Thread: What is enlightenment for you?

What does the word mean? What is that light and what will happen to you if you achieve or reach enlightenment?
What does someone do who is enlightened?
And of course: how do you reach enlightenment? Is it possible to make a course in enlightenment?

To me this word does not have much of a meaning and that is mainly because I heard it from too many dubious people searching for it or claiming to have achieved it.
If it is something really great, a great spiritual achievement it would be something like being without ego and having left all material attachments.
Then how can someone who is enlightened have the ego to say himself that he is enlightened when if enlightenment means there is no ego? You cannot say that it is not egoistic to say that you are enlightened because enlightenment is obviously something that you want to achieve, something great...
Well, I guess it is a confusing word not only for me, so let me hear what you think about it!

Being in Love is enlightenment for me.

I too don't really get this word and if you search and look it up you can't get any real straight answers. I think it's a word Spiritual people and guru's have been throwing around to get people to give them money. I do believe if you are so enlightened then why don't you give your secret away so people can live in this peace and happiness. Why sell it? These so called spiritual people take years to become enlightened and even sometimes many lifetimes to become enlightened but they are selling a 4 week course, this makes no sense. I need to ask how can you put a timeline on this and why do you think this will work? I'm interested to know what these courses offer - if someone has taken one of these can you please send me details on how someone can teach you enlightenment? For me enlightenment simply means living in love, doing only what you love and loving everything you do. If you live this way you are completely happy and you can't get any lighter than LOVE!

“Love is Light and Light is Love” Love is the true enlightenment of life.

A lot of my own anger towards gurus and spiritual movements comes from almost being forced to give up "material attachments".

You know these Gurus or enlightnment sellers are those who are most attached to material. I have seen many. And to survive in this world you need some material, too. The question is how much is necessary.

you have to be honest with yourself and honest about who you are.

Great. You are absolutaly right Alexis, being honest with yourself and with your feelings and also with others is very important for me. I have grown up with a very strong religious, cultural and traditional background and lived a life of Guru. But after leaving this all, i follow 3 principles in my life: honest, direct and clear. Many times I have also faced much difficulties because of these principles but I pray to my God to please mainten these for me in my short life.

I don't think so one has to leave family to live a spiritual life. Why can someone not be spiritual while they love their family, too? Do you think God doesn't like family or he will be angry or jealous if you love your family and friends?
I never heard god saying "if you love me then stop loving your family". Maybe this is more likely the idea of a sect that wants to have fully dedicated followers who serve only and only them and don't share their love with anybody else.
But God would not be like this.
Why can we not see God in our family members? He can be there in form of family and friends, too.