Enlightenment (and Forgiveness)

I have done a lot of research and there is a lot out there on the topic of enlightenment. Some sources have 4 steps to enlightenment, some seven, some sixteen. What should you believe and why should you believe me? The answer to both questions is the same: Try it. If it works, keep it. If it doesn't work, discard it. You have to learn by your own experience. All I can do is tell you what I have done. I have 5 steps (from both a Buddhist and a Biblical perspective; Jesus' words will be in red letters).

Disclaimer: This is not to brag or boast that I have achieved full enlightenment; for I, like you, and not a buddha, but rather a bodhisattva (one who is on the path to enlightenment); but I may be further down the path than some, and therefore might give directions. What happens next is still a mystery, but I'm still here, so I must have more to learn.

Photograph of top of Buddhist temple in Hanoi, Vietnam, taken by me (Leon), 2009

Firstly, let me tell a story. (My version is very abridged, and I shall only give the highlights; Then, compare it to my story)...

Siddhartha Gautama The Buddha	Leon The Webmaster
Roughly 500 B.C.	Roughly 1970 A.D.
Back in the times when kingdoms were rather small, in the Northern Ganges Basin, just at the base of the Tibetan mountains, in a place called Lumbini, a prince was born.	Back in the times when cities were like kingdoms, in the Northern San Joaquin Basin, at the base of the Santa Cruz mountains, in a mystical place called California, a prince was born.
He was raised sheltered from the world, surrounded by walls, unknowing of the pain and suffering that existed outside those walls.	He was raised sheltered from the world, surrounded by the walls of his religion, unknowing of the heinous pain and suffering of the world outside those walls.
When he was 29, he left the royal compound (some say he snuck out) to see the world.	When he was 29, he left the religion that had "sheltered" him to see what the world held in store.
The REALIZATION: Then, the realization came, that he had been living a lie behind those walls, because the world was full of pain and suffering of all kinds.	The REALIZATION: Then, the realization came that he had been living a lie behind the walls of his religion, because the world was full of good people, just trying to make it in this lone and dreary world. But, he did encounter lots of bad people, too!
The QUEST: Realizing that there must be an "answer" to all this pain and suffering, Sid began to seek enlightenment from various religious sects of the region, such as various yogis and ascetics, and such.	The QUEST: After a brief "wandering" through the "cave of despair" (Bertrand Russell's term), Leon realized that there had to be answers his questions in his soul; Who are we? Why are we here? What is the purpose of life, really? (for the while the religion of his upbringing did have answers for those questions, he still felt like something was lacking but he didn't know what).
The TEST: Finally, Sid decided that since the religious leaders of his time and location were inadequate to provide the answers he sought, he needed to find them on his own. So, he sat underneath a Bodhi (Peepal) tree and mediated. One day, Mara (the King of demons) came and tempted him. There were 3 temptations (to try to stop Sid from achieving enlightenment). They were: The first temptation was sensual. The second was through spiritual attacks from Mara's armies. The final was a direct challenge from Mara himself. None of the temptations worked. Sid sat fastidiously focused upon his task (spiritual quest) to find answers.	The TEST: Finally, Leon decided to do some research into all ancient and modern religions. (Hence, the vast amount of information found on this site regarding ancient religions, ancient symbolism, and ancient mythology; and the pages on Buddhism, Mithraism, and Taoism.) Much was gleaned by the way of information, but not much in the way of spiritual enlightenment. And, Leon was tested, too. The first was sensual. The second was alcohol. The third was his great disappointment in the human race (as a whole). Mere diversions on the road to enlightenment. They may have delayed Leon, but did not deter him.
Eventually, Sid did become enlightened. He settled upon three truths: (1) The body is temporary, but the spirit is eternal. (2) There is a universal justice system called karma. (3) Suffering comes from attachments to impermanent things.	Eventually, Leon found the answers that he was looking for. He settled upon five truths; They are expounded below.

[Read full story of how Siddhartha Guatama, "The Buddha", became enlightened on Learn Religions. That is just one of a myriad of stories about how certain individuals became enlightened.]

ENLIGHTENMENT is...
...NOT usually something that happens suddenly, although that there may be some catalyst that "tips one over the edge" into the next level of enlightenment.
...AND, it is NOT the end. Enlightenment comes in levels or degrees or stages. (To which there probably is no end, although according to the Buddhist religion, Nirvana is the end).

DEGREES OF ENLIGHTENMENT
I have found that there are degrees of enlightenment.
If I may use a metaphor. It's like a stairway to "heaven" (not to the place called "heaven", but rather the state of consciousness called heaven). You might take one step up and you might think, "Hey! I'm enlightened!" But, in reality you've only taken one step on a whole stairway. But, it seems that you cannot skip steps (at least not intentionally)... Sometimes we skip steps by accident, and we're like, "What the heck just happened?" Because we are not enlightened enough to understand that "higher" step that we just achieved accidentally. It might not be until many years later that we figure out what really happened there (or we may never figure it out).
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Here is a suggestion of steps in a suggested order (at least the order that I climbed them)...

STEP 1: AWAKENING
Step one is to understand who and what we really are. We are eternal fractals of God (Source). Understanding who we truly are is the first step. It is called "the awakening". We are not our body. Our physical bodies are just housings for our spirits/souls (although there is a distinction between spirit and soul; for this level of awakening you don't need to know that.) Just know that we are eternal beings having a physical experience. The Nazarene said that we are all gods and children of the Most High. (Psalms 82:6, John 10:34).

STEP 2: GRATITUDE
Step two is to have gratitude in one's heart continually. The Sanskrit Hindu Mantra for "Gratitude" goes thusly: "When I'm grateful, I find grace. By looking for the blessings in my life, I open up a space of light in every experience; I open up the path for grace to flow. I make room in the middle of everything for gratitude." (Source: Healing Brave).

STEP 3: FORGIVENESS
Step three is to forgive. And, in order to do that one must understand how forgiveness really works. Forgiveness is not for the forgiven. It is for the forgiver. {And I have found, like the Buddha did, that there are what I call "degrees" of forgiveness, (which I will discuss at a later point in time)}. The Nazarene said, "Forgive us... as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12).

STEP 4: LOVE
Step four is to understand how love works. Love is not merely an emotion (although it is that, too). It is a frequency--a frequency that inspires, motivates, and initiates actual work. Love without works is dead.* And, as a caveat, we can work on ourselves all day long and try to love ourselves (meaning love our ego); but in the end we will still fall short. True love is not manifested by loving ourselves (narcissism), but rather by loving others. Whatever we put out, we get get back. And that includes love. The Nazarene said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38). Ecclesiastes said, "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

* I coined the phrase "love without works is dead". Any one who has used a similar phrase, my hat's off to that person; they must be enlightened. It is an adaptation of the famous saying "Faith without works is dead." (by James in the Bible).

STEP 5: MANIFESTATION
Step five is to understand how to manifest what we want. Honestly, we manifest things all the time--we just don't know that we are doing it. This is a perfect example of skipping steps (accidentally). And, I think that there are "degrees" of manifesting (or different was of doing it, but some ways work better than others).

I used to think that the best way to manifest was through the laws of karma (as ye sow, so shall ye reap). And, don't get me wrong; karma is real! I'm talking about the kind of karma that happens in THIS LIFE (not any other kind of karma). As ye sow, so shall ye reap. It's the "law of the harvest". If you sow good deeds, you will reap good deeds. If you sow bad deeds, you will reap bad deeds. I like to use the metaphor of a karma bank account. Everyone has two karma bank accounts: one for good deeds and one for bad deeds. However, the similarity ends there, because you cannot "cash out" anytime you like. The universe does that for you (and when you least expect it).

So, I used to fill up my "Good deed" Karma account by doing good deeds. And, it works! It really works. However, as aforementioned, I cannot "cash out" at will. I have to wait for the universe to bless me at its will. So, while I have nothing against karma, and I love it, you should think of it more as a "savings account" rather than a "debit account". The Nazarene said, "Store not up for yourselves treasures on Earth, but rather store up for yourselves treasures in heaven."

We often manifest things that we don't want, and we don't even realize that we are doing it. Have you ever heard the saying, "When it rains it pours." We'll that is because when the first thing goes wrong, we immediately get upset, downhearted, and/or dismayed. That frequency, combined with the constant thinking about the problem, actually attracts more problems.
So, how to we attract things that we want?
Well, we tend to attract the things that we focus on (and this is where the so-called "law of attraction" comes in. But, one can only achieve mediocre success with this technique, at best. (I know because I tried).
So, what can we do besides focus on it? Well, we need to feel the feelings that we would feel if we had it. And, it helps to image that one already has what one wants. But, again, this results in limited success.
Why?
Because we cannot control other people. Other people have free will and they are a factor to be reckoned with in the grand equation of things. So, it is best not to try to attract things where people can get in the way.
ALSO, it is best not to try to attract very specific things (or specific people).

LET'S SAY YOU WANT TO ATTRACT a ROMANTIC PARTNER...
Well, trying to attract a specific person using this technique "of manifestation" will not work. You need to be open to new / any possibilities. You need to leave it open for the universe to do its "magic" (as I like to call it). So, the broader, the better. Just say, "I'm in love," and feel the love as if you were already in a romantic relationship. CAVEAT: I have noticed that you have to be specific about the kind of partner you want or else the universe (like water) takes the path of least resistance and gives you the "bottom of the barrel". And, keep in mind that the more specific you are, the longer it might take for the universe to orchestrate that for you. (I'm just telling you what I have experienced, and I've been doing this for a long, long time). I attracted a mate (we even got married), but she left me with an infant child just two years after our marriage began. ( I raised the child by myself ). That's because I was not specific as to what kind of mate I wanted.

BUT, remember: you cannot control people. They have their own free will. But, the universe has a way of bringing like-minded people together when they are open to that.

Let's say you know all that already. And, you are ready to move on to the highest level of manifestation / enlightenment. There is another way to manifest things, but you won't believe it. I even hesitate to tell you, because I know you won't believe it. It's not hard (for some) and yet it might be the hardest thing some ever do. It is simple, but not necessarily easy.

CAVEAT: Doesn't work with people.
You cannot believe in a person and make that person manifest out of thin air. You cannot believe that a person will do something and expect that person to do it, because people have free will and they'll do whatever they want to do. God's greatest gift was the gift of free will and no one can take that away (except by breaking the law; but that is not what I'm talking about here). AND, I've never tried, but I would wager that it doesn't work with animals either. There is a lot of evidence that it works with plants and the inanimate universe.

INTRODUCTION
In my 50⁺ years of life, I have learned a thing or two, but ironically most of it in the last 10 years. One thing that I have learned is how to forgive. And, don't let anybody "kid" you, forgiveness is not easy. In fact, it may be the hardest thing you have ever done or will ever do.

MY FIRST FORGIVING
The first thing that I learned when I finally forgave some people (who shall not be mentioned for privacy reasons) that had really hurt me, was that a huge burden was lifted off of my soul. I then realized that forgiveness is primarily for the forgiver. You may have heard the saying, "That person has a lot of baggage." Well, so-called "baggage" is the metaphor that we use for unresolved issues, which can basically all be boiled down to one thing: lack of forgiveness.

WHY DON'T PEOPLE FORGIVE?
As humans, we tend to hold grudges by not forgiving people because we tend to think that forgiveness lets the perpetrator "off the hook" from justice. We humans crave justice, don't we (except when we have to pay it, right?)? Some people want revenge, but most just want justice. But, why not let Karma do that for you?

WHAT IS FORGIVENESS REALLY?
Firstly, let's deal with what forgiveness is not. It is not letting somebody off the hook for what they have done. They will get their justice, if not from the human justice system, then from the universal justice system (karma). Even if you forgive somebody, they still have to "pay the piper" (i.e., pay the wages of their karma). So, let's get that out of the way.

Secondly, let's deal with what forgiveness really is. It really is a "letting go" of all the pain, all the hurt, all the blame, and all the emotional "baggage" that comes with holding on to that grudge. Just let it go. (Easier said that done, right?) I'm not saying that it is easy, but I am saying that it has to be done in order to become enlightened (and raise one's vibrational frequency).

Think of it this way: why should you carry around the burden of somebody else's crime? Release that burden and let karma deal with the perpetrators. And, I'm thinking that lack of forgiveness is incurring karma of its own. Did not the Nazarene say that by not forgiving, neither are we forgiven? The meaning is that by not forgiving we are weighing ourselves down with invisible chains, which prevent us from achieving what we came here to do, and that is become enlightened fractals of God.

THE LAST AND FINAL LESSON OF FORGIVENESS
You cannot do this last and final step until you have already forgiven somebody.
It is when you realize that forgiveness wasn't even needed to begin with.
There is a great story of the Buddha, which I would like to relate, but it is too long, so I will just give the link.
It is from UPLIFT entitled "Buddha' Beautiful Lesson on Forgiveness," by Sofo Archon.

Preface:
I don't have time to get all the sources and post them here (I might get a few). It is up to you, the reader, to do your own research and see if what I'm claiming is true or not.

When someone is burdened with negative energy (low frequency vibrations) such as through the holding of grudges and the holding of mental pain, it leaves no place for the positive energy (which gives you more physical energy to do stuff). Everyone knows from personal experience that when they are feeling "down", their physical energy is also "down". That is mind over matter. When one is enlightened, they are literally filled with light energy, which also gives the physical body energy. There is so much scientific research that concludes that mental health directly affects physical health. The Nazarene taught that "the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21). And, it always is; But, you can increase its degree of being within you. The Nazarene confirms this notion with the teaching of the leaven. He taught that the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a woman who puts measures of leaven into loaves. (Matt. 13:33). I.e., the more the leaven, the more the loaves are full of energy. And, what is the leaven of life? It is love. And, what is love? (That's the utmost important question, isn't it?)

Love was explained by the Nazarene in the parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37). I would make you go find it, but it is such a good story that I will paraphrase it here.

Now, the Bible tells us that the Hebrews had no dealings with the Samaritans (their neighbors), because they were considered to be unclean by the Jews (and this because they had a different belief system). In fact, the Samaritans were considered to be beneath the Hebrews, as the Hebrews considered themselves to be the chosen of God--the one and only God, and all other peoples were considered to be Gentiles (which means anyone of a different ethnicity other than Hebrew).

Well, one day, a certain Hebrew went on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho; And, along the way he was ambushed by thieves, who stole his expensive clothing, wounded him, and left him half dead on the side of the road.

After some time, a Hebrew priest came along, saw the fellow Hebrew stripped of his clothing, and left half dead. Yet, he chose to pass by on the other side, ignoring the poor man. And, likewise a Levite (also a Hebrew of the tribe of Levi, the priestly caste of Hebrew society) came along, but ignored the poor man on the side of the road, choosing to pass by on the other side.

Then, along came a Samaritan, (Samaritans being of different ethnicity and different culture). The Samaritan saw the poor man on the side of the road and had compassion upon him, seeing his predicament. He stopped and tended to the poor man's wounds. Then, the Samaritan put the poor Hebrew on his own beast and took him to an Inn. There, the Samaritan paid for the lodgings and food, and said, "When I come back, whatever more you spend in this man's care, I will repay it.

It was the Good Samaritan who exhibited love, and Jesus said that we should do likewise.

I have found that by exhibiting love, we ourselves are immediately replenished with love, packed and overflowing. And, love is the highest vibration, which also gives energy to our physical bodies. Why does this happen? Well, science teaches us that when energy flows through matter, it affects the matter, making the matter vibration closer to that of the energy flowing through it. This is elementary physics. You don't need to be a Ph.D. in physics. Take for example a microwave oven. When the microwave energy passes through the food, it makes the atoms in the food vibrate faster and heat up. But, you don't want to subject your body to microwaves, or even radiowaves, because the science teaches us that a microwave oven uses microwaves at 2.45 GigaHertz (GHz) [2,450,000,000 Hz]. Brainwaves, on the other hand, only go up to 100 Hz. Just saying.

But, lets talk about brain waves. When I was in school, science had not yet discovered the Gamma Brain waves (not to be confused with the gamma waves of the electro-magnetic spectrum, which are up in the 10,000,000,000,000 Hz range (10 Tera Hertz), which I believe is where the heart of God resides, and which is why no man can see God and live. The gamma brain waves are where we want to be, ideally, all the time, except perhaps when we are asleep. Scientists say that Love is in the 40⁺ Hz range. (And we're not talking about romantic love here). We're talking about agape love. [pronounced ah-gah-peh, which is the Greek word for unconditional love, like that which God has for all of It's children]. So, when the brain-heart is operating in the gamma-wave state, it is scientifically proven to be transmitting higher-frequency energy into the body, thus energizing the entire body.

That is how to energize the body from a mind perspective. However, it is important to maintain a healthy body from a food perspective. This is a relatively banal metaphor, but look at your automobile. You can put lower-octane gas in it, and you can put lower quality oil in it (and you can save a lot of money in the short-term, but it takes a toll on your vehicle. If you put a higher octane gas, and full-synthetic oil (the highest quality), you spend more money in the short-term, but you extend the life of your vehicle, and it gives the vehicle more power (energy). The same thing happens with our bodies. The quality of food that we ingest is of paramount importance. For more information, please see my Health Page.