How to know whether a person has reach enlightenment?

last SG · 2005-08-28T22:52:40+00:00

"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it...

An Eternal Now SG

Originally posted by namelessness:
If one realizes the following fully without any doubt then he is enlightened:

[b]With your mind to awaken your awareness,
With your awareness to awaken your mind.
Awareness is the mind,
The mind is self-aware.
Awareness and mind are not dual,
That is the genuine awareness.

[/b]

In the past I used to be troubled with Mind and Awareness because I'm stucked at conceptual attachments. I asked my dharma teacher a little... and then understood that there were actually no distinct opposite entities called 'Mind' and 'Awareness'. This is called 'Jue2 Xin1 Xiang1 Ying4'... therefore practitioners do no have to fear the mind, neither is Buddhist practise asking us to annihilate our mind.

An Eternal Now SG

One of them Smile

Enlightened beings die without regretts or sufferings (even though their body may be sick). They do not have any fear at all of death.

Just before Ninakawa passed away the Zen master Ikkyu visited him. "Shall I lead you on?" Ikkyu asked.

Ninakawa replied: "I came here alone and I go alone. What help could you be to me?"

Ikkyu answered: "If you think you really come and go, that is your delusion. Let me show you the path on which there is no coming and no going."

With his words, Ikkyu had revealed the path so clearly that Ninakawa smilled and passed away.

An Eternal Now SG

Laughing

I'm still lacking in practise to have any real achievements. Sometimes there are some progress, then later back to Stage 1.

shade343 SG

I think what Gautama Buddha acheived is the highest level which a Human can acheive.

longchen SG

Smile

798 SG

I think Enlightenment is one who has find the Truth and free from self, and thus attained Enlightenment.

However do any of you know basically sentient beings have 3 things that they cant get rids of?

I think is Eat, sleep and pass motions... otherwise, they can attained Enlightenment easily.

An Eternal Now SG

Not only a human, even gods cannot achieve Buddhahood. Those that attain Buddhahood are all are reborned in Human Realm... even though gods in heaven have very good karma, it is still more difficult for them to practice because heavens are too wonderful.. many devas do not feel the need to practise and even those who want to practise may be distracted.

There are many gods however, who have at least attained the insights to Non-Self. For example, the Maha Brahma is at most only one lifetime away before achieving Nirvana.

An Eternal Now SG

Oh.... I get what you mean.

Thanks Smile

shade343 SG

What about jesus christ?

An Eternal Now SG

Eat, sleep and pass motions... realised people still do that Wink

An Eternal Now SG

If I were to tell this publically, I may get alot of complains from Christians Laughing

What I can tell is .... Jesus is someone that has reached a very high level of enlightenment. Smile I shall not compare with others.

798 SG

I realised these are the things even Buddha cant avoid too. not unless the time He was at ease... that is Nirvana.

shade343 SG

Why dont you PM me the ans? Very Happy

798 SG

better not say, later not good. Mr. Green

shade343 SG

Ahhh....Thats because jesus christ did meditation. Very Happy

maggot SG

comparing is a disillusion Cool

An Eternal Now SG

Here is part of the interview between a Christian and the Dalai Lama:

I reminded him of his belief that Jesus is "a fully enlightened being" and asked, "If Jesus is fully enlightened, wouldn't he be teaching the truth about himself? Therefore, if he is teaching the truth, then he is the Son of God, and there is a God, and Jesus is the Savior. If he is fully enlightened, he should teach the truth. If he is not teaching the truth, he is not that enlightened."

As the Dalai Lama felt the momentum of the question, he laughed more than at any other time in the interview. He obviously understood the argument, borrowed from C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity.

"This is a very good question," he said. "This is very, very important, very important." Even in Buddha's case, he said, a distinction must always be made between teachings that "always remain valid" and others that "we have the liberty to reject."

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/008/15.64.html
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And my Master's vision of Jesus Christ is not different Smile Jesus Christ is also an enlightened being.

Eye in the Sky SG

Before answering the question if Jesus is enlightened, we need to ask if Jesus existed? Any direct proofs that he was human?

dragg SG

jesus, like buddha existed as human beings.

what kind of proof do you need?

Eye in the Sky SG

Existence due to indirect inferences by the Bible is not proof. Any bodily proof?

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