Definition of enlightenment

Remaining in a state of peace and quiet may be good for an individual, but it is useless in bringing peace to the world. What good is an enlightened person who has no positive influence on those around him? True enlightenment imparts wisdom and the strength to make good choices in the real world. If enlightenment has no bearing on the state of the real world, what good is it? As I said, it won’t buy you a piece of stale bread.

By the above definition, enlightenment is a state of mind that allows you to act for the benefit of all. In short, enlightenment can be represented by good deeds. How do you determine what good is? You already know! You already know what is good for you and your neighbors and the world. You don’t need someone else to tell you what is ultimately good for humanity and the Earth. You already have an internally calibrated scale that can distinguish what is good from what is bad. Enlightenment is, therefore, an already existing state of your mind.

Therefore, enlightenment does not require effort. If you seek enlightenment through some type of effort, then it is not true enlightenment. Effort is needed to make something that is incomplete, complete. Something that is imperfect into something perfect. However, enlightenment is already perfect and complete, thereby not needing any effort at improvement. The reason we cannot act for the benefit of all is not due to a lack of enlightenment, but because of the various prejudices, egos, and attachments that force us to cater to the needs of particular individuals or groups. When you can divest your consciousness of these influences, your consciousness by itself is complete and perfect. The real ization of this is enlightenment.