EXPERIENCING ENLIGHTENMENT

Charles Day*

See www.desmoinesmeditation.org & click above on “More from this Publisher”

Following is an attempt at summarizing and defining thecharacteristics of enlightenment. It is based on what has been saidby and about mystics in different religions, as well as personalconversations with persons who report having had a spirituallytransformative experience that resulted in a complete breakthroughinto that enigmatic and exalted state called enlightenment, realization,or union with God.

Defining the characteristics of enlightenment

1. Dissolution of the ego or sense of an independent, autonomous,controlling, and enduring self, following which there is no longer anyfear of death, and all life is experienced as a manifestation of grace.2. Realization of the interdependent unity and perfection of all reality,of everybody and everything, of all physical and mental phenomena.3. Living in the present moment, in the here and now, mindfullyattentive to moment-to-moment sensory and cognitive experiences,without judgment, commentary, and unnecessary concern about thepast or future.4. Complete acceptance of and surrender without resistance to thecontinuously changing flow of creation, whether attributed to God,Allah, ground of being, pure consciousness, or whatever name isgiven to the mystery.5. An affective component consisting of profound equanimity, bliss,gratitude, and awe in experiencing life as part of a perfect and unifiedwhole.These characteristics, I think, are evident in the following essay byRon Porter from San Diego, CA, who had an enduring transformativeenlightenment experience four years ago. His essay is followed by

an email exchange between us, comments related to a conversationwe had when he was in Des Moines recently, and some further reflections on experiencing enlightenment and defining itscharacteristics.

In Enlightenment Who Accomplishes What?

by Ron Porter A writing class instructor told us to write about an accomplishment. Ithrew the question out to the Universe, “Who am I to write of accomplishments? There were none I had to speak of before hisrequest, and there is no wish for any to come.” This was the responseI got:You are a handful of feathers thrown to the wind, not something youcan keep or grasp or hang on to. One feather may land on a flower,even if just for a short time. Smell it, then touch it. Enjoy it for what itis, and know it will not be in your life forever. A breeze will come alongand blow this feather here or there. In the meantime know you are allthose feathers, some floating up and some down. One may get stuckin a thorn bush or a thistle for awhile. One may land on a flower,maybe for a long time, maybe a short time. It will fly away too.You are not the thorn, just as you are not the flower. You are thefeathers! And the handful of feathers that you are will run into ahandful that is another. And it may be wonderful, and it may not be.Maybe your feathers and theirs will write a poem together or sit andlove together.Maybe you will have to deal with insurance companies and disputes,but the breezes come along. The breeze of Allah or God or whatever you choose to call it will come along and blow you up-and-away andscatter your life into sunshine and rain and night and full moon, andsometimes it may feel like all of these at once! And you’ll call this your story, and you will take credit for the triumphs and losses anddirection you’re blown in, and that’s OK. But the whole time it is thehand of God, of Consciousness, that has tossed you into the breezeof Love and Light, blowing you about both randomly and all plannedat the same time.

Recognize your true nature. What is to regret? What is to miss? Whatis to have remorse for? Did you choose to and where you may land? Ihave seen the sorrow, the longing, the incompleteness all felt within,and these hold no reality – they’re what is false. The journey, thewind, the Light and Love - this is what is real. There is no end to this, just as there is no destination. Be flower petals and feathers tossed tothe elements.Accomplish this: Recognize that it’s the breeze who accomplishes.Recognize the hand that tossed you. There is a higher degree anddeeper understanding of this. The pot can not exist without the clay,nor can the clay exist without the minerals. Recognize that you arethe breeze and the hand that tosses.You want to accomplish something? Accomplish knowing who theaccomplisher is. For now laugh. Be the feathers. Enjoy the ride. Thisis the only thing to accomplish. (End of essay by Ron Porter) _____________________

Describing Ron Porter

Following is an email exchange I had with Ron after he sent me theabove essay.CHARLIE: When I put your essay on the website, Ron, is it all right todescribe you as “a meditator and spiritual friend who has had anenduring transformative experience.” I'm searching for terms that arebroad enough to be descriptive and contextual without unnecessarilydefining or solidifying the ego/self (with a lower case “s”) of either theauthor or the reader. I simply want to communicate that you'veexperienced what you talk about. Communication is so difficult whenit comes to the inexpressible, but it's important that it be tried in order to encourage others to recognize their enlightenment experiences,their already enlightened nature, and to help them differentiate suchexperiences from those the illusory ego/self takes credit for.RON: I understand what you’re saying about searching for terms todescribe the inexpressible. No wonder Buddha so often spoke of what it isn't. Ha! In addition to experiences that the ego/mind takescredit for is the Understanding that all experiences have a beginning