How Far Off Is A State Of Being From Enlightment?

[SFRL]

How far off is a state of Being from Enlightment? 

Is Being like a portal to Enlightment? Or the launchpad so to speak? 

Or is Being just Being and Enlightment is something completely else? 

I can recall having experienced a state of Being several times in my life. I think I would be able to recreate that state. 

Edited September 28, 2017 by SFRL

[Guest username]

@SFRL What do you mean exactly by a "state of being"? I'm not sure if someone can quantify how far enlightenment is for you. It can happen right now. It's not likely, but there's nothing stopping you from becoming enlightened right now; you just have to become conscious of what is.

If you're interested in models (ultimately false, but still useful) of spiritual progress, Leo's booklist has some good ones.

If you like lots of detail, I think Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha does a good job.

If you like learning about science, I recommend starting with some of Gary Weber's stuff on Youtube:

 

[Toby]

Depends how you define things and what map you use. Usually "Being" is just the essential qualities which lie beyond and penetrate "the world" but are itself not the Absolute. Without at least going beyond/through Being to the Absolute there certainly will be no Enlightenment. But as Being is the first "thing" that arises in what could be called Absolute (and also is not separate from it) it is as closest you can get on an relative level. Because of that it is used by many teachers as a doorway to the Absolute and then Enlightenment.
At least that is my understanding right now.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Toby

[Nahm]

@SFRL I think definition 3 is in the ballpark of enlightenment, though it's all connotations and ineffable qualia. I assume no two people hold the same meaning for the word being.

[Leo Gura]

@SFRL You are always zero steps off from enlightenment.

It's right here, right now!

That's the problem. It is so close, it's too close and obvious for the mind to grasp. The mind is always 1 step removed, but enlightenment demands 0 steps removed, so you're stuck not able to see it, even though it's right here in this very word.

Enlightenment is NOT a state.

Every step you make towards enlightenment is already 1 step too much, which is why you're not finding it.

Enlightenment is that which is true under all conditions, all states, all situations, all times. Enlightenment was present before you were born, it's present right now, and it will be present after the entire universe ends. It's the one thing that doesn't change: Nothing. You cannot reach Nothing through any thing, technique, state, or process. Nothing is always here. You either grasp it, or you don't.

[SFRL]

10 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

@SFRL You are always zero steps off from enlightenment.

It's right here, right now!

That's the problem. It is so close, it's too close and obvious for the mind to grasp. The mind is always 1 step removed, but enlightenment demands 0 steps removed, so you're stuck not able to see it, even though it's right here in this very word.

Enlightenment is NOT a state.

Very step you make towards enlightenment is already 1 step too much, which is why you're not finding it.

Enlightenment is that which is true under all conditions, all states, all situations, all times. Enlightenment was present before you were born, it's present right now, and it will be present after the entire universe ends. It's the one thing that doesn't change: Nothing.

Thanks @Leo Gura. Would it be the case that a very young child, like less then two years old, is more enlightened then an adult? Because they haven't piled on so much useless baggage yet? 

[Leo Gura]

@SFRL The child is closer to non-symbolic, non-conceptual modes of consciousness, yes, but not enlightened. If you think back to when you were a kid, you were more conscious back then in many ways than you are right now. Your ability to BE was pretty significant back then. Not so now, because your mind has been filled with ideas, theories, teachings, goals, culture, science, opinions, desires, fears, expectations, logic, language, reason, etc.

[Brimstone]

There is no gap between enlightenment and being, which is why it is so hard to grasp when a gap is inherent to our conditioning.

 

[Nahm]

@SFRL Being is a matter of internal definitions until there isn't either anymore. It's a belief until there are no beliefs. Then there's no question about either.