By Sri Kumar.S

There are innumerable spiritual books giving explanations, teachings and guidance on the path to spiritual enlightenment. Different books contain different ideas and they always lead to more confusion rather than answering our question. First, we need to understand the essence of the word “enlightenment”. Some say it is the ultimate destination of human life, some say it is the outcome of the mind’s evolution from the state of ignorance to the state of consciousness, and some say it is the state of Moksha, Nirvana, etc. Let’s start with a quick glance at “Enlightenment”.

We know in our hearts that there’s a natural order to life, something more sovereign than any man-made rules or laws could ever express. This natural order is called cosmic law. The law is the eternal substrate of the cosmos. It guides the very current of time and space. Every act we perform in this body has to pass through this layer. It’s like a celestial check-point! Nobody can escape this! The law will respond and react to our deeds accordingly, which will determine our present and future endeavours.

The law is known by some as the “Will of God”, “Divine Providence”, “The Holy Spirit”, “Life Force”, but for now we will simply call it “The Law of Cosmic”.

The law of cosmic is reflected in us as the source of our inspiration, passion, wisdom, enthusiasm, intuition, spiritual fire or love. When we experience it in the mind it becomes genius, when perceived through the eyes it becomes beauty, when felt with the senses it becomes grace; and, when allowed into the heart it becomes love. When the love spreads into our soul, we call it the birth of ENLIGHTENMENT.

Deciphering the Siddha poem attached below, written several thousand years ago in ‘Sulamani Nigandu’
– One of the ultimate reference on Enlightenment

The person who realises that he has mutual connection between his soul and the Universe, which can provide an access to infinite knowledge, infinite vision and wisdom, infinite power, infinite bliss, without name, ego and I-Made thoughts, without association to any caste and status, without desire of materials, money and reputation, infinite life-span, disease-less and vigorous body, without any change of character – Is Living Enlightened Being. In other words… GOD

Everything we do is an attempt to create pleasure, to gain something that we want, or to push away something that is undesirable that we don’t want. We live our lives pursuing happiness “out there” as if it is a product. We have become slaves to our own desires and craving. Every time we think of a solution to one problem, we create two more problems. This is because we don’t change our minds; instead, our minds are changed by events. We tend to believe and follow what our predecessors and the generation before us followed. What if they were wrong? We don’t come to our own conclusions without any outside influences.

When we see something wonderful in someone’s life, we immediately try to impersonate their life. These practices directly crush the free-will of life.

Because the path we choose is not specifically designated to us. To some extent, we are travelling towards something which can’t be achieved or never existed. Because our souls are trapped in someone else’s dreams or desires.

When we realise this fact and destroy the walls of falsehood that we have built, life and destiny will be fully integrated and everything becomes one. This understanding will open a new dimension within us, that we do not need a label or identity to be named. The Universe, just like our consciousness and understanding, is ever expanding. And, when we box up our beliefs with a label or name, then we become limited to the name, and the ability to expand becomes constricted. Only when we merge with the existence, we are free. As long as we and the existence are separated, there is no such thing as freedom. The moment we are aware that we are nobody, no ego, and when we act out of our role, this is enlightenment.

Remember, enlightenment is not a rare visitor in our life, it is our constant companion, because that is the nature of our being.

~To be continued