Are You Enlightened?

If one has decided to follow the path of the Buddha,and a difficult emotion to release. And this, comically,
enlightenment is the goal. Enlightenment will removeis the emotion that separates us from Oneness.
the pain of living within the cause and effect world ofPossibly this is the reason for the little smile on the
this physical world.face of the famous statues of the Buddha, with his
Most of us understand the frustration of the ideabald head and little pot belly. We already have it all. If
that the harder we try, the more elusive the result.we can let go of our comical demands, we will
This is the abstract effect of the picture of theexperience Enlightenment.
world in terms of right and wrong. In truth, theIn truth, not everyone in the material world lacks
Buddha nature implies that everything is as it shouldEnlightenment. A Boddhisatva is a person who has
be, and the imperfection we perceive is more in ourgained enlightenment and has moved into the
own mind than in reality.Oneness as a result. Some of these Enlightened
Enlightenment is the state of letting go of one's ownBeings, in their compassion for the rest of us, choose
ideas sufficiently to see the reality of what is. If weto come back from the Oneness into our physical
believe we hold the future in our hands, we are quiteworld of opposites, to help others find their way.
caught up in the process of cause and effect. WeThis would imply people such as Jesus, perhaps
may have heard the old adage, "The path to hell isGhandi, or maybe Mother Theresa. They don't need
paved with good intentions". This implies anto be famous, and we may be living next door to a
understanding of the process of cause and effect.Boddhisatva. The person who is gaining awards for
In truth, the presence in this physical world suggestsgood works, is probably not a Boddhisatva. The
that enlightenment has not as yet occurred. Whenintention of the Boddhisatva would not be personal
one has absorbed the truth of the Buddha naturefame.
and all-inclusive state of everything, one will no longerA wonderful little Chihuahua named Kuan Yin was
live in the physical world. One will have devolved intomost possibly a Boddhisatva. Her selfless and
the Pure Light of Oneness.universal love and acceptance was inspirational. This
This can be a disturbing concept to anyone who isdidn't mean she wouldn't give a little nip to another
still separated by dualism, from the Oneness. Thewhen needed.
ubiquitous cry of "I want", is well-known to everyone