of thought, which saw themselves as widely divergent, even as later perspective has come to consider them similar. One key conflict is on the role of theology - during the previous period, there had been the splintering of the Catholic Church, not, as with previous schisms, largely along political control of the papacy, but along doctrinal lines between Catholic and P ...

See also:

Age of Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - History of Enlightenment philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Key conflicts within Enlightenment-period philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Role of the Enlightenment in later philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Precursors of the Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Important figures of the Enlightenment era

Read more here: » Age of Enlightenment: Encyclopedia II - Age of Enlightenment - Key conflicts within Enlightenment-period philosophy

The Enlightenment occupies a central role in the justification for the movement known as modernism. The neo-classicizing trend in modernism came to see itself as being a period of rationality which was overturning foolishly established traditions, and therefore analogized itself to the Encyclopediasts and other philosophes. A variety of 20th century movements, including liberalism and neo-classicism traced their intellectual heritage back to the "reasonable" past, and away from the "emotionalism" of the 19th century. Geometric order, rigor a ...

See also:

Age of Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - History of Enlightenment philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Key conflicts within Enlightenment-period philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Role of the Enlightenment in later philosophy, Age of Enlightenment - Precursors of the Enlightenment, Age of Enlightenment - Important figures of the Enlightenment era

Read more here: » Age of Enlightenment: Encyclopedia II - Age of Enlightenment - Role of the Enlightenment in later philosophy

Perfect Enlightenment Sutra

(Jpn.: Engaku-kyo; Chin.: Yüan-chyeh-ching)

An abbreviation of the Complete and Final Teaching on Perfect Enlightenment Sutra. A sutra translated into Chinese in 693 by Buddhatara who had gone to China from Kashmir. In this sutra, Shakyamuni explains the mystic principle of perfect enlightenment and the practice for its attainment to an audience of twelve bodhisattvas including Manjushri, Universal Worthy, and Maitreya. Contemporary scholars view this sutra as a work produced in China, where this sutra was widely read and a number of commentaries written on it. It had considerable influence on the Flower Garland (Hua-yen) and Zen (Ch'an) schools, and was regarded highly by the Zen school in particular.

(See also: Perfect Enlightenment Sutra, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Greatly Enlightened World-Honored One

(Jpn.: Daikakuseson)

See: World-Honored One of Great Enlightenment

(See also: Greatly Enlightened World-Honored One, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Non-duality of delusion and enlightenment

(Jpn.: meigo-funi or meigo-ittai)

See: oneness of delusion and enlightenment

(See also: Non-duality of delusion and enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Prophecy of future enlightenment

(Skt.: vyakarana; Pali.: veyüakarana; Jpn.: juki or kibetsu or wagarana)

A Buddha's prediction that a disciple (or disciples) will attain enlightenment in the future. One of the twelve divisions of the teachings, vyakarana is rendered as the prophecy of future enlightenment and indicates the part of a sutra in which Shakyamuni Buddha pronounces that a practitioner will attain Buddhahood in a future existence. Such prophecies are common in Mahayana sutras.

The Lotus Sutra contains a number of passages in which the Buddha predicts enlightenment for his disciples and foretells what their titles as future Buddhas will be as well as the names of their respective kalpas (eras) and Buddha lands.

In the "Simile and Parable" (third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha predicts the enlightenment of Shariputra, and in the "Bestowal of Prophecy" (sixth) chapter, Shakyamuni predicts enlightenment for the four great voice-hearers, Mahakashyapa, Subhuti, Katyayana, and Maudgalyayana. In the "Five Hundred Disciples" (eighth) and the "Prophecies" (ninth) chapters, Shakyamuni predicts enlightenment for other individual disciples as well as for groups of disciples, thousands in all. According to the Jataka, stories of the Buddha's previous lives, in a past existence Shakyamuni himself received a prophecy of enlightenment from the Buddha Burning Torch (Skt Dipamkara).

(See also: Prophecy of future enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

enlightenment: the direct experience that the individual Self (Atman) is one with the supreme Self (Brahman); also referred to as realization, Self-realization and liberation. The Sanskrit terms for enlightenment are moksha, mukti and nirvana.

(See also: enlightenment, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

In our own time, Jiddu Krishnamurti is said by some to have attained Enlightenment under a pepper tree in Ojai, California in the 1920s. He has influenced, among others, the physicist David Bohm (considered an outcaste from physics, but not wholly scorned by some), and a surprising number of seekers in California and also world-wide, to this day (see Scott Nearing, Helen and Scott Nearing). Other individuals who claimed to reach a state of enlightenment have included Mahatma Gandhi, who many regard as being a seeker of truth. Also, Siddharta ...

See also:

Enlightenment concept, Enlightenment concept - Definition, Enlightenment concept - Seeking enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - Kant's definition of enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - Adorno's and Horkheimer's definition of enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - Enlightenment in Western civilization, Enlightenment concept - The Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment concept - People who have been said to be enlightened

Read more here: » Enlightenment concept: Encyclopedia II - Enlightenment concept - People who have been said to be enlightened

enlightenment

Universal consciousness; traditionally compared to a mind full of light

(See also: Enlightenment, Body Mind and Soul)

Definition and meaning of Enlightenment

Enlightenment - [World History]

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement concentrated in France during the 1700s. A group of philosophers including John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Voltaire (Fran�ois-Marie Arouet), sought to apply the rigors of scientific inquiry to study human society. They developed rational laws to describe social behavior and applied their findings in support of human rights and liberal economic theories

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

For more dictionary entries, see » Enlightened Dictionary

Definition and meaning of Enlightenment

Enlightenment - [World History]

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement concentrated in France during the 1700s. A group of philosophers including John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Voltaire (Fran�ois-Marie Arouet), sought to apply the rigors of scientific inquiry to study human society. They developed rational laws to describe social behavior and applied their findings in support of human rights and liberal economic theories

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

For more dictionary entries, see » Enlightened Dictionary

World-Honored One of Great Enlightenment

(Jpn.: Daikaku-seson)

Also, Greatly Enlightened World-Honored One. An honorific title of a Buddha, usually applied to Shakyamuni Buddha. "Great Enlightenment" indicates the Buddha's enlightenment. "World-Honored One" is one of the Buddha's ten honorific titles, meaning one who is revered by the people of the world.

(See also: World-Honored One of Great Enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)