Featured | Meta-Cognition | Spiritual

Have We Left Enlightenment Behind?

Enlightenment. There’s no requirement for it today, apparently.

The only directive is being practical.

A better cog in the machine.
The best one.

The one that ‘truly’ understands the system and dreams of overcoming it from within.

In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, it can be easy to get caught up in the rat race of life. We’re constantly trying to outdo ourselves and others, striving for success and recognition. But in the midst of all this ambition, have we left enlightenment behind?

Enlightenment is a concept that has been often exclusively associated with monks and ascetics, who have seemingly “given up” on the material world and all its trappings in order to seek a higher spiritual understanding.

Until you see a monk dance listening to Baby Shark on his iPad.

See, in today’s society, there seems to be no requirement for enlightenment. The only directive is being practical, and achieving our goals through hard work and determination. Grind. Hustle. Work, baby.

But what if there’s more to life than just being practical? What if there’s a deeper understanding of existence that we’re missing out on? This is where enlightenment comes in. Enlightenment is not just for monks and ascetics – it’s an approach to life that can help us better navigate the confusing and often overwhelming questions of existence.

Unfortunately, many people see enlightenment as something that is only for those who have given up on their drive and ambition. They think that being selfish is equivalent to ambition, and that enlightenment is something that is only for those who have given up on the material world. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Enlightenment is not about giving up on our goals and desires – it’s about understanding them in a deeper way.

It’s about having better answers to life’s confusing questions, and better control over our physiological ambitions and not being wavered by temptation.

It’s about not sucker punching a bad boss on a really rough day, because we understand that it’s pointless to react with anger and violence.

But why does that kind of “forced zen” still feel like enlightenment? Because at the end of the day, we all have the choice to either be proud of ourselves, or to look at the world through all different lenses of insufficiencies.

Regretfully, in this rat race of life, most of us have forgotten how to:

be kind,
be generous,
be wise,
be smart,
be truly independent,
be oriented, and
be stable.

All common hallmarks of one who has “achieved” enlightenment.

If you ask someone that ‘feels’ enlightened to you, they’ll tell you that even the ascetics are still only figuring it out, but there’s one thing they all know: that enlightenment isn’t something to figure out, but a path to walk on. And that it’s pointless to push other people on this path. They have to choose it their own selves. They choose it to have better answers to life’s confusing questions. They choose it to have better control over their physiological ambitions and not be wavered by temptation. They choose it to not sucker punch a bad boss on a really rough day.

It is a pointless exercise to try and control other people’s demons. It is a pointless path for them, for the ascetic to be bothered enough to push them onto it.

Basically, enlightenment is not something that can be forced or imposed on others. It’s a choice that individuals make for themselves in order to improve their lives. It’s an approach to life that can help us better navigate the confusing and often overwhelming questions of existence. And it’s important to remember that enlightenment is not about giving up on our goals and desires – it’s about understanding them in a deeper way. So let’s take a step back from the rat race of life, and strive to achieve a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

However, as a working professional, it can become really lonely to stay on the path without losing the balance.

So, if you’re on this path (and versions of these thoughts have earlier crossed your mind), let’s be on the path, together.

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