Enlightenment is a concept often written and spoken about in the world of personal development. The state of Enlightenment is something that many seek to attain as a goal worth achieving. The Question is what is it and what are the benefits of living in this state of being. Here’s a wonderful story about Enlightenment that comes from ancient Chinese wisdom:
A seeker-of-truth, a disciple of the way of the wise travelled the lands seeking the meaning of enlightenment. Over hills, mountains, rivers, up and down the lands he sought without success. One day as he rested by the side of a road, he noticed an old man walking bent over, slowly down the road with a bundle of sticks over his shoulder. Weighed down by the sticks the old man seemed not to notice the young man. The seeker had a strong gut feel that this man knew something. He waved to him and asked “What is the meaning of Enlightenment”
To this, the old man stopped, swung the bundle of sticks down to the ground, and stood up straightening his back. The young man cried out “I see, I see”The seeker then wanted to know “What comes after Enlightenment”. To that the old man bent down, picked up the sticks, placed them on his shoulder and continued down the path he was on.
Such a wise story. Enlightenment is a state of mind that we can all attain. It’s a state of awareness where we get to experience the true nature of reality. This reality is seldom or even never experienced by most people. Yet history is full of adventures of those seeking some form of it. The irony of the human condition is that Enlightenment is a worthy goal that once achieved changes everything. Once attained, however, the challenge is living in the world that this state of mind reveals. Enlightenment is a gift for being human.
