ENLIGTENMENT - THEME OF WEEK 44 - 2017
Who am I when I am enlightened?
In the coming week no 44, my Instagram posts will reflect on Enlightenment. I do the reflections through quotes and captions, linked to illustrative images. Feel free to follow me on https://www.instagram.com/mostadjon/.
For many years I have sought to understand the term "Enlightened". I think the word is beautiful. «Enlightened» may the one be who is filled with light and surrounded by light? Carl Jung says so well: "Enlightenment is not imagining figures of light, but making the darkness conscious."
Jung's words point to the transformation of darkness into consciousness - into light. I would have liked to discuss these words with Jung. I know that Jung was a modern scientific alchemist who saw the possibility that the darkness could become conscious - that soil could become gold. Does enlightenment deal with an alchemical process where light occurs like Bird Phoenix, of the burned ash?
Is everything dark free of light? Is everything dark free of consciousness? Should darkness be displaced?
Like the great teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti, I think differently. The darkness shall not be displaced, it shall be understood and disclosed. In my world, light and dark are a state of continuum. On a sliding scale the darkness goes to the light and the light goes to the dark. They assume each other, create each other and explain each other. The dark night cleans the dead day and gives the day a new life. Just like Yin holds Yang, Yang holds Yin. They are each other's prerequisites. Man is woman and woman is man, seen like energy and creative power. Man and Woman are accommodating each other.
In the shamanistic tradition, the raven is regarded as the messenger between darkness as an underworld, and the light as an overworld. The raven flies between these two worlds and brings knowledge between them. The raven has got this totem feature because it holds in its dark feather the glimps of light, like glitter in gold.
So, what does the wisdom texts tell us?
«To be free of suffering, desire and negative emotions; that is enlightenment »and« Enlightenment is the harvest time of mind », along with Jung's quote and Krishnamurti's acceptance, these words are good approaches.
Enlightenment is to deal with having lived through, accepted and then forgiven all causes of need, desire and negative emotions? And then, when this condition is stabilized, to reap wisdom of its mind?
Do I have an explanation, that works? Do I know who I am, when I am enlightened? If so, I have a path to walk.
Jon
