Posts tagged ‘enlightenment’




This man saw that the Buddha was different from other men.
He asked the Buddha “Are you a god?”
The Buddha replied “No.”
“Are you a man?”
“Then what are you?” said the man.
The Buddha answered, “I am awake.”

What do you think the Buddha meant by this answer?

When Siddhartha became fully enlightened, he realized that people are not really separate from each other; we are all interconnected. He also realized that nothing in life is permanent; things change. Suffering is always a part of life, but there is a path that leads away from suffering.

In Buddhism, enlightenment means reaching a state beyond desire and suffering. But the word also has other meanings. Write about the meanings of the word enlightenment.










In Buddhism, people can attain enlightenment in many ways. They can also do different things once they are enlightened. One choice is to enter nirvana, where all suffering ends. A person who choose this is called an arhat.

A second choice is to stay in the world to help others find enlightenment. A person who chooses this is called a bodhisattva.

The difference between them is explained in a story.

Two men were wandering in the desert when they came to a compound, surrounded by a high wall. The first man climbed the wall. Giving a cry of delight, he leaped down on the other side.

The second man also climbed the wall. At the top, he saw that the walls surrounded a beautiful oasis with springs and gardens. He wanted to enter the garden. But he thought about all the other people who were wandering in the desert. Instead of entering the oasis he returned to the desert, determined to help other wanderers find the oasis.

One of these men was an arhat, and one was a bodhisattva. Which was which?

A bodhisattva is a person who has achieved enlightenment and is dedicated to helping other people escape from suffering. Some teachers suggest that non-Buddhists might be bodhisattvas.

Can you think of anyone (either from history or the present day) who fits the description of a bodhisattva? Name as many people as you can.

Do you remember learning how to read? Most people are taught the letters of the alphabet and are told that these letters can form sounds. But this is a new way of thinking, and it takes time to adjust to it. For most people, the next step, recognizing words and sounds, is a breakthrough. Suddenly, the marks on the page make sense. They can read.

According to Zen Buddhism, enlightenment also calls for a new way of thinking. We are used to solving problems using reason. But enlightenment isn’t reasonable. So Zen uses unreasonable ways of teaching to help students reach enlightenment.

One unreasonable teaching method is the use of koans. These are problems, but problems that rational thinking can’t solve. In order to find an answer to a koan, the student must think in a different way. One koan asks, “What was the appearance of your face before your ancestors were born?”

How do you think it would feel to be given problems like this one to solve? Try to imagine your reaction to solving koans. Describe your reaction.

The Buddha was a person and not a god. The lesson of his life is that people can live without suffering in a state of happiness. What can a person do to stop his or her suffering?

Like the Buddha, each person has to experiment to find a way to enlightenment. The first step is to identify habits that interfere with happiness and habits that can help lead to enlightenment.

List your own bothersome bad habits. Also list some good habits of yours that might lead to profound happiness.

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