Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Principles of enlightenment

Having finally understood enlightenment I've done a video explaining its nature as learnt from Sage Amrit on Youtube. Here are the principles which led me to follow all the meanings the teachers use but are rarely clear or complete.

1) You do need to work at it. Take a practice from a teacher and stick with it. The few who become enlightened automatically are saints and an exception. Most involve focusing on the present, and I describe these in the video.

2) It usually starts to show gradual results, few go from nothing to all suddenly.

3) Just because we are told the world is a dream or illusion that only applies after you're enlightened. Until then it's damn real and we have to deal with it.

4) Enlightenment is of two parts. One is dropping the ego, that which tells us we are a person who is separate from everything else. This is done indirectly through practice. When this happens, then the calm, peace, bliss etc comes with it. If it doesn't you're probably not there yet.

5) You can recognise the ego by when you feel important from being something. That is your ego that wants to feel big, not your true nature. Let this pass.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

From your Hampstead tour on YouTube it's hard to hear your words, but did you say you went to the school behind the Everyman?
If so, when?
I did...
It's also not easy to find a place to contact you, so I followed this trail to try to contact you.
Am now living in Kent, left HPS in 1959!!!!!!
Very strange seeing the old haunts again - changed and yet unchanged....the spirit of place, I suppose.
Thanks for putting that movie up on YT.
I use the name Elian Tolla on blogspot.
best wishes
ET

Anonymous said...

Scariest halloween (hollow euw) mask I've seen for yonks. Especially liked the nervous facial ticks and slight lisping. Costume fab - brown polyester shirt to match the badly drawn stripy curtains.

What possessed you? Methinks you need to get out more.

David said...

Hi Elian, yes I went to the junior branch for 3 years and escaped in 1972 before going to the big school. Kent's very nice as well though. Thanks for popping in, I'll check your blog now.

Anon2 I guessed this could wake you up again, most people won't understand this but is there for those who do. Not you of course.

Anonymous said...

Hello call me Anonymous3. What "nervous facial ticks and slight lisping" is Anonymous2 talking about? You looked ok David, and you spoke clearly. I thought it was real interesting to watch your video and brave for of you to put it up like that.

What's up with that Anonymous2 person? That was just a horrible and unnecessary comment.

What possessed him/her? Methinks he/she is a real sick puppy.

David said...

Thanks anon3. I only screwed up my face as I was trying to remember the material without pausing. I don't normally do that.
Any lisp must have been the poor sound quality. They don't exactly do these in hifi and I have never lisped in my life.

I've never made a rude comment on anyone's site in 8 years online besides in self defence, some people have never learnt any manners.

Anonymous said...

Hello David,

I wanted to comment on your lovely video. I could feel your honesty and humanness in it.

I see many of the things you said the same way. Having done my own work for a while now, I wouldn't say everyone must do their own work, but it is the path I have taken and the only one I can recommend to others.

I see enlightenment as a continuation of getting to know myself, little, by little.

And I have found the greatest peace when I give up the struggle against my own ideas and desires. After all I would know best for me, wouldn't I.

I am learning to love myself and with each new bit of love for myself, I find the very same love for everybody else.

I think enlightenment is freedom from the thoughts and feelings of others to a place of listening to the thoughts and feelings that make up me.

Thanks for the video, you seemed pretty calm and peaceful to me and I enjoyed hearing your views.

David said...

Thanks a lot Ann, I am very calm and peaceful, it's only when I'm somewhere I don't like to be that I fall apart, but that is more a physical reaction than any other.

Seeing the original Sage Amrit video I must have linked helped me cross the line of doubt as he explained in ways I could relate to. Once he'd covered all my gaps I felt I knew enough to understand it and explain it although nothing like that has happened to me with all the work yet. I keep at it though just in case.