#Enlightenment

How Self-Forgetting Opens the Door to Enlightenment

Dōgen frames awakening as an apparent contradiction: you begin by studying the self, yet that very study culminates in forgetting the self. The first clause points to honest examination—watching thoughts, motives, and habits without decoration. However, as the inquiry deepens, the “self” stops feeling like a solid object and begins to look more like a shifting set of experiences. From there, the second clause follows naturally: when the self is no longer treated as the center of everything, the world is no longer filtered through constant self-reference. Dōgen’s paradox is less a riddle than a map—one that moves from introspection to a quieter, wider awareness. [...]

Finding Joy in Life’s Perfection and Imperfection

Bringing these ideas into practice, we might begin to find humor and grace in everyday difficulties. Whether facing an unexpected rainstorm or a personal setback, seeing the underlying perfection of the moment can transform our reactions from frustration to amusement. Over time, this attitude cultivates resilience, empathy, and a quiet confidence—a life where, as Buddha envisioned, we can tilt our heads back and laugh at the sky. [...]

Insight: Life’s Most Precious Jewel According to Buddha

Integral to developing insight is the practice of mindfulness. Through sustained attention to thoughts, sensations, and experiences, practitioners gradually peel away layers of ignorance. The Satipatthana Sutta details how focused awareness reveals the roots of suffering and cultivates wisdom. This progression ensures that insight grows not as a sudden windfall, but as a carefully polished jewel formed by consistent effort. [...]

Enlightenment’s Irreversible Impact on the Human Mind

Furthermore, on an individual level, experiences comparable to enlightenment—such as learning to read or mastering a new skill—forever reshape one’s capabilities and worldview. Once a child learns to decipher letters, written language is never again a meaningless jumble. In this sense, enlightenment is not merely additive but transformative and permanent. [...]

Knowledge Is Love and Light and Vision – Helen Keller

Keller, being both deaf and blind, expresses the profound impact knowledge had on her own journey, allowing her to 'see' and 'feel' the world. [...]

The Real Tragedy of Fear: Plato on Darkness and Light

Plato's allegory of the cave in 'The Republic' mirrors this idea. It depicts people who fear the light and prefer the comfort of shadows, symbolizing the human tendency to resist enlightenment and cling to familiar ignorance. [...]

Three Things Cannot Be Long Hidden: The Sun, The Moon, And The Truth - Buddha

The comparison of the truth to celestial bodies like the sun and the moon highlights that some things in life are absolutely certain and unchangeable. Truth, like these celestial bodies, is a constant. [...]