Thread

Aho!

Enlightened people can be labeled as such by others. Why ? Because they spread joy. You spread joy with your work.

Yes. 'Enlightened' people just live and shine, not caring at all if and how their work catches on. And they certainly won't have a need to announce it. But e.g. the Gotama Buddha, however, decided to show / teach how he came closer to universal awareness ... and we still benefit from it today. So, it's not like 'enlightened' people never choose to teach anything. They may. It's just in the way they are approaching it, you can tell.

Just one enlightened person shifts the entirety of consciousness & the impact is on humanity as a whole and beyond. There is no need to teach - Gaining enlightenment IS the gift to humanity ❤️

heads-up: we looked for a lightning address on your profile but could not find one... u can get a free one at https://rizful.com ... and then reply back to this comment so we can zap you.

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🙏🫂🎨

If no truly enlightened people teach anything, how do the not-yet-enlightened learn? And what is this lineage of Zen patriarchs all about? If enlightenment shines exclusively in silence, how is this true enlightenment, with such limitation? And if the truly enlightened don’t have thoughts, how is this liberation? There is a saying within the Zen tradition, you may know it: “Before enlightenment, chop wood, gather water; after enlightenment, chop wood, gather water.” Awakening is solely awakening, it necessitates nothing remedial, no specific type of character of lifestyle, life often continues as before. “Enlightenment” is a word that means to realise the true you. The true you, once self-realised, is free to do whatever it pleases. It is free to teach, think, or feel, or not. The real you has been doing art under the guise of non-enlightenment. If I am to accept your words in good faith, it is just that you have not realised this. And this is perfectly fine. I write this response as to provide a voice contrary to what appears to be a mistaken dichotomous limiting belief, so you may remain open to the possibility of awakening, while continuing to enjoy the sharing of thoughts, and the conveying of emotions through your wonderful art. I will just add one practical detail, learning from a reputable teacher is best lived through disciplined co-habitation. In this way realising the illusion of separate self may be mentored through the company of someone with whom you’ve developed unconditional trust.

Thank you for your thoughts. My words are simply personal reflections, with no pretension. I would simply like to be like Ramana Maharshi, who taught more through his silence than many do with a thousand words. Perhaps that is why I paint — because silence, not speech, is where my truth lives.

the peak of spiritual enlightenment is the midwestern father who works at O’ reilly’s, goes to his daughter’s basketball games, and drives his elderly neighbor to church on sundays—and never tries to talk to anyone about spiritual enlightenment