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Enlightenment
Have others besides the Buddha become fully enlightened? Are any of you fully enlightened? 
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She has a website but I'm not sure that I'm allowed to post it, am I?
I think I am enlightened, I actually think most of you here are too, i just think its pretty mundane, a bit like:
"Ahhh so that's how apostrophes work!"
I think enlightenment is simply to see and know and practice Dharma.
All the "mountain top" enlightenments seem to come millenia after the time of the Buddha and, as with all religions, involve bucket loads of mysterium and unobtainium that we mere lay folk just don't have access to.
Q:What did the Buddha do when enlightened?
A: Got on with his life and showed countless others how they too could be enlightened.
Enjoy your enlightenment! It may be the last one you have!
;p
Salome
Mat
So are you saying that those who say they are enlightened are not, even when they say they are?
!!!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek:!!!!
Mat
Yes of course. If you attend my teachings and obey my instructions, it'll cost you £50 for the first 10mins and £1000 for a special super saver weekend retreat. Cheap at the price -tell all your friends.
.
So yes, there have been many that have become enlightened since the Buddha's time, and we're not talking about a bunch of famous people through history. Monks enter the monastic life to practice the teachings, meditate upon them, and reach progressively unfettered states, from Sotāpanna (Stream-Enterer) to Sakadāgāmī (once-returner) to Anāgāmi (non-returner) and finally to the fully awakened/enlightened state of Nibbana ("Arahant"). They don't get put on some list when they've done this, they simply know the goal has been achieved.
You may be confusing Full Enlightenment with being a "Buddha". To be a Buddha means that the teachings leading to liberation are non-existent; the Buddha discovers the truth that exists on its own and then teaches the path leading to liberation to the world. So, there can only be one known Buddha in a period of history. If ever the teachings were lost, the next human to attain liberation and teach it to the world would be the next "Buddha".
Some confusion does come from the term "Buddhahood" being used with the same meaning as that of "Arahant", but you get used to it.
As far as asking people if they're enlightened, you're welcome to try. Firstly though, it's doubtful there are any Arahants on this forum. Secondly, it's rather taboo to state your level of attainment without any better reason than being asked. Probably because it's not possible to prove it, and the Ego would cause many to make false claims (hence why monks are forbidden from making false claims or they will be kicked outta the Sangha).
It is a difficult path, but it's not so difficult that you need to be someone special to reach full enlightenment. Anyone can. Many did even during the Buddha's 45-year teaching career.
You would be surprised by the amount of people that claim they are enlightened - or Maitreya.
Absolutely, and some after just a few hours!
I'm not so sure about that anymore. I think the stories of people being enlightened so quickly are exaggerations. :cool:
Nios.
Curious, why do you think that?
I think it's possible, and plausable, that somethings might have been exaggurated to make the Dharma seem even more great. Another possibility is that it has a sub-meaning, as many things in the suttas and sutras do. Who knows. Just keeping an open mind, as always.
Nios.
Ahh right, so you have no reason to doubt such accounts that is distinct from any other part of Buddhism...
I agree, we can expect that much, perhaps all, of Buddhism is subject to exaggeration but to me it seems the one thing that hasn't been exaggerated is these "easy enlightenments". What can they be exagerations of, that it took 1 hour instead of eight?:)
See what I mean?:)
Mat
I'm not looking for an argument Mat, it was only an opinion. Like you I am on a journey of discovery. My mind is open to change and new ideas.
Nios.
FFS Nios! Relax. What on earth suggested I am looking for an argument" You are like a hair trigger when it comes to talking to me, and much of that is my fault sure, but lets move on:)
You raised a point that fascinates me and I would like to discuss.
Your call, talk or not?:)
I am.
Maybe you can rephrase your last post into a question?
Nios.
I wont bother:) Be well
This is my first post here and I am a "newly interested in Buddhism" type. However, I think the OP's question is a good one. It is doubtful that anyone will reveal their own level of enlightenment but what I would like to know is - who has met or been in the presence of someone they feel is/was enlightened?
One of my heart's desires is to meet someone 'enlightened'. I think it would help a lot - to know it can be done.
Would love to hear from people on this.
Many thanks,
Bagg
I think if you understand the four noble truths deeply (philosophy/mind/morality) and are committed to the path then you may very well be enlightened already!
I have a friend who is a Lama who thinks he has seen someone become enlightened and to him it was a profound and magical experience.
Buddhism, it takes all sorts:)
Mat
Another kind of enlightenment (which I think these posters are talking about) is a sort of ultimate breakthrough, to a pinnacle of wisdom and self-mastery which only a small percentage of people ever reach. Seldom do we cross paths with such masters, but they do exist: there are undoubtedly some alive in the world today.
If you want to meet such a person, you can find him/her if you seek diligently. Your journey will likely lead you to wiser and wiser teachers and masters, and if you are persistent, you may one day meet an enlightened being. What a special day that will be! And an opportunity for great learning.
I have had the good fortune to meet some very wise teachers, including some Zen Masters I thought were extremely wise. But I don't think I've yet ecountered the kind of exalted spiritual master we're discussing here. I believe that when I do finally meet such a person, I will know it beyond doubt, for I have heard there is an unmistakable power to beings who have transformed themselves to that level.
If you go to the 12 links of the dependent arising, you will see it begins with ignorance and later on you reach craving (the second noble truth - cause of suffering) and other things. If craving is the cause of suffering and is a link of this chain, if we break the chain we are free of suffering. That is what I call nirvana: the breakage of the 12 links. Easy no? (my slow mind can't really swallow the 'non-arising state' or whatever it is x-) )
Let's say we are ignorant and we choose to work with that link (just because I personally think the way we practice leads us to look at things in a different way, so when we work with the reasons why we shouldn't be angry we are really working with ignorance) but what are we ignorant of? Of the real way in which things do exist. Is it reasonable to think we can change the way we look at things? Is it reasonable to believe we can stop being ignorant?
I think it is. In fact, isn't that what we do everyday? Figure out how things work? You see, we already build up a way of looking at life. It is not something we would be doing for the first time. When we look at an object we already have an idea of how it exists, all we have to do is say "no, actually it exists like this".
What I understand is that fundamentally, we 'read' life with the wrong alphabet. It is like where there is an A we read E, where there is a B we read P, so our conclusions of life are fundamentally wrong.
That is how I plan to work towards enlightenment, don't know if the Buddha would agree, but this is the framework that seems reasonable to me at the moment.
If you are just talking to them briefly, you wouldn't know. If you know them well for a longer time, you would see that they are free of afflictive emotions.
Nothing is permanent, right?
Not only is nothing permanent, but there is no enduring identity to bear the characteristic of enlightenment!
It takes one to know one.
P
I think the very idea of "full enlightenment" is very dangerous. Someone who is "fully enlightened" is seen as someone who can possibly do no wrong, someone who can never be questioned. There is no surer recipe for disaster.
That's a great question, I imagine the answer is yes?
I've reached enlightenment without even being a buddhist and only knowing about it from the book "Monkey King". It was the best feeling: the feeling of absolute clarity, peace, and completeness. The feeling of ultimate life accomplishment, infinite love towards all beings. It was a lot like being in love actually. All I wanted was to let others understand. I read you guys talking about the 4 stages. I'm not sure which stage I was at, but I did feel really complete.
Does anyone know, can one reach it again?
Enlightenment is outside of concepts, so to in my mind, I wouldn't necessarily recognise that I was enlightened, let alone if other people were.
According to the Buddha, if it ceases, it was not enlightenment. There is no going back once one has seen the truth.
According to me and my experience, I don't know!
Edit: Oh and I did get the truth, however I'm not after it anymore, I'm after that awesome feeling
Please post for us.
Thanks
She is enlightened?