Hey, turns out I'm enlightened! Just not all the time.

Enlightenment is a word that gets thrown around a lot in spiritual circles, even though it's rare that anyone can clearly say what makes someone enlightened, or how it's possible to tell a person is in this supposedly exalted state.

Often enlightenment is viewed as something ineffable that only another enlightened being can recognize. You know, an exclusive club where the members know each other but us ordinary people can only do our best to peek through the curtained windows in a vain attempt to see what's going on inside.

Another problem with the notion of enlightenment is that even when it's described somewhat specifically, there's a curious non-coincidence I've observed: enlightenment just happens to be a spiritual state that the person describing it says they've achieved. 

In other words, when someone has an experience, or transformation, that they consider spiritually significant, frequently they give it a name: enlightenment. Then they can market their accomplishment to others who desire to be enlightened. 

Now, this might be what's going on with Joan Tollifson's take on enlightenment. She's a spiritual rebel of sorts who has studied Zen Buddhism, nonduality, and other pursuits, yet has developed her own original manner of speaking about them in a way that I find appealing. 

While I readily agree that how Tollifson looks upon enlightenment flows out of her own personal experiences (but doesn't that apply to everyone?), what she says in her book Painting the Sidewalk with Water: Talks & Dialogues About Non-Duality makes sense to me -- in part because her definition of enlightenment applies to everyone at times, though not always. 

I've only read about half of the book. However, I've found enough references to enlightenment to make me confident that these passages accurately reflect Tollifson's perspective.

Enlightenment is the recognition that there is no "me" behind the mask of any persona, and that no person exists as a solid, continuous, separate, independent entity. Enlightenment is seeing that I am everyone and no one. I include everything and I am no-thing in particular. Enlightenment sees from the perspective of unicity. [defined as: the quality or state of being unique of its kind : ONENESS]

...Above all, awakening is seeing through the "me" who wonders if "I' have had an awakening or not. This waking up is very simple. It is not some fantastic, spectacular, one-time event with trumpets blaring and fireworks exploding. Nor is it a personal achievement. We miss it because we're looking for something extraordinary, something that will enhance "me."

...We often seek the experiences we have been led to expect, and then we often frame our experiences according to what we have learned. Christians see Jesus and get born again. Buddhists discover emptiness and the present moment. Satsang people have awakenings. Nondualists imagine a moment when "the self" drops away forever.

People who expect dramatic enlightenments often have them! When I hear some of the big bang enlightenment stories on offer, I sometimes wonder if the teachers in question haven't constructed the whole experience out of thin air, convinced themselves of its validity, and now they're using it to sell themselves or make themselves special.

...The whole notion of a final breakthrough, in which all sense of being an encapsulated individual permanently vanishes forever and ever, never to return, is a total myth. That encapsulated "me" is never really here, ever, and the idea or sense of encapsulation vanishes in any moment that's it's clearly seen for what it is. 

...Enlightenment is Now. It's not a possession or an achievement. There is no final enlightenment. And an enlightened person is a total oxymoron. Enlightenment is the popping of the bubble of separation. It leaves no person to be enlightened or unenlightened. 

As I've said, I think there is often a tendency to confuse unicity, which is all there is, with enlightenment, which is the absence of delusion. Unicity includes both enlightenment and delusion, both Ramana and Hitler. But Hitler was not enlightened. Enlightenment sees unicity. Delusion imagines separation. The very idea of permanently enlightened people is delusion. 

...There are characters running around in the movie of waking life claiming that they no longer experience fear or desire. Whenever I hear this now, it immediately activates my bullshit alarms. Maybe it's true, I don't know. 

But it seems to me that instead of seeing what is going on, many people who swallowed the "I Am Enlightened" story may now be busy denying delusion, even to themselves. This is like putting on blinders. It's all about a new and improved identity -- Me the Enlightened One -- an identity that needs to be defended. 

...Awakening is not a flashy experience. It's very ordinary. It's simply seeing through false ideas. What remains is the ever-present, ever-changing aliveness of Here/Now. And that is actually never not here. 

Comments

[Karim W. Rahmaan]

"I've observed: enlightenment just happens to be a spiritual state that the person describing it says they've achieved.."

Brian,

Sometimes I think you yourself ARE enlightened.

And perhaps here secretly online spreading what the great Maharaj Ji taught you as a sort of truly Selfless seva. And in an Agnostic way without, and sometimes i think Purely without any religious quagmire.

However, I cannot read minds myself. With that, from what I've read from the Naam teachings is that enlightenment is never claimed by a True prophet, messenger, apostle, spiritual master, etc. They've earned it, and want their students or disciples to do the same. Have you ever heard of a good Teacher with time enough to boast while training excelling students in a very, very difficult course?

I haven't.
Good teachers and or mentors are hard to come by.

[Which1RU]

Some people are motivated by compassion.

Some people are motivated by moral superiority.

[777]

Every Soul IS

But not as long as S/HE thinks She is existing

QE is what is

777

[Osho Robbins]

Everyone has it all wrong.
Tollifson has it right.
Enlightenment is not an exalted state.
It is not distant.
It is not something you "attain" with effort
It does not take time to achieve.
There is not a ME that gets enlightened

All this is nonsense.

The truth is: there is no individual self
no soul, no separate ME that needs to unite.
Enlightenment is not an experience

"okay, big guy", you might say "Well what the fuck is it?"
and are enlightened people allowed to use the fuck word?

The answer:
watch these shit load of short videos i have uploaded. and Yes, they can swear and do it is style.

and by the way, you're enlightened ALL tje time, enlightenment it not like lightening, striking at certain times

it is ALL the time, everywhere and everything
and never, nowhere and nothing

thatbis what non-duality means

check out this video
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGequaA6x/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGequEPqB/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqHBs8j/
There is no YOU - you're a fucking illusion
a figment of the ONENESS's imagination

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqHMXFB/

and i saved the best until last

enlightenment is NOT an attainment

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqHSqnt/

[Osho Robbins]

from above:

"...There are characters running around in the movie of waking life claiming that they no longer experience fear or desire. Whenever I hear this now, it immediately activates my bullshit alarms. Maybe it's true, I don't know."

It is bullshit - Life continues as before
but it has ONE difference - the "I" which is illusory disappears.
There is no separate self.

Here's the punchline.

ready?

GSD is talking about this same Enlightenment - NOT as something distant to be achieved, but ALREADY the case.

want evidence?

here it is - he is in the video saying exactly what I am saying

it's really hilarious because the speakers on stage are giving out duality teachings about meditation and attaining
and GSD is saying the fucking opposite
and the sangat have no fucking idea what the fuck is going on
excuse my fucking french / its just for effect

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqHNFTq/
do not miss this one

[Osho Robbins]

"breakthrough, in which all sense of being an encapsulated individual permanently vanishes forever and ever, never to return, is a total myth. That encapsulated "me" is never really here, ever, and the idea or sense of encapsulation vanishes in any moment that's it's clearly seen for what it is." - from above

Enlightenment is the end of duality, The delusion of separation goes. there is no soul, so nobody to be born or die.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGequoYhF/