Question about Enlightenment

[OnceMore]

I don't think I'm understanding what enlightenment is, I guess, from an emotional point of view.

If I become enlightened today, would I just be someone who is happy and content all the time? That I have such mastery over my mind, that things that are generally terrible and horrible, will just not have much of an affect?

If my dad died tomorrow, which right now I know would be horrible, but I was enlightened, would I even care that much? Would I just 'accept' and move on quickly? How much use would I be to my family in the funeral arrangements if I just accepted so easily? If I was enlightened, would I cry like I would cry today if my dad died?

If he died tomorrow, and my entire family and family-friends visited to pay respects, would I just his son in the corner of the room, all quiet and meditative, whilst everyone else is an a state of shock and mourning. As his son, which is even the more human reaction, shock or accepting?

I can't pinpoint here exactly what I'm trying to ask and why I want to ask, so I hope somebody just gets it and answers 

Edited December 12, 2017 by OnceMore

[Shin]

Leo answers all of that on his enligthenment videos.

Don't call enligthenment enligthenment though, it's misleading.

Enligthenment implies a big orgasmic experience, and it's not that.
Use the term awakening, it's more close to the truth and don't implies you'll become someone else.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Shin

[Monkey-man]

you will cry without suffering

[Nahm]

52 minutes ago, OnceMore said:

I don't think I'm understanding what enlightenment is, I guess, from an emotional point of view. Your honesty is serving you well. You’ll see. 

If I become enlightened today, would I just be someone who is happy and content all the time? No. That’s duality. Human stuff. 

 That I have such mastery over my mind, that things that are generally terrible and horrible, will just not have much of an affect? If you are seeing things as terrible and horrible, you wouldn’t be able to hear an answer now. You would have already let those ideas of your go. 

If my dad died tomorrow, which right now I know would be horrible, but I was enlightened, would I even care that much? Yes. And you would experience it very differently. You might cry because he is everywhere, and he is pure, and he is free. You would know he is always with you. He is already, you just don’t understand how that is...yet. 

Would I just 'accept' and move on quickly? You would know, so there would be nothing to accept, and nothing to move on to. 

How much use would I be to my family in the funeral arrangements if I just accepted so easily? Of more use than otherwise. You could lift them all with love, being of the utmost valuable use. 

If I was enlightened, would I cry like I would cry today if my dad died? You might cry everyday, simply beacause it’s all so beautiful. It’s like receiving a perpetual gift that will never end. 

If he died tomorrow, and my entire family and family-friends visited to pay respects, would I just his son in the corner of the room, all quiet and meditative, whilst everyone else is an a state of shock and mourning. As his son, which is even the more human reaction, shock or accepting?

You would probably be offering and experiencing the wholeness, in the expression of compassion. You would BE love, and you would give love, and you would feel great comfort in the love that you give. 

I can't pinpoint here exactly what I'm trying to ask and why I want to ask, so I hope somebody just gets it and answers  I don’t get it either. ?

Disclaimer: I’m making this up as I go, and I don’t know what happens next. 

[eputkonen]

@OnceMore , what happens in the world could appear very different.  The fear of death would be gone...as well as the taboo and stigma we assign to it (culturally conditioned).

I will just speak of my experience and then extrapolate based on what is felt/understood now.  Several years ago, my grandmother died...the grandparent I saw the most, knew the best...my favorite.  I remember my mom calling.  She was crying and sniffling and said she had to tell me something...and broke me the news.  It really did not affect me negatively...there was no suffering.  I didn't even cry.  It was accepted...immediately.  I remember my mom asking me what was going on...as my reaction was not fitting her expectations.  So I told her something she would accept...that this is what grandma wanted (as her life revolved around grandpa...who died a couple years prior).  Also, that I could feel her (grandma) even then and so she only lost her body.  She seemed to accept it and seemed comforted by it.

In all sincerity, I am ready to die today (if it came for me)...but I don't seek death.  I have accepted the impermanence of all things...and the lack of control over when and how things leave.  Everything and everyone will leave my life one day (inevitably)...or I will leave them (at my death).  There is no reason to fear it...and no point in worrying about it. 

So, if my dad died tomorrow...I feel right now that I would not suffer and likely would not cry (in imagining he just died now).  I already accepted his death as something that would happen within my lifetime.  It was certain to occur at some point.  Instead, I focus on appreciating him in my life while he is alive.  When he dies, I would be grateful for the time I had with him...there would be joy in having known him as my father (without the desire/need for him to continue in my life in order for me to be happy).

This would actually make me very useful to my family in making funeral arrangements, because I would be able to respond immediately to the task at hand.  Others may procrastinate or find it too painful to work on yet.  Among them, obviously I know I can't look too happy and must put on a stoic face at least...otherwise my non-resistance to his death so quickly might hurt them.  They would not understand that I have already accepted his death while he is alive...and accepted my own death while I am alive.

Death is only a problem or horrible for those who identify with the body/mind.  Enlightenment happens, but it does not make you emotionless or inhuman.  But at the same time, you can't compare and ask "which is even the more human reaction" because typical "human reactions" is insanity.  Look at the world and its typical "human reactions".  Accepting and surrendering to what-is unconditionally sounds inhuman to the ego and the mind/ego can't figure out how life would work because it is egoic...and the ego is sustained by not accepting and resisting the realities of life.

There is great joy, love, hapiness, etc. in life...and joyful and loving relationships occur...so what I am not talking about is not cold or emotionless.  Non-attachment is not cold and emotionless...it is simply non-resisting and non-denying what is.   Fully embracing what is.  Appreciating what is for as long as it is.

Edited December 12, 2017 by eputkonen

[Guest Young Padawan]

I'm not sure I understand enlightenment precisely, but I think it's when you become the master of your mind, and when what you want meets what you need. It's when you understand yourself completely.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Young Padawan

[snowleopard]

@OnceMore  I can only speak based on experience, and having experienced the passing of grandparents, parents, a newborn child, friends and lovers, even in the midst of the most profound grief, there is the possibility of the most profound love/bliss ... It seems there is neither cold-hearted detachment, nor needless, story-based, woe-is-me suffering.  Just this ever-deeper appreciation for another mystery, another paradox, another wonder to behold. Anyway, best prepare for it, as best one can.  Inquire, inquire, inquire, etc.

[Markus]

1 hour ago, OnceMore said:

I don't think I'm understanding what enlightenment is, I guess, from an emotional point of view.

If I become enlightened today, would I just be someone who is happy and content all the time? That I have such mastery over my mind, that things that are generally terrible and horrible, will just not have much of an affect?

If my dad died tomorrow, which right now I know would be horrible, but I was enlightened, would I even care that much? Would I just 'accept' and move on quickly? How much use would I be to my family in the funeral arrangements if I just accepted so easily? If I was enlightened, would I cry like I would cry today if my dad died?

If he died tomorrow, and my entire family and family-friends visited to pay respects, would I just his son in the corner of the room, all quiet and meditative, whilst everyone else is an a state of shock and mourning. As his son, which is even the more human reaction, shock or accepting?

I can't pinpoint here exactly what I'm trying to ask and why I want to ask, so I hope somebody just gets it and answers 

You will experience all emotions just like you do now. Difference is you're completely fine with them. You're fine with being sad, angry, in pain etc. There's no more contraction or resistance to experience.

[cetus]

@OnceMore

If you take yourself as the body, you have forgotten your true nature. Which is the Atman

When the body falls off, the principle which always remains is you.

In reality there is no death because you are not the body.

Let the body be there or not, your existence is always there.

It is eternally.

One who is constantly awake to his true nature, having this knowledge about himself is liberated.

                                                                                                                                                                             Nisargadatta 

[cirkussmile]

If you know who your dad is, you don't cry.

How do I know what?

Who am I?

[krazzer]

8 hours ago, OnceMore said:

If I become enlightened today, would I just be someone who is happy and content all the time? That I have such mastery over my mind, that things that are generally terrible and horrible, will just not have much of an affect?

You will not be happy and content all the time.

When things happen that are terrible, they will still be terrible, but you will not identify with the person who is experiencing this. Because of this disidentification, there will be no suffering. 

8 hours ago, OnceMore said:

If my dad died tomorrow, which right now I know would be horrible, but I was enlightened, would I even care that much? Would I just 'accept' and move on quickly? How much use would I be to my family in the funeral arrangements if I just accepted so easily? If I was enlightened, would I cry like I would cry today if my dad died?

Yes, you will still care as much. You will possibly cry. But you will move on with your life quickly. Funeral arrangements are just practicalities. You will be able to perform then perfectly fine, probably even better than someone you is still in heavy pain.

8 hours ago, OnceMore said:

If he died tomorrow, and my entire family and family-friends visited to pay respects, would I just his son in the corner of the room, all quiet and meditative, whilst everyone else is an a state of shock and mourning. As his son, which is even the more human reaction, shock or accepting?

You will do whatever you decide to do. But you will probably accept the situation very quickly. And you would probably won't showoff your peace and quietness to everyone, because you don't want your family to think you don't care. Even though you probably do not care what they think.

 

Overall, do not expect any special behavior change once you've awakened. Even though enlightened, there is still a person that had years of conditioning by society and environment. That doesn't go away instantaneously.

[pluto]

You can never really understand Enlightenment unless you go through the direct experience yourself. When this happens questions/answers will be of no use or no need. Similarly to how you can watch and read 1000 videos and books on what DMT is like and still gives you almost absolutely nothing compared to the actual experience itself.

[Leo Gura]

@OnceMore Imagine being dead, but still being able to see out your eyes.

That's it in a nutshell.

[Rinne]

@Leo Gura Oh my god. 

[Nahm]

7 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

@OnceMore Imagine being dead, but still being able to see out your eyes.

That's it in a nutshell.

That is IT. Like, how is it possible I am “alive” and seeing all this...?! How is this even possible!?

[Joseph Maynor]

You can think of Enlightenment as Awareness.  It is a seeing of the landscape.