ENLIGHTENMENT

Feb 23, 2019 - 03:26 Leave a Comment 3227 views

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Although there are so many wise sayings I could have included to introduce the topic of enlightenment, I have selected some of my favourite quotes. A few of these are my own musings along with a couple of excerpts discussing this subject from the second book of the series, SURREAL ADVENTURES.

I trust you will find some of these 'enlighteniing.'

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment”
― Lao Tzu

“Enlightenment will be now the beginning, not the end. Beginning of a non-ending process in all dimensions of richness. ”
― Osho

“The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis

“The greatest illusion in this world is the illusion of separation.”
― Anonymous

“Enlightenment is not a change into something better or more, but a simple recognition of who we truly already are.”
― Anonymous

“Enlightenment is not the byproduct of avoiding the darkness in favor of the light. It is the byproduct of taking the light of consciousness and diving deep into the darkness with it. To make the darkness conscious is to turn the shadow into light.”
― Teal Scott

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“The ego tries to convince us that we must do things to achieve enlightenment. The spirit knows that enlightenment is not a matter of doing, but a magnificent consequence of being.”
― Dean Jackson

“Enlightenment, joy, and peace can never be given to you by another. The well is inside you.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

“What is enlightenment? It is complete and total non-attachment to one’s own thoughts. And in the absence of attachments to one’s own thoughts, all that is present is love.”
― Teal Scott

“Enlightenment is the journey from the head back to the heart, from words back to silence.”
― Jack Brocas

“Make no mistakes about it – enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of the untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” ― Adyashanti

“I went in being me, but not knowing it. I came out being me, and knowing it. It was this that changed my life.” ― Anonymous

“If I could define enlightenment briefly, I would say it is the quite acceptance of what is.”
― Wayne Dyer

“The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.” ― Kazant Zakis

“There are many paths to enlightenment.”
― Anonymous

“So the single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: learn to disidentify from your mind.”
― Eckhart Tolle

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
― Carl Jung

“Enlightenment must come little by little otherwise it would overwhelm.”
― Idries Shah

“Your imagination is the vehicle to enlightenment.”
― Gary Hopkins

“The attainment of enlightenment from ego’s point of view is extreme death.”
― Chogyam Trungpa

“Alwasy keep your mind as bright as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, “Alwasy keep your mind as bright as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts. Always keep your body filled with light and heat. Fill yourself with power of wisdom and enlightenment.”
― Morihei Ueshiba

“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity.” ― Immanuel Kant

“On the pathway that leads to enlightenment, only your heart can tell you whar is right.” ― Frederick Lenz

“Attachment is the main thing that is blocking your path towards enlightenment.”
― Garchen Rinpoche

“Enlightenment is life and of itself. Enlightenment is the knowledge of the origin and of truth, whereby truth is self-existing and unchanging. Enlightenment is the univers that exists as it is; Enlightenment is the act of knowing this universe.”
― Woo Myung

“What you focus on you becom. So always focus on that which is highest, brightest, happiest and most noble of all things, enlightenment.”
― Frederick Lenz

“Enlightenment, or true happiness, is not a transcendental state. It is a condition of braod wisdom, boundless energy,a nd good fortune wherein we each shape our own destiny, find fulfillment in daily activities, and come to understand our ultimate purpose in life.”
― Josei Toda

“When we wake up from our confused state of mind, that is enlightenment.”
― Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

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“Being is enlightenement.”
― Osho

“Nirvana or lasting enlightenment or true spiritual growth can be achieved only through persistent exercise of real love.”
― M. Scott Peck

“Someone who wants to attain enlightenment must be brave. He must rush into the crowd of enemies with a dagger. In the practice of Zen, enemies are our delusive thoughts and passions.” ― Koun Yamada

“To study the way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment." ― Dogen

The true value of a human being can be found in the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self.”
― Albert Einstein

“Enlightenment is not something to be attained. As a human being it is your natural state. Your very core is composed of love and light, it is consciousness. It is the fallacy of ego and reality that prevents you from realizing your inner divinity. You must shed the illusions and you will be left with pure enlightenment. It is not something to attain, you must lose, and you shall be.”
― Anonymous

“If we look at the path, we do not see the sky. We are earth people on a spiritual journey to the stars. Our quest, our earth walk, is to look within, to know who we are, to see that we are connected to all things, that there is no separation, only in the mind.”
― Native American

"If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him."
― Buddha

"Your greatest awakening comes, when you are aware about your infinite nature.”
― Amit Ray,

"The Enlightenment view of mankind is a complete myth. It leads us into thinking we're sane and rational creatures most of the time, and we're not."
― J. G. Ballard

"To know the light you must first become the light."
― NG Meyers

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The following excerpt is a brief discussion on enlightenment that's found within the third chapter of ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE: SURREAL ADVENTURES, the second book of the novel series. (Publication pending.)

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‘By the way,’ Mo said, ‘you know that little forest fire we told you about that caused the forestry helicopter to fly by?’

‘I remember; what about it?’

‘Do you think it might be possible that someone set the woods on fire to create enough smoke for the forestry department to notice?

‘Really,’ I said. ‘The story just got better. So who was our pyromaniac friend?‘

‘Well I didn’t actually set the woods on fire,’ Eli said, ‘it was just a burning brush pile I gathered to create a strategically trajectory that would ensure crew would fly past your body. They still can’t figure how that fire was started,’ he laughed.

‘Just remember this little vignette of intervention whenever you doubt.’ Mo said. ‘If your guardian Eli can do that while you’re here, think what your real angels of mercy might do for you when you return home.’

‘Might do what?’ I asked.

‘Oh, I don’t know, I guess whatever advances you further up and further in. We all progress on our journey over time but we hardly ever know the best path any more than you did while ascending this mountain.’

‘It’s probably best that way, Eli said, ‘if you had known what was ahead, you might have suspended your ascent. The road to enlightenment can be very circuitous and it’s always possible you might decide it’s not worth the effort. But that’s a choice… it’s always a choice. I think you know that by now.’

‘So what you’re saying is that the only thing holds me back is me.’

‘Who else,’ Mo said, ‘even when you think there’s someone or something in your way, it’s really you. But if that’s what you want when you return home, no one’s going to prevent you from miring yourself into the Lowlands once again. Perhaps you will decide your old home in the bogs has more to offer than the splendors of Elysium. It’s obvious much of the world prefers the shadowy mists of the Lowlands to Elysium’s light. Remember the thick fog and swamp gases that shielded the light from your inward eyes and the deep ruts that led your misguided mind along paths of mediocrity. And oh yes; to use another metaphor from your dream, a little wood, hay and stubble[1] to provide your hovel some warmth and comfort.’

‘That’s why, after being on the Summit, we don’t think you will ever wish to return to the Lowlands even when you go back. After being consociated with Elysium, you soul knows the only true home it has is the one you came from. And so, we’re not too concerned about you remaining in the bogs for too long once you return to your body. Maybe a year or two, but we know your heart has already left the Lowlands. Who wants to slide all the way back after having a taste of Elysium on the Summit?’[2]

‘Speaking of taste; is there still more pasta in the oven, Mo?

[1]In reference to what endures and has value in life; I Corinthians 3:12
[2] Recently, as I was reading a book, I was struck again with the truth of what Mo was saying. "While you return to ground level, you will also retain the mountain top experience. As was said before, the mountain came to you. You will thus always have the power to call upon the mountain top experience and the view of wholeness we have achieved here. You will carry it within you, and when you feel not its power, you will be able to call it forth simply by asking for it to be so." Quoted from A Course of Love

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The second excerpt I have included is another discussion on enlightenment from the 11th Chapter of the same book. This discussion goes into a bit more depth regarding what enlightenment might mean... at least to James (the hero/protagonist), at his stage of his conscious development.

‘You really must think I’m ready for this next stage of proceeding, as you like to say: higher up and further in.’

‘Actually you’re not,’ Mo said, ‘but we remain confident you will be after your island retreat. So now’s the time to prepare yourself for what’s ahead; wherever you are, here, there or on the earth plane.’

‘That’s most splendid, I’m sure, but let’s get back to this tropical island retreat. It doesn’t sound anything much like nirvana to me.’

‘Perhaps that’s something you may wish to pursue later in Tibet,’ he said, ‘but that’s not what this retreat is about since it’s about you preparing yourself for whatever enlightenment might come to you when the time is right. Remember, you can’t just make enlightenment happen by contriving it according to your schedule when it suits you.

‘I think enlightenment is more about an ongoing process than an event,’ Eli said. ‘And so, if you haven’t done the preparatory work, you can’t get there. As Mo said, the best you can do is simply ready yourself for it, so that when the time in right, it will come to you. And that’s what you’ll be doing on the island; getting ready for being ready’

‘So how long is this going to take,’ I said. ‘I don’t think it took Buddha all that long, and all he had to do was sit under his Bodhi tree.’

‘Siddhartha’s experience was his not yours,’ he said ‘Besides, his enlightenment had began long before he sat under his tree, otherwise he wouldn’t have sat under it all that time.

The voice of I Am will come to you, Mo said, as an inward understanding or knowingness when you are called. That’s why, as we say it’s not about apprehending, but being apprehended. Not seizing, but being seized. It speaks not about things, but about your Self, the hardest thing there is to know. That’s because you’re not a thing, but a god that’s forgotten who you are; a vessel of God’s essence. And so, when you finally come to recognize the voice, it will always be there for you because it always was; you just didn’t recognize it because you didn’t recognize your Self. But when you do, you will know all you need to know.

‘The vision may not be a burning bush I AM, experience,’ Eli said, ‘and so the voice may not be audible, but what you sense will be unmistakeable because it come from you, for you, and you only. Not for Eli, not for me, and certainly not for anyone else. You never know where or how it will come, but when it does, it will be commensurate with your openness and comprehension. And that’s what you have to prepare for – there’s still too much distortion from your intellect that still gets in the way for you to properly receive.’

‘So are you saying I’m too smart for my own good?’

‘If you were smart,’ he said, ‘you would get out of your own way. Your mind is part of who you are, even when it gets you into trouble. Just try to keep it subordinated so the voice from the heart may be heard.’

‘I’m not sure I like that word subordinated,’ I said, ‘sounds too hierarchal.’

‘Fair enough,’ Mo said, ‘obviously you’re been listening to all the flat Flatland propaganda. But if you don’t like the term, perhaps we could say aligned with the heart. Many practices have been developed by highly evolved mystic schools and esoteric traditions that require a great deal of silence.

‘But you don’t have to be in an ashram, mystical encounters can occur almost anywhere; under a tree, which doesn’t necessarily have to be of the Bodhi phyla, in the church choir singing the Halleluiah chorus or swimming with the dolphins.

‘As long as love and peace are present, and fear and judgement are not, then you may receive the light. But more often than not, however, enlightenment occurs in silence when no one is present except the Presence. And then it is gone again, at least until the next time’

‘That’s jolly,’ I said, ‘but the problem with enlightenment is that it always seems to come at such a great price.’ ‘Most of the famous mystics I’ve heard about had few possessions and even less money. And so, they paid dearly for their enlightenment.’

‘The price you pay is determined not by what one gives, but by what one is not willing to give – the less willing, the higher the price. Often much time and effort is required to release what one doesn’t wish to release, such as misguided beliefs about life’s meaning. These distractions might seem to have to do with outward fixations related to money, relationships and achievements, but not necessarily so. It may be more subtle than that, such as pride, fear and vengeance.

For this reason, it doesn’t matter not how much one has, but what one is. And out of that essence, the desire to dwell within the divine light. The light can’t dwell within until one is first willing to dwell in the light. And so it is with enlightenment, it will come to you if you first go to it.’

‘This may require the circumstances of one’s life to be significantly altered. But then, I guess you know all about that. Such diversions are often necessary for the noisy and distracted mind to settle down to see and hear with inward eyes and ears.’

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In summary, there is more that could be said on this topic of enlightenment since the topic in inexhaustable. Rather than belabour the subject further in this post, I would encourage you to purchase ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE novel series as the books are released since enlightenment is a major theme running throught the entire series.

I also plan to post an addtional article called ENLIGHTENMENT TWO whereby I will attempt to write more of my own thoughts on this topic as concisely as I'm able.

Please feel free to leave you comments at the end of this post. I'd love to hear from you.

NGM Feb 24.19

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OVERVIEW OF THE ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE SERIES

The Elysium Passage series involves five novels about a young British philosopher named James Phillips who finds himself living in an altered state of reality while still remaining on earth.

After experiencing a near fatal fall while climbing to the summit of a remote mountain in the Andes, James awakens in a new dimension. He soon encounters two mysterious beings who provide him with a very different perspective on the nature of his existence. Over the next year, before his body recovers from the coma, he is challenged to re-examine his understanding about life’s meaning and purpose far beyond anything he previously believed, or could believe.

An engaging and sometime surreal adventure with intimations of impending romance, the narrative explores the most important questions about life, death, reality and our ultimate destiny.

The Plains of Elysium (Champs-Élysées) was described by Homer, Hesiod, Virgil and many other poets as the paradisiac afterlife realm reserved for heroes. As the title suggests, this is about a journey through a passage that leads towards Elysium’s exciting realm of existence.

To read a sample press review, go to: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/05/prweb15515775.htm

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VIDEO INTRODUCTION OF SERIES

To view my first attempt at introducing the series, double click.

What do I mean by attempt? Watch and you will soon see. If you know of anyone you think might be interested in viewing this, please pass along by sharing.

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READER REVIEWS
ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE: THE SUMMIT

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The following comments are among the first Amazon reviews of Elysium’s Passage: The Summit. All are Five Stars! Others reader reviews are included below, along with excerpts from two professional reviews. To read full reviews, go to READER REVIEWS on this blog

"A delightful mix of fantasy, reality, conjecture and humour; Mr. Meyers draws the reader into the story with a gentle narrative that captures imagination, leaving one anxious to get to the next page drawing you into his exceptional world.”

"Quietly, gently, and without imposition, the Author unfolds the pages, creating an intricate, interlocking bridge spanning the chasm between mind and heart. Renewing, refreshing, restoring. In my bereavement, it was vigil and light…"

“Excellently written with an exceedingly deep understanding of this world and the next. The characters are very well written and engaging that takes the reader on both a philosophical and spiritual journey, a journey that at times is both disquieting and tranquil. James, a British Philosopher can be irreverent and caustic, traits that should have left me cringing, but instead made me laugh out loud. Elysium’s Passage is a fun, enlightening and remarkable book.”

“This is a masterful fantasy, becoming a real possibility, as the reader is drawn into the story. The Summit leaves you anxious for the next book in the series, yet also leaves you totally satisfied with the world you have just visited. Genius! An exciting, yet calming, experience that is not to be missed."

"There was hardly a page on which I did not find at least one sentence worthy of hi-lighting for future reference. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, James, whose personality and passionate verbal exchanges with the other characters, kept me coming back for more. I am reading the book for a second time while I wait for the next one in this series to be made available."

“N.G. Meyers has clearly put a great deal of research and thought into what the afterlife may look like and I like his perspective. It’s an altogether welcoming and exciting vision. The book gives one a great deal to think about and a reassuring confidence that the end of our lives is truly the beginning of life in the next. I highly recommend it."

"I am really enjoying your book, it’s fantastic! It is so incredible and diversified that I can’t really explain it other people, so what I say is just read this book. Thank you so much for the blessings that you’ve given the world!"

“The humour interjected into a serious discussion makes me laugh out loud. Totally unexpected....l may be in the presence of at least a master, if not a genius. A fair ride into reality... seeking that which is unseen, yet absolutely real.”

“An engaging story of adventure embracing man's deepest desire to search for meaning and purpose, N.G. Meyers takes the reader on an adventurous thought provoking journey. This book has substance. It is a perfect blend of adventure and fantasy combined with spiritual philosophy. It ignited my imagination. The author magically weaves a good story laced with wit and humor together with deep philosophical wisdom. This book has it all!”

“An evolution in thought is triggered by many fresh philosophical themes which could inspire readers to re-think their reality and former ideologies that have dictated their lives… the author fires readers’ imaginations to view what could be possible when spirit vacates the body.”

“This is the book spiritual seekers have been waiting for. For me, it granted a great read as well as increased inspiration to live every day with a heightened sense of purpose. I highly recommend it.

“The Summit is capable of hooking readers and luring them to search for Book 2 to discover more about Dr. Philip’s surreal trek into the mysterious unknown universe. This thick book is well worth the read and to share…”

“The Elysium’s Passage series challenges and excites the reader while taking him into parallel quests for truth with the hero, James. It can be a fast fantasy read or a longer deliberation about what is reality or illusion; veracity or platitude. Take the journey!”

“Mind-blowing statements and speculation (‘…everyone is a non-physical thought form conceived in the Mind of God, preserved for all eternity because God’s thoughts never die…’). Many will find Meyers’ journey up the Mountain intriguing—and possibly even life-changing.” (BLUEINK REVIEW)

“In its effort to grapple with fundamental questions about the meaning of life, it raises questions that have echoed throughout the ages, including about where we come from, where we are going, who we are.” (CLARION REVIEW)

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