June 8, 2016 |Jon Mostad
Surrounded by a city - is it possible to obtain enlightenment?
Visiting my favorite pavement café, preparing this blog spot, I feel almost caught by the city`s overloaded ego. People walking with obvious important folders beneath arms, rush past. Unconscious cars are driven in important directions. Buildings provide space for constructed realities. Is it possible to find my path towards enlightenment, surrounded by a city?
I think so.
Enlightenment refers to the "full comprehension of a situation" and is the state of mind of a Buddha. To become a Buddha, I need to be awaken - an "understanding" being. Someone who is awakened has gained insight into the workings of the mind which keeps us imprisoned in craving, suffering and rebirth, and has also gained insight into the way that leads to Nirvana, the liberation of oneself from this imprisonment.
I have a distance to go.
Enlightenment comes through development of mind. Development of Mind comes through meditation and right actions. Perhaps the first and most important commandment is precisely to expand my consciousness? But how can I do - expand my consciousness? Dalai Lama says - "develop a greater perspective".
How?
I enter a greater perspective by being really aware of my internal states of Mind and my external situations of Action. To know my internal states of mind, I need to reflect upon my self and come to insight of my self as situated, not a fixed form. In a way I do not exist, even I exist. I need to get rid of my idea as a permanent and nature given I. To know my external situations of actions, I need to investigate wether they are unintentional. Only unintentional actions do good, in a karmic perspective. I need to get rid of all my intentional actions. When all my actions are unintentionally, I can service in favor of community.
From this position of existing but not lasting and acting but not calculating, I can surrender to phenomena and actions without fixations.
This is to become enlightened.
Silently knowing my impermanence and fixated motives, I move towards The Light. But still I wonder, is this possible surrounded by a city?
I think so
Jon