 Enlightenment
 Enlightenment is that state being mature and unshakeable in any circumstance, come what may, nothing can rob the smile form your heart. “All that exists in this universe belongs to me”, is enlightenment. It is not identifying with limited boundaries and feelings.
Un-enlightenment is easy to define. It is limiting you by saying, “I belong to this particular place” or “I am from that culture”. It is like children saying, “My dad is better than your dad” or “My toy is better than your toy”. I think most people around the world are stuck in that mental age group – just the toys have changed.
Adults say, “My country is better than your country.” A Christian will say, “The Bible is truth,” and a Hindu will say, “The Vedas are truth, they are very ancient.” Muslims will say, “The Koran is the last word of God.” People attribute glory to something just because they are from that culture, not for what it is. If one could take credit for all that exists throughout the ages and feel, “It belongs to me,” then that is maturity. “All this is my wealth because I belong to the Divine”.
The Divine, according to time and space, gave different knowledge to different places. One who becomes the knower of the whole universe can say, “All the beautiful flowers are from my garden.”
The whole evolution of man is from being somebody to being nobody and from being nobody to being everybody.
Have you observed that young children have that sense of belonging, that oneness, that innocence? As we grew up, we lost that innocence and became more cunning. The innocence of an ignorant person has no value and the cunningness of an intelligent man also has no value.
Enlightenment is a rare combination of innocence and intelligence, having words for expression and, at the same time, being very silent. In that state, the mind is fully in the present moment. Whatever is necessary is revealed to you in such a natural and spontaneous way, you just sit and the song flows through
you.
Enlightenment is the very core of our Being; going to the core of our Self and living our life from there.
Sri Sri Ravishankar
(Founder, Art of Living)
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