photo by author

Small Enlightenments Speak in Whispers

It’s the little things that form the greatest part of the whole.

Enlightenment is the culmination of insights. These insights have no end. They are everywhere if you are willing to look. This means how enlightened you become is up to you.

That’s great news for those into gradual growth, but bad news for those hoping to find enlightenment hidden in some sacred treasure chest on top of Mt. Spirituality.

I was in that camp for a long time. With enough meditation and self-work, I thought I’d attain this holy, sacred, and mysterious state and find my way initiated into some secret society of the “Enlightened”. We’d all live in some tucked away mountain village where we trade walking for floating and eat sunshine for breakfast.

Well, my views on enlightenment have changed over the years. It isn’t a prize to be won. It’s just an ongoing process.

A phrase stemming from Zen Buddhism relates to this well.

Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.

Becoming enlightened is a day-to-day kind of thing. Most of it’s collected from small insights hidden within the ordinariness of life.