Pseudo-Enlightenment or Enlightenment Sickness?

[James Swartz]

Enlightenment entails no duties or responsibilities. It is not an ideal that demands a particular kind of behavior.

If you think it has turned you into a pure saint and requires you to live an austere and holy life and behave with perfect love, you have enlightenment sickness. Enlightenment cannot be equated with sainthood, because behavior depends on the nature of the instrument (body&mind) through which awareness functions, not on the self. For example, electricity flowing through a light bulb produces light. Functioning through a stereo, it produces sound. Operating through a heater, it causes heat. If only sattvic samskaras (peaceful habits) remain, saintly behavior will manifest, but rajas (egoism) and tamas (ignorance) can never be completely eliminated. 

If self knowledge came after a long period of diligent spiritual practice under the tutelage of a pure teacher, you will probably not catch enlightenment sickness.

You would have lived in such a simple way that you were already happy before you discovered who you are, and there will be virtually no change in your inner life. You would have associated with enough truly enlightened people to understand that enlightenment is nothing special. But if you were not blessed with a sattvic disposition and excellent karma and you struggled long and hard, you will probably be so eager to make the most of your enlightenment that you will not take time to tidy up the last bits of ignorance.

If you formulate your enlightenment as a grand happening and turn it into a big story, you have the enlightenment disease.

In reality, you should be happy to keep your mouth shut because you did not get something you did not have all along. Awareness is your nature. By making a fuss about it, you are only calling attention to a long stay in ignorance, not to a special accomplishment.

If you hear yourself telling others that you are awakened or enlightened or “cooked,” you have enlightenment sickness.

Awakening is not enlightenment, because the self never slept. You are the fire that cooks, not the cooked food. Awakening means that some kind of insight or mystical experience happened, which you define as enlightenment. Enlightenment cancels the ego, so there is no one left to claim he or she is presently awakened. Or if the ego survived, it knows that the self—not it—is enlightened. At best you can say, “I am not enlightened, nor am I unenlightened,” because both enlightenment and endarkenment are simply ideas to you, awareness.

Here are two examples of the specious logic of someone who has allowed the ego to co-opt his or her enlightenment:

1) “Consciousness is non-dual. This means that everything is the same as everything else. Therefore, the moral distinctions operating in the creation have no meaning. That is why I do what I want without regard for anyone or anything.”

2) “Reality is non-dual, therefore nothing ever happened. Therefore I do not exist. If I do not exist—I’m so not here!—my dualistic orientation does not exist. So if you see me acting like a self-centered jerk, it is a projection of your ignorance.”

Or see what Sri Sureshvara in the 9th century said in the text Panchadasi: 

“One who says he is awareness yet refuses to discipline the senses is a shit-eating dog. Oh, enlightened one, before you got enlightened you suffered from the pain of your own mental imperfections, but now you suffer the censure of the world. How glorious is your knowledge? Knower of Truth, do not sink to the level of a pig in a sty! Free yourself from the defects arising from your Rajasic and Tamasic tendencies and be worshiped by the world like a god.”

If you appreciate the comment of the thirteenth Zen master Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen, “Next to good manners enlightenment is the most important thing in the world,” you are a great soul. If not, not.

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

Enlightenment sickness...  Love it!

What a brilliant term. I shall immediately integrate it into my Bazookish vocabulary, and pretend that I came up with it myself. Lol.

22 minutes ago, James Swartz said:

Awakening is not enlightenment, because the self never slept. You are the fire that cooks, not the cooked food. Awakening means that some kind of insight or mystical experience happened, which you define as enlightenment. Enlightenment cancels the ego, so there is no one left to claim he or she is presently awakened. Or if the ego survived, it knows that the self—not it—is enlightened. At best you can say, “I am not enlightened, nor am I unenlightened,” because both enlightenment and endarkenment are simply ideas to you, awareness.

Spot on.

[Hojo]

Since there is nowhere to talk about it in real life do you think think it is a good idea or bad idea to talk about it online?

Will these thoughts ultimately lead to saying something irl

Edited April 22 by Hojo

[Salvijus]

On 2024-04-23 at 0:13 AM, James Swartz said:

Enlightenment entails no duties or responsibilities. It is not an ideal that demands a particular kind of behavior.

If you think it has turned you into a pure saint and requires you to live an austere and holy life and behave with perfect love, you have enlightenment sickness. Enlightenment cannot be equated with sainthood, because behavior depends on the nature of the instrument (body&mind) through which awareness functions, not on the self. For example, electricity flowing through a light bulb produces light. Functioning through a stereo, it produces sound. Operating through a heater, it causes heat. If only sattvic samskaras (peaceful habits) remain, saintly behavior will manifest, but rajas (egoism) and tamas (ignorance) can never be completely eliminated. 

I would disagree with this one. 

What you value is what you will create. 

If truth is your only value, you will create/behave only in alignment with what is true, and what is love. Sainthood is a natural outcome of wanting only truth, peace and love. And the enlightened one knows only truth is worth valuing. 

Only if a person values something other than truth can he turn his back on God's peace and choose to manifest anger, fear, suffering etc. Such a person cannot be called enlightened. For to value something else than truth is a sign of deep ignorance. 

Edited April 24 by Salvijus