at Global Oneness Community. Share your dreams and let others help you with the interpretation!
Dream Sharing Forum
Enlightenment - Spiritual Enlightenment
The Wisdom Archives for Spiritual Enlightenment
Spiritual Enlightenment - Articles, videos, interviews, experiences and much more.
A wisdom archive for Spiritual Enlightenment with articles, interviews and personal experiences of enlightenment. Spiritual Enlightenment and Spiritual Awakening is the primary goal of almost all spiritual practices, traditions and religions and for any spiritual seeker. There are many names for this awakened state of Consciousness depending on what culture and tradition we belong to.
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
Buddhism
is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the
attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. This makes Buddhism
different from many other faiths for it is not centred on the relationship
between humanity and God. Buddhism doesn't fit the pattern of other faiths and
needs to be seen in its own terms to be understood properly. Buddhists do not
believe in a personal creator God. It does not have the concept of a Saviour,
nor of Heaven and Hell in the popular sense. Buddhism doesn't demand blind
faith or belief, and says that people should test its teachings against
personal experience.
This FAQ gives a background on the phenomenon of kundalini. Part
III of III.
In Part II: 1) What are the signs of an
awakened kundalini?, 2) Are these methods of awakening kundalini dangerous?, 3)
What about Gopi Krishna's books?, 4) But even if kundalini is dangerous, isn't
it a faster way to enlighenment?, 5) There have been many scandals among
kundalini yoga teachers - particularly sexual scandals. Is there a correlation
between sexual scandals and kundalini yoga practice?, 6) If my kundalini is
awakened will I need to change my lifestyle? 7) Do I need to be celibate?, 8)
Where can I learn more?
(1931-1990) Born in India with the name Chandra Mohan, he studied philosophy. Changing his name ot Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, he rose to world notice through his teachings.
He came to be known as "the guru of sex" for his advocacy of sexual practices as a path to enlightenment. In 1981 Rajneesh's group purchased a dilapidated ranch in Oregon, U. S. , which they developed into Rajneeshpuram, a city of thousands of orange-robed disciples.
Rajneesh was widely criticized by outsiders for his private security force and his ostentatious display of wealth. By 1985 the group was under investigation for multiple felonies including arson, attempted murder, drug smuggling, and vote fraud in the nearby town of Antelope. This was later proven to be the work of a small group with Rajneeshes followers.
In 1985 Rajneesh pleaded guilty to immigration fraud and was deported from the US. He was refused entry by 21 countries before returning to Puna, where his ashram soon grew to 15,000 members. In later years he took the Buddhist title Osho and altered his teaching on unrestricted sexual activity because of his growing concern over AIDS. Though he is deceased, many followers still practice his unique form of Hindu philosophy and sexual yoga system to gain enlightenment.
(See
also: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh ,
New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)
enlightenment: For Saiva monists, Self Realization, samadhi without seed (nirvikalpa samadhi); the ultimate attainment, sometimes referred to as Paramatma darshana, or as atma darshana, "Self vision" (a term which appears in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras).
Enlightenment is the experience-nonexperience resulting in the realization of one's transcendent Self-Parasiva -which exists beyond time, form and space. Each tradition has its own understanding of enlightenment, often indicated by unique terms.
See: God Realization, kundalini, nirvikalpa samadhi, Self Realization, jivanmukta, jnana..
(See
also: Enlightenment ,
Hinduism,
Body Mind and Soul)
1. A person who has achieved the enlightenment that leads to release from the cycle of existence (samsara) and has thereby attained complete liberation (nirvana). The content of his teaching, which is based on the experience of enlightenment, is the four noble truths. A buddha has overcome every kind of craving (trishna); although even he also has pleasant and unpleasant sensations, he is not ruled by them and remains innerly untouched by them. After his death he is not reborn again.
Two kinds of buddhas are distinguished: the pratyeka-buddha, who is completely enlight ened but does not expound the teaching; and the samyak-sambuddha, who expounds for the wel fare of all beings the teaching that he has discov ered anew. A samyak-sambuddha is omniscient (sarvajnata) and possesses the ten powers of a buddha (dashabala) and the four certainties. The buddha of our age is Shakyamuni. (See also Buddha 2.)
Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical Buddha, is not the first and only buddha. Already in the early Hinayana texts, six buddhas who preceded him in earlier epochs are mentioned: Vipashyin (Pali, Vipassi), Shikin (Sikhi), Vishvabhu (Vessabhu), Krakuchchanda (Kakusandha), Konagamana, and Kashyapa (Kassapa). The buddha who will follow Sh?kyamuni in a future age and renew the dharma is Maitreya. Be yond these, one finds indications in the litera ture of thirteen further buddhas, of which the most important is Dipamkara, whose disci ple Shakyamuni was in his previous existence as the ascetic Sumedha. The stories of these leg endary buddhas are contained in the Buddhavamsa, a work from the Khuddaka nikaya.
2. The historical Buddha. He was born in 563 BCE, the son of a prince of the Shakyas, whose small kingdom in the foothills of the Himalayas lies in present-day Nepal. His first name was Siddhartha, his family name Gauta ma. Hence he is also called Gautama Buddha. (For the story of his life, see Siddhartha Gauta ma.) During his life as a wandering ascetic, he was known as Shakyamuni, the ÒSilent Sage of the Shakyas.Ó In order to distinguish the historical Buddha from the transcendent buddhas (see buddha 3), he is generally called Shakyamuni Buddha or Buddha Shakyamuni.
3. The Òbuddha principle,Ó which manifests itself in the most various forms. Whereas in Hinayana only the existence of one buddha in every age is accepted (in which case the Buddha is considered an earthly being who teaches hu mans), for the Mahayana there are countless transcendent buddhas. According to the Mahayana teaching of the trikaya, the buddha principle manifests itself in three principal forms, the so-called three bodies (trikaya). In this sense the transcendent buddhas represent embodiments of various aspects of the buddha principle.
4. A synonym for the absolute, ultimate reality devoid of form, color, and all other propertiesÑbuddha-nature.
From The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen,
By Michael S. Diener, Franz-Karl Erhard, Ingrid Fischer-Schreiber
What makes us human? Is it the ability to walk on two feet and think? Is it the complexity of emotion that permeates our lives like an ocean fog? Who are we really? Even when we define ourselves as a soul, what are we talking about? Is it some mysterious connection with an “inner self” that few human beings have access to while others simply live their lives in robotic imitation or denial? These are all questions answered in this article.
Pilgrims visit Bodh Gaya on Vaishakha Purnima day as it marks the three major events in the Buddha's life: His birth, enlightenment and passing away.
Buddha Purnima assumes great importance especially when the world faces challenges of violence and terrorism in various forms. Buddha said that just as fire cannot extinguish fire, war cannot solve disputes. Enmity cannot overcome enmity; it can be overcome only with love. Disputes can be settled through dialogue and negotiation, not by war..
(See also: Vaishakha Purnima day , Indian Festivals,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Antaryamin: Kalki, or Sri Kalki Bhagwan, the founder of Golden Age Foundation, considered to be the Kalki Avatar capable of bringing enlightenment and to introduce the Golden Age. Here he is explaining The Anteryamin.
Very soon the planet is entering into the window some believe is the entrance to the Golden Age; The Venus Transits of June 8 2004 and June 6 2012. This will be celebrated with a global prayer for oneness all over the world. Please join this celebration and help to spread the word. This article by Kiara Windrider gives an inspiring background to the event and its significance.
Please relay the message about the Oneness Celebration to everyone in your network and if you have a website, please feel free to publish this article there.
This is a very complex symbol that can have both negative and positive connotations. When interpreting this dream, you need to consider all of its details and your emotional responses in the dream. Fire can be a deeply spiritual symbol representing transformation and enlightenment. On the other hand, it could represent danger, anger, passion, pain or fear. Is the fire in your dream destroying something or simply warming you? Are you currently engaging in negative behaviors or are knowingly making wrong (or destructive) choices? Your unconscious mind may be warning you and at the same time encouraging you to alter those things in your life that may be hurtful and dangerous.
(See also: Dream
Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Fire , Meaning of Dreams about Fire ,
Dream Interpretation Fire )
Buddhism is a philosophy and/or religion based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit; in Pali, Siddhattha Gotama), who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout
Asia to Central Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, as well as the East Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan.
The main
principles of Buddhism: The Three Jewels, The Four Noble
Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path, The Five Precepts, The three marks of
conditioned existence and vegetarianism.
The present spiritually degenerate era, twenty-six centuries after the demise of Shakyamuni Buddha. The concept of decline, dissension and schism within the Dharma after the passing of the Buddha is a general teaching of Buddhism and a corollary to the Truth of Impermanence. See, for example, the Diamond Sutra (sect. 6 in the translation by A.F. Price and Wong Mou-lam).
The time following Buddha Shakyamuni's demise is divided into three periods:
i) the Perfect Age of the Dharma, lasting 500 years, when the Buddha's teaching (usually meditation) was correctly practiced and Enlightenment often attained;
ii) the Dharma Semblance Age, lasting about 1,000 years, when a form of the teaching was practiced but Enlightenment seldom attained;
iii) the Dharma-Ending Age, lasting some ten thousand years, when a diluted form of the teaching exists and Enlightenment is rarely attained.
(See also: Dharma-Ending Age, Degenerate Age, Last Age. , Buddhism, Body Mind and
Soul)
Carl-Johan Calleman, one of the leading authorities on the Mayan Calendar, presents a radical theory about the coming Venus Transit. Does the Venus Transit of 2004 relate to the Return of the Energy of Christ and of Quetzalcoatl?
Quetzalcoatl is the serpent God of Ancient Mexico referred to by the Mayans as Kukulcan or Gugumatz and this article also explain the connection between the Energies of Christ and Quetzalcoatl.
There
are many special or holy days held throughout the year by the Buddhist
community. Many of these days celebrate the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the
Mahayana tradition or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar. The
most significant celebration happens every May on the night of the full
moon, when Buddhist all over the world celebrate the birth, enlightenment and
death of the Buddha over 2,500 years ago. It has become to be known as Buddha
Day.
Enlightenment philosophers chose a short history of scientific predecessors—Galileo, Boyle, and Newton principally—as the guides and guarantors of their applications of the singular concept of Nature and Natural Law to every physical and social field of the day. In this respect, the lessons of history and the social structures built upon it could be discarded.19
It was Newton’s conception of the universe based upon Natural and rationally understandable laws that became th ...
The big breakthrough to a new idea in Europe came with the Enlightenment, when social commentators and philosophers began to realize that people themselves could change society and change their way of life. Instead of being made completely by God, there was increasing room for the idea that people themselves made their own society - and not only that, as Giambattista Vico argued, because people practically made their own society, they could also fully comprehend it. This gave rise to new sciences, or proto-sciences, which claimed to provide new scientific knowledge about what society was really ...
Does an enlightened individual need to remain caged in the body? Why not get liberated from the physical? For seven days, the Buddha grappled with this dilemma. In the end, he decided that there was nothing personal about enlightenment - the knowledge should be shared with all for the benefit of humankind. He spent the next 50 years doing just that and all those who listened to him benefited greatly.
It is necessary for all of us to discover truth but once we find it, it should be shared freely with others. This will not only provide more insight, but also foster peace and happiness. The desire to share our discoveries with the world is normally fuelled by greed for either fame or money. Very few are selfless enough to share their discoveries freely for common benefit.
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Satori (悟 Japanese satori; Chinese: wù - from the verb, Satoru) is a Zen Buddhist term for enlightenment. The word literally means "to understand". It is sometimes loosely used interchangeably with Kensho, but Kensho refers to the first perception of the Buddha-Nature or True-Nature, sometimes referred to as " awakening". Kensho is not a permanant state of enlightenment, but rather a clear glimpse of the true nature of creation. Satori on the other ha ...
Tumo (also spelled Tummo, or Tum-mo ) is a Tibetan term for an advanced type of meditation practiced by those wishing to attain enlightenment within a single lifetime. Tummo practice can cause an intense sensation of body heat to arise. Tummo is taught as one part of the six yogas of Naropa. Stories and eyewitness accounts abound of yogi practitioners being able to generate sufficient heat to dry wet sheets draped around their naked bodies while sitting outside in the freezing cold, not just once, but multiple times. These observations have also been discussed in medic ...
The ways of discovering our calling are as diverse as our personalities and aspirations; just like spiritual enlightenment itself, there is no "one size that fits all".
In our last article, we explored the difference between "having a career" and "following your calling". After reading it, our editor asked us:
How can anyone find out what their calling is? Is there any one way, or is it just a matter of waiting in silence for the heart to speak up?
See also: Spirituality At Work, Work
As A Spiritual Practice, Spiritual Based Leadership
