SubscribeWhat’s the Point of Life After Total Enlightenment?
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“When the mind is somber, broad daylight gives birth to demons and evil spirits. When the mind is clear, a dark room has its blue sky. That which is self-concious and ulterior is far from the Truth. That which is Mindless, is near.” - Taoist poem.
There’s a common saying in Zen that says after Satori (Enlightenment, there sits the ordinary old man.
Something extraordinary happens through Enlightenment, but nothing at all. Vedanta — the philosophy Buddhism originates from — translates to “the end of knowledge.”
If Enlightenment is the end of knowledge, the end of struggles and the end of suffering, what is left in life? What is there left to do after the struggle is gone? After all, isn’t part of the beauty of life the struggle, the tears, the heartache and finding healing and peace through it all?
If there’s nothing left to do, if there’s nothing left to strive for, what’s the point of living? What’s the point of living when life itself has no point? What’s the point if the game of life isn’t worth playing?
There is a point though; the creation of your story. The only difference is after Enlightenment and the realization of One Taste, we no longer identify with the drama.
But detachment does not mean not participating. It’s not an escape from life; it’s simply creating your story with the awareness that you are not the story. It doesn’t bother you when your life takes a wrong turn or when something goes awry. In the same way you can celebrate when something wonderful in your life happens, but you don’t get attached because you realize that your story is not you.
Everything in life is a story. The evolution of the Universe, from unconscious matter to becoming conscious, is a story. The Eros of human consciousness, how we evolve from duality and separateness to Enlightenment and union, is a story.
The search for meaning and beauty outside ourselves, and realizing that happiness can only come from within, is yet another story. We turn even the most mundane things (like washing the dishes) into a story. We have all sorts of feelings about everything and we use those feelings and associations to mold our story. Life is a series of stories.
In The Voice of Knowledge, Don Miguel Ruiz makes the point that we are all artists. We are all constantly dreaming, constantly creating and molding our stories. Based on the investment of our beliefs, we shape our story. Since we’re always perceiving new things and events, we filter some out and accept other information and ideas based on how it aligns with the story we want to create.
Like Ruiz, I think it’s a much more powerful paradigm to see ourselves as artists and not “just people.” Even if you don’t think you’re the “creative type,” you are creating all the time. You can’t not create. Every time you breathe, move, or open your mouth, you are creating.
Not Living an Accidental Life
Have you ever taken a step back and just observed life, while thinking “How the hell am I here?” It’s in that stupefying moment you realize that you’re the architect of life, but there’s no blueprint. We have this mysterious internal compass, but beyond that we’re on our own. We have to fend for ourselves and make things up as we go along.
We have to take control and steer through life the best we can. What’s most is that we take the wheel and don’t live on accident. What matters is that we don’t give up our power and relinquish the ownership of our minds.
We have to realize the power of:
The Beautification of Your Mind
There is a lot of credit (and merit) given to creating a beautiful space. We spend inordinate amounts of time decorating our homes, buying new clothes and products in the effort to make our lives more desirable.
But not much credit is given to the beautification of our minds.
We adorn our homes and spaces with expensive things. We often associate the value of our lives with the value of our possessions. Once we buy or obtain the object of our desire, within a few days or hours we’re thinking about our next purchase. The illness of materialism has a stranglehold on us; we are always in need of our next fix.
The reality is that this search for the beautification of our bodies and our spaces will never satisfy us. We have more luxury and more convenience than a lot of Royalty had a few hundred years ago. In fact, royal servants now have more luxury than the same Kings they served a few hundred years ago. Obviously something is seriously wrong. Our value system is distorted. If internal wealth is the greatest asset you can have, why is it so overlooked? Because you can’t see a luxurious mind. You can’t brag to your friends about it. You can’t say “Hey Jim, look at the shiny mind I’ve got. Your internal space looks like a pile of shit.“
So if we can Feng Shui our external space, can we Feng Shui our minds?
I think so. It’s something I’ve been personally vying for.
As I said earlier, the problem with creating a luxurious inner space is that you can’t exactly see a beautiful mind. You can’t measure it, you can’t compare it. Paradoxically, I think this misconceived “flaw” is its most attractive quality. Our obsession with measurement quantification seems unhealthy at best, anyway.
Creating a beautiful mind is about placing permanent fixtures of beautiful ideas in the corners of your mind. It’s about cleaning the cobwebs of self-limiting beliefs. It’s about creating the auto-response to be impeccable with your word, and to not ever use your mind against yourself. It’s about coming to terms with your practical mind, and creating a relationship between your head and your heart. It’s about taking ownership of your mind, and realizing that that is the most powerful and precious gift that you have.
The Tyranny of Monotony
If you’re at all like me, it’s easy to see yourself as an artist for a little while. You might last a few hours or a few days. But then the routine and monotony of life sinks back in. Everything seems to be a repeat of the day before. Every day seems exactly the same.
I’ve found that the best way to combat slipping into the black-hole of monotony is by realizing each moment is brand new. Past and present are illusions. Even if you feel like you’ve been doing the same thing, you really haven’t. This moment is all there is and each time you do something, it’s for the first time. Actually, it isn’t even the first; that would imply that there’s a second and a third. Rather this is the only time you’ve done whatever you’re doing now, and it always will be.
Each moment, each day, we write another page in our story. It’s hard not to get caught up in the routine of life. Each day seems the same and we take for granted our artistic power. We put off the beautification of our minds. Another day, we think. Maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes.
The truth is, if we don’t keep ourselves present and realize that with each day we are creating, we will never get to it. We’ll wake up 10 years later and wonder what the hell happened.
We can choose to make our stories a masterpiece, or mediocre. But the point is that we choose now. If we put off our choice, we give up our power. I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford to put it off anymore. I can’t betray myself any longer.
I admit I don’t have all the answers, and I haven’t quite figured out how to completely resist reverting into a routine. What can we do to make our lives more like a work of art, and less like a colorless repeat of yesterday? I would personally love to hear your thoughts on how you remember the artistry of your life and how you resist living uniformly.
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28 Comments so far
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Heya Jonathan!
Liked it about Beautification of our minds, and not comforting ourselves back to a routine life.
What I do is to go show some kindness in other’s lives, through making new jokes or finding some fun stuffs (playing pranks) or say the next interesting words that encourages others.
We are definitely not living an accidental life. Thats a certain which we could help inform more people about. :)
Daniel
Jonathan,
Our biggest folly is to believe that happiness exists outside in physical things. You have put that in beautiful words, “There is a lot of credit (and merit) given to creating a beautiful space. We spend inordinate amounts of time decorating our homes, buying new clothes and products in the effort to make our lives more desirable.”
We mortgage our freedom to accumulate these things that can only imprison our mind later.
Shilpan
Very enlightening indeed. I find that the moment that I don’t know something that I thought I did know is quite enlightening, it lifts the veil of my own deception to reveal the bright light of truth.
I also have a favorite expression “Accidental Destiny” because there really are no accidents.
Great post, Michelle
The Soul Coach
http://www.smartcareerchanges.com
“The truth is, if we don’t keep ourselves present and realize that with each day we are creating, we will never get to it. We’ll wake up 10 years later and wonder what the hell happened.”
Well said. Too many people simply survive when they should really be living.
I’ve always wondered about this. I enjoyed your examination of this question.
I particularly liked the idea of fighting monotony with the realization that each moment is brand new. That’s a cool thing to meditate on.
I also liked the idea of “beautification of the mind.”
Maybe I can use the mindfulness focus to help me keep from latching onto arguments with my mom.
Thank you!
I appreciate your honesty when you said “I admit I don’t have all the answers, and I haven’t quite figured out how to completely resist reverting into a routine.” For myself, I guess it is a question of focus. When I wake up in the mornings, do I choose to observe that brilliance of the sunshine today is different from that of yesterday’s? Things may appear to be the same but in reality, something has shifted. The daily activities may appear routine but within the pockets of time, there is greater joy, peace and beauty. It is how I live rather than what I do.
Jonathan,
What if our actions are routine and monotonous, but our mind takes in these actions with a freshness and enjoyment and newness each and every time?
Just as we can say that materialism is pretty much pointless, can we also say that trying not to live uniformly is a wasted effort if it doesn’t come naturally? I, for one, feel blessed to have some routines, and it allows my mind to be free of having to always “experience” life and instead, just “be” life.
I love the idea of being able to feng shui my mind!
Annie
Great post dude. My blogging partner Steve wrote a cool article about our ‘Ego and the Inner Story’. http://tinyurl.com/egostory
I do agree that struggle is what makes life worthwhile. Scars (emotional and physical) are proof that you’ve been places and done things. Proof that you’ve left your safety zone and put yourself out there and had some struggles. As for Feng Shui of the mind, it’s a great way to summerize Zen and ensuing Enligtenment, kudos! I like the idea of arranging thoughts, memories and experiences to create positive energy. The only thing I’ll add is that although I do try and live in the moment, I still have those “how the hell did I get here?” moments. I think it’s a part of having kids, they are great reminders of the quick passage of time. You look up every now and then and they’ve grown so fast and learned so much. Goes to show ya how fast life happens, grab a helmet and get in the game!
Zendad
http://www.zendad.net
“What matters is that we don’t give up our power and relinquish the ownership of our minds.”
So, who owns your mind? I’m fairly certain that “I” don’t own mine. To be honest, I’m not even certain I have one. ;-)
You mentioned that the key is that we “no longer identify with the drama.” I would suggest that the reason an enlightened one doesn’t identify with the drama is because there is no identity in the enlightened one. “He” sees no “he.” There’s no person to identify wiht anything.
Just some thoughts for the middle of the week. Be well. :-)
This is so crucial: “What’s most is that we take the wheel and don’t live on accident.”
I did live on accident for a long time. It’s no way to live (if you can call that living).
Excellent stuff, made sure you were in my feed reader then checked out your other work!
Cheers,
Glen
I’m with Tom on this one.
There is nothing for drama to stick to. After all drama is what we create when the mind and emotions run wild.
When there is no drama to be stuck on then monotony doesn’t exist as everything is new.
@ Michele, absolutely. Accidental destiny is the enemy of a life worth living.
@ Annie, I really like your approach to this. I guess it’s not routine that I want to fight, but the negative associations that can be attached to routine. Like there never being any surprises. If I had my whole life completely mapped and plotted out, I might as well die right now.
Wow I LOVE the quote “So if we can Feng Shui our external space, can we Feng Shui our minds?”. I believe it is CRUCIAL to Feng Shui our minds.
I try and remember the artistry of my life by remembering how multi-faceted it, and I are. I have goals in all aspects of my life and when one is meeting with resistance I “let go” and move onto another aspect that needs attention. I nurture MANY different interests… some I do with friends, some with my family, some alone and some with my kids…. I always want to be learning and moving forward and meeting new people who also add spice and variety to my life…
While we might have one or two true GIFTS there are tons of things we can all do well and by appreciating and paying gratitude to each by enjoying them at different times it avoids routine and boredom but encourages growth. I love the seasons because it also seems to encourage my different hobbies and interests; long walks in the summer, cross country skiing in the winter, grilling in the summer, warm yummy homemade soups and stews in the winter….
Thank you for such a wonderful post!
Gratefully, Jenny
To all comers,
Respectfully injecting, outside of the idea of “enlightenmentâ€, it can’t seem to be found anywhere. Therefore it must be deduced that this mythical, spiritual tooth fairy parading around under the guise of blissful oneness and self knowledge, cleverly marketing itself as “total” or “final”, is just what it appears to be, a myth, illusion of the finest grade!
Clearly the titular question here is rhetorical, for the very notion of there being something post “totality”, is an inference so ostensibly inviting (akin to having your cake, and eating it too) yet so fundamentally flawed that its unconscious implications will only serve to further confound what is for the conceived many, the quandary of “enlightenment”!
“Can we do to make our lives more like a work of art, and less like a colorless repeat of yesterday?”
1. For starters get over the idea that there is a “you” that is even capable of having a “life”!
2. If you have difficulty accomplishing the first suggestion perhaps you might want to start by having the idea of “you” cease trying to make the idea of “your life” more or less anything, be it successful, prosperous, artistic etc. Acceptance goes along way when it comes to understanding, particularly Reality.
Mentation on what needs to be done and why and how it needs to be done etc., has many impacts on the conceived individual, the most damaging of which (with regards to “enlightenment”) is the implication of a doer. Which creates a subtle sense of seperation in the now conceived mind of the now conceived individual, later manifesting in the now perceived world generally in the form of a desire, generated to mitigate oft unconscious anxieties and stresses caused by… that’s right, the simple thought there is something to be done and its implication that there is someone to do it. Choice is a joke and within the Tyranny of Monotony it is not just the idea of a separate doer but the implication of one that is Tyrant. (Think about it! What are you going to do…yourself?!)
Thus to resist living uniformly…resist the idea of living altogether!
For Better and Worse
Stillborn
Personally, I don’t believe that there exists a “total enlightment”. It’s a path, not a goal. Interesting post!
Hi Jonathan
While you make some interesting points, I’ll have to agree with Tom and Stillborn. From where I sit, you are mixing different levels of consciousness which have very different realities.
Firstly, detachment is not “total enlightenment”. It can arise before any waking. The ego drivers are falling way but the cosmic or divine drivers may not have kicked in yet. This is not the nature of enlightenment but rather a transition towards.
Monotony is mind absorbed in doing. It has nothing to do with enlightenment. There is nothing monotonous about bliss and love.
It would also suggest that you have to be careful about the question of WHO’s story. It’s not all about the person. There is the personal story, the social story, the story of the universe, the story of creation. Each value arises in a different level of awareness, a different value of oneness. Yes, all stories or dreams, but not ones you change by decorating your mind. You can only fully see the story when you have transcended it.
Vedanta is the “end” of knowledge, not in the sense that it’s over, but that it is the ultimate, the final knowledge, the conclusion of veda. If enlightenment is transcending the story, it is the beginning of true knowledge, direct perception of reality beyond the dreams.
I could go into a number of other points but suffice to say, enlightenment has nothing to do with individual life. Eventually, that is within it but not usually at first.
Davidya and Stillborn,
You’re absolutely right! I am definitely mixing different levels of consciousness. Consciousness is a spectrum, not a fixed point. When you transcend one level of consciousness, you don’t eliminate the previous, you move beyond it and include it.
I agree also that there is no “doer.” There is feeling, but no one is feeling. There is seeing but no one sees.
“I” would say, however, that you can choose to pretend that you are a character in a dream. Or an actor in a play. If “you” choose to accept that character, then you can choose to adorn “your” mind.
Does that make sense? I hope so…
The whole problem with me even talking about this is Enlightenment really can’t be spoken of. Reality itself can’t be spoken of. The moment you open “your” mouth about it, you contradict yourself. That is because you’re trying to use knowledge to measure the immeasurable. You’re using a concept to describe something that is not a concept.
“I” would have put this in the article, but “I” think it would have muddled things. =)
Definitely some good points raised by all, particularly the ones about there being no doer. Nevertheless, despite the fact that nothing outside of us is “real” or can ever make one happy, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.
Despite seeing everything as perfection, Jesus still healed the sick. Regardless of knowing that the One truly can not die, Mother Theresa still went and served the poor and hungry in Calcutta.
So while the understanding ultimately that there is no doer is in alignment with the absolute, that doesn’t mean that nothing should be done in the first place.
“The truth is, if we don’t keep ourselves present and realize that with each day we are creating, we will never get to it. We’ll wake up 10 years later and wonder what the hell happened.”
Well put Jonathan. It’s not about not doing, but rather doing from a place of full consciousness, being all here below that you are above, so to speak.
Nice essay Jonathan.
I am surprised it has not been obvious that after enlightenment comes “service to others.” I believe this IS what Buddha did after his enlightenment–as did many before and after…
Thanks again and save all beings from suffering,
Tom
Hi Jonathan,
Life is not the same as struggle. And struggle is not the same as hard work - the right hard work is a pleasure.
In my experience there is much outside ourselves that is real. Those who don’t think so are yet to walk through a wall in my observation. (Is this really just my limitation. I am not disagreeing with their experience only their expression of it.)
After enlightenment we are more of an individual as well as less. The disciples of Jesus and the Buddha were in no danger of confusing either of them with anyone else (identity persists - though our relation to it alters).
My serious concern is that if nothing outside us exists then compassion is of no value (after all it is simply delusion).
nice i really like it
i do dissagree about the accidental life tho. if you try to stear or force your way through life i think its harder to see the bueaty in the small things like washing the disshes. i might be missunderstanding you but i think going with the flow of life makes it easier to feel the bueaty of all of life and all aspects of it. when i say flow i don’t mean like go with everyone elses idea i mean like go with how you feel is right idk if thats what you were trying to say but i go tthis more ruff feal too taking control of your life rather then just going with what ever feels right
Jonathan I really enjoyed your post, and I have thought a lot about this myself. Somehow there arose a point where I no longer focus on going anywhere or becoming something else than what I am in the moment. I know I will become what I will be anyway. The strugle you talk about, I think it may be nessessary for a while. Have you ever walked in the mountains? If you have experienced it you will know that as you aproach the summit there ka be several times where you think you are about to reach the top only to discover another peak even higher..
I guess my point really is that I find what you say to be true as far as it goes but what you never mention is compassion. There is something beyond struggle and climbing of hills. No matter how enlightned or detached we are we still have to realize that we are all on this planet together. Love is the force that makes this life living, not just knowledge for our own personal enlightnement quest.
What’s the Point of Life After Total Enlightenment?
Well, I wouldn’t mind flowing with life like water in a stream…
What I find interesting is what it takes to realize enlightenment?
Who sets out on such a quest and why?
I believe that unhappiness and dissatisfaction act as triggers…
Jonathan: you asked how we remember the artistry of our life and resist living uniformly.
For most of my life, I resisted uniformity, but have finally decided that structure is ok. I’ve found that routines free my mind of clutter and embrace them lovingly. Turning off the ticker tape of to do’s allows more room for the creative ideas and passions to flow.
One way I resist living uniformly (or not allowing myself to get in a rut) is through cooking. Food, with the endless combination of flavors, colors, aromas, and textures allows creative pursuit each day that I choose to cook. An empty plate becomes a canvas that allows total immersion into the present moment as I use my mind and senses to create a masterpiece.
Thanks for your post. Your statement that a beautiful mind is about creating an auto-response to be impeccable with your word, and to not ever use your mind against yourself is perfection.
Thanks to you
There is no life after Enlightenment - when you have transcended every pain, every fear, every instinct, even the desire to breathe is ‘let go’ and you cease to be in form. This is not suicide, but transcendance. Not that I know anything, but I would guess no more need to reincarnate after enlightenment. The greatest teachers teach nothing, do nothing and are nothing. they literally are no thing! lol
Don’t worry, it’s not nihilistic, we all have a few thousand lifetimes of work before we get there! lol