is "merging with a deity" necessary for enlightenment?

[Viking]

Lately I read from a TON of places that enlightenment is not possible without the help of something external, like an enlightened guru or a certain deity, or some divine power. Have you heared about that and what do you think about it?

Edited February 28, 2018 by Viking

[Saumaya]

Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher's help.

Bodhidharma
 

[Joseph Maynor]

I’m rather atheist in inclination, so I say no.  God for me is Awareness.  But then that’s just me.  Saying I’m God does no work for me.  It’s just playing with labels.  

[Ether]

44 minutes ago, Saumaya said:

Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher's help.

Bodhidharma
 

You dont know that. SIddharta became one.

Well, If i reach it i did it with a teacher but the thinking and work has to be you

[SOUL]

"Merging" implies an actual separation, whereas "realizing" unity suggests recognizing something that is.

[Viking]

@SOUL you're right, it is "realizing" at the end, but the question was whether it is necessary to imagine something to realize you're it.

it kinda rubs me the wrong way to have to believe in some divine thing, its just concepts, although I see how devoting or surrendering my life to some divine force might help. I just really dont like to believe stuff.

one example is Om Swami from the book "if truth be told" where he devoted himself to "mother divine" and at the end of a bunch of months sitting in a cave he had a vision of her, making him enlightened or something like that. 

in tibetian buddhism it's apparently a 100% necessity to have some god to become enlightened. well, they also say that to become enlightened one has to awaken his kundalini, also necessarily, while I doubt that's true, I dont know. maybe their conception of enlightenment is different. 

[SOUL]

@Viking I don't understand why someone would have an issue with imagination.

Whether it's conceptualizing divinity or unity or even conceptualizing the 'unconceptualizable' I prefer to not let it become an obstacle to my peace so I don't 'imagine' that it is an obstacle.

We all 'accept as truth/exists' something even if it's nothing and this is all that belief is, an acceptance, so again I prefer not to 'believe' that 'belief' is an obstacle to me being at peace.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by SOUL

[Nahm]

@Viking It’s relinquishing the false persona. Same you all along; ‘before & after’. 

[Leo Gura]

You don't need a diety. You ARE the diety.

[Shin]

 

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Edited March 1, 2018 by Shin

[Sahil Pandit]