Temelkoff 1

Isaac Temelkoff

Dr. Terry Martin

ENG-131-S09

30 October 2020

A Personal Analysis of Mainstream Enlightenment Thinkers

When I think about enlightenment, I usually examine the concept from a third person

point of view. I tend to remove myself from the equation, thinking about how concepts apply to

the whole of human existence. That is likely, however, to miss the point. While I found it

interesting to contrast the ideas of enlightenment figures, I don’t believe this led me to

understand it for myself. Distancing myself from the idea of being apart from self-actualization

of any kind led me to be so far away from reality. Human life is a personal experience, and we

have to acknowledge that for ourselves before we can fully invest in the society around us.

Simply taking the time to be in awe of my own existence allows me to live much more presently

than I normally would. To be perfectly honest, I think to live life without a constant

acknowledgement of the joy associated with the present moment can end up feeling pretty

empty, especially on reflection. Reading many different publications on enlightenment thinking

has lead me to really round out my understanding of humanity. More importantly, it allowed me

to see myself in a newer light. I hope to explore these different topics, and offer my own personal

experience with them.

The first pattern I notice, especially in Eastern philosophy, is the push to be fully present

in every given moment. Osho and Thich Nhat Hanh advocate for this way of life. Hanh claims,

“When the energy of mindfulness is present, transformation takes place (168).” In this context,

being fully present is contextualized in the meditative sense, where being fully aware of your
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body’s current state is the only priority. Osho takes this idea in a much broader light, stating,

“Live in such a way that each moment you are free from the past moment… Never carry things

on from the past – the past is gone (120)." This requires an approach to life in a fully present

manner, without dwelling on the past. Osho believes that holding onto the past burdens the soul

and makes it more difficult to live fully.

These two thinkers present reasonable arguments. It goes without saying that if you do

not worry about the past, you worry less. He speaks similarly to anger and how one should fully

express their anger to move on entirely from that emotion. I find this point very persuasive, but

in the context of my own life, I find that there are times where I feel better or justified in

modifying the ways I think in the context of others. For example, if someone were to talk about

me in a negative light, and I happen to witness it, Osho would argue I should express, right then

and there, exactly how this person's words make me feel, very raw, likely quite emotional. I find

that the best resolution to these situations is to speak with that person directly and individually.

To speak out to this friend in a group setting would ignore the social principles set forth that

show respect for others. It might feel as if I am upset at their action and attempting to pile

additional shame on that person. Furthermore, this approach to life is not entirely sustainable for

all people. Knowing people that struggle with anxiety and depression, I recognize these people

deal not only with spiritual enlightenment but sometimes the simple idea of getting enough food

and water to make it through the more challenging days. Anxiety caused by a neurochemical

imbalance may not always be treatable. Therefore these people may end up having panic attacks

or similar experiences that prevent them from living fully in the present moment. To take this a

step further, I am not quite sure I could spend my life entirely in the present moment. I like the

idea of moving on from the past, but what happens if I need to use the past to inform decisions in
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the present or know I have to make in the future? Suppose I am considering applying for

graduate programs after my time getting my bachelor's degree. Still, I know many people have

been unhappy with their decision to pursue a master's degree. Is it disingenuous for them to bring

up their past unfortunate experiences? Bringing this up may cause them to experience sadness or

anger for their past temporarily, but it serves a purpose. Our past defines our present. I think we

can still acknowledge our past, enjoyable or troubling, to live our present life most fully.

That said, there is great intention in the words of these thinkers that cannot go to the

wayside. I still agree with their idea, and I find myself thinking on the past too much.

Acknowledging and using the past to inform the present is important, but if we let the past stifle

our spontaneity, then what is left? A friend of mine deals with general anxiety regularly, and I

am one of her primary pillars of support during those times. I know what things I have said in the

past that have helped her improve and get out of some of the more troubling mindsets she can

slip into, but I cannot use the past as an exact model for the present. For her, even more than

usual, she just wants a human response of comfort that acknowledges the individuality of the

moment. While I know she likes to hear words of affirmation, flowers, and Wendy’s 4 for $4’s,

if I present these words and gifts in a seemingly mechanically prepared way, they have no effect.

Us humans have a knack for identifying how genuine a gesture is, and this friend of mine most

certainly can sense it due to how deep our relationship is. Being present in the moment without

dwelling on the past is a philosophy with profound effect on me.

Another idea worth exploring is the concept of peak experiences, how they shape our

understanding of the world, and how we respond to our surroundings during a peak experience.

Abraham Maslow writes on this idea, saying that this is where people are closest to their real

selves. As an expansion of his views on self-actualization, Maslow finds people in peak

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experiences to be self-actualized. There is no longer a search for joy, as they are currently

experiencing it. There is a sense of synergy within the person that is observable by others

(Maslow 117). This easy, free-flowing way of life is lived with such self-confidence that others

can sense it. He rounds out this argument by acknowledging this state of mind as just that –

something that a person experiences, then moves on from it.

I say we have all had these kinds of experiences. They usually leave us feeling so wholly

in the moment, enjoying every part of what is taking place, and things that are typically

reasonably difficult end up taking place with ease. I experience this personally when I perform in

vocal ensembles. The first time I experienced this on a personal level was my sophomore year of

high school. This was the 25th teaching anniversary for my choir director. In celebration, high

school alumni all the way back to his first year of teaching returned to sing in a large choir that

included current members of the choir I was in. It was overwhelmingly beautiful to sing as a part

of such a legacy. More than this, the current high school choir performed a piece written by my

director’s close friend, as it’s debut. Singing something that means a bunch to my director, and

performing for a legacy of singers that I know care deeply about the program, is a feeling I wont

forget. The most exciting peak experience I have had as a witness instead of a performer, is at a

concert for the musician Jacob Collier, who seemed to be having his own peak experience.

Watching him perform was breathtaking, as he played almost as if there was no audience. It was

so natural I felt only more joyful as I was drawn into his creative mindset. This led me and the

people I attended with to have our own personal peak experiences. We talked afterward and felt

deeply impacted by the musicianship we witnessed. The musical peak experiences I have now

inevitably remind me, in one way or another, of these two.

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Another sentiment on spiritual enlightenment that resonates with me is the idea of

understanding others, purported by Thich Nhat Hanh. He argues that this kind of empathy, when

placed at the forefront of our lives, allows the human race to be at peace (Hanh 81-82). By

continually putting ourselves in others' shoes, we can more fully understand the world we live in

and work towards a peaceful, happy way of life.

This idea of empathy is something that deeply resonates with me. I believe that at the

core of all we do, there are other humans and their lives. Regardless of a job in engineering,

music, business, history, etc., there is a human connection. When I lose sight of this truth, I tend

to make irrational decisions that will benefit me. In my freshman year of college, I attempted to

shut others out when I considered transferring schools. I was not as open with my friends, I spent

less time with them, and I worked to find what was best for me. When I thought more deeply

about it, I realized I wanted to stay at my college, because of the people I knew. While studying

music is rewarding in its own right, a new university could not replace my friends. From here, I

found myself most deeply at peace when I could hear others for what they were experiencing. In

this, I found peace and happiness. Humans are naturally social creatures. Digging into this

propensity will allow us to live more prosperous, more meaningful lives.

These ideas share commonalities, with the primary one being that people cannot

consistently experience a state of enlightenment. I do not believe this to be disheartening. It very

well may be that the multitude of neutral and negative experiences we have help us appreciate

the enlightened moments of our lives that much more. When you synthesize these ideas,

incorporating them into your daily life, simply being aware of your personal attempt to live life

as happily as possible can yield results. Mindset can very well be everything. Allowing myself
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time to read what others believe about spiritual enlightenment has helped shape my

understanding of true happiness.

Unfortunately, I did not find a sense of joy within me when I wrote this paper. While I

believe all that I have mentioned herein, the synthesis of this information has been a tedious

process to me, no matter how many attempts I made to add enjoyment to the process. I listened

to my favorite music; I bounced ideas off of my roommates; I tried to approach writing this as a

game, but all to no end. Perhaps it is my educational background that led me to have a personal

disdain for writing. Perhaps it is from attempts to turn essay writing into a systematic process by

well-meaning English teachers. Most likely, it is due to my ignorance of writing and ways to

make it personally meaningful.

Perhaps I have contradicted myself, as this portion of the essay was maybe the most

“enlightened” portion of this paper… it flowed from myself with ease, as if I was one with my

thoughts and identity. While not a peak experience, this is a paragraph that comes from the inner-

most truth I hold for myself. This dialogue is meant to be a means to explain what I believe is the

essential aspect of living happily. Life is meant to be lived. While some may find life’s greatest

treasures in writing, I find these treasures in other parts of my life. Music, reading, conversing,

and living in spontaneity are aspects of my life I find the most happiness. Using the ideas of

empathy towards all others, learning from peak experiences, and using one's past to most

effectively enjoy their present are things that I have found will, inevitably, lead me to a state of

spiritual enlightenment.
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Works Cited

Maslow, Abraham H. Toward a Psychology of Being. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co,

1968. Print.

Osho. “Intimacy: Trusting Oneself and the Other.” New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2001. 99-

128.

Thich Nhat Hanh. “Living Buddha, Living Christ.” New York: Riverhead Books, 1995, 2007,

74-86 & 167-169