“To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something” ~ Laozi
When you hear the word enlightenment, before heading to google for definitions, how would you define it? Have you experienced it? If yes, how do you know for sure?
The word enlightened comes from the Latin prefix en meaning “in, into” and the word lux meaning “light.” Combine these meanings — “into the light” — and you’re describing what it is that characterizes an enlightened person: a sense of clarity and understanding.¹
In recovery circles, they refer to this as a moment of clarity, an entire psychic change, reborn, spiritual awakening, or a spiritual experience. They refer to this in religious circles as a prophetic experience, becoming a new creation, being born again, a revelation, or an apocalyptic event. Regardless of the language used to describe this experience, a transformation has taken place. An “I was blind, but now I see” type of experience has occurred.
As we grow up, our character becomes influenced and shaped by the people, places, things, politics, and morality going on around us. Much of what we learn in the circle of life is suppressed and deep down inside our subconscious. As we stumble through life, scales begin to cover our eyes, and delusion starts to cloud our souls. We become ignorant and conditioned to living a life of illusion.
Our culture helps create this delusional state by defining “success.” The world defines success by the value of our possessions and what accolades we achieve during our lifetime. Fate and context, unfortunately, create and influence our ignorance. If we are fortunate enough during our life on earth, we will discover the truth about ourselves and the cosmos. This process is what it means to move from ignorance to enlightenment.
So, what is enlightenment? It’s coming to realize and accept the fact that you are not God and that life it’s not all about you! It’s embracing God’s love commandment as a design for living.
When you spiritually wake up to this truth and embrace it, your life will never be the same ever again, and you have the best days of your life to look forward to.
God of enlightenment, thank You for waking us up. We have been sleeping and living a life of illusion. Please remove the scales from our eyes and provide clarity to our souls, so we can see ourselves as You see us. Would you please help us love the way You love all the days of our lives? In Your Spirit and Name, we pray these things. May Your will not ours always materialize, now and forever. Amen.
Photo by Luz Mendoza on Unsplash
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