Is There A Point To Enlightenment?

Questioner: "It would seem pointless to have to go through the circle of life to finally reach enlightenment and then just disappear to nothing."

It is so pointless in fact that we miss it again and again. Our mind very, very. very much wants there to be a point to it. That is why we rather stay in "search" or "effort" towards enlightenment, because there does seem to be a point to this effort.

Once we disappear into nothing and manage to reappear here, we simply "make it a point" to help others even though there is still no point to it at all. It is also true - if people knew what enlightenment is - they would not pursue it, because it is not what they think they are pursuing.

And why would this have anything to do with motherhood? Because - just sitting on the floor and playing with your child day in and day out- at times also may seem pointless and boring - but it is closer to enlightenment than most people realize. That is why in the old days people had to serve a master for twelve years before any spiritual teachings would even be begun.

Anything that takes us closer to enlightenment is at times incredibly uncomfortable because this process is basically about dissolving selfishness. Add to that our culture, in which selfishness is celebrated and rewarded, it is tough being on this spiritual path.

Here's a hug out into the mothering universe where so many Moms/Dads - or grandparents who had to take over - fight this emotional battle within, every day at the feet of their little Buddhas.

Waiting For Enlightenment

Waiting for anything is wasting the present, so is looking forward to, and to remember, to reminisce, and even worse - to regret, to ruminate and hold a grudge. Yet we all do it for some reason. Maybe to our brains the present is just not entirely interesting enough. Otherwise we would not have 500 24/7 TV channels in addition to our subscriptions to magazines, texting phones, newspapers, books on tape and the Internet - to name a few.

In other words, our brains are addicted to stimulation the way our stomachs are addicted to food. We are getting more and more sophisticated in all our food choices, as well as our food-for-thought choices, but we are overfed and overstimulated. Yet, somehow this is what makes life interesting and is a sign that we have moved from mere survival, to culture and art, and even the pursuit of enlightenment. If you want to read a sophisticated magazine on Enlightenment, check out "What is Enlightenment" a magazine that has been around for about ten years and has grown into a highly regarded, intelligent and informative publication. Not just Enlightenment, but related subjects like the Universe, Psychology, Art and Technology are discussed with some of the leaders in all of these fields. "What is Enlightenment" makes a genuine effort to connect the dots and to find the patterns, the truths, and the various ways to describe them.

While we're waiting for Enlightenment, we might as well think and write about it. Kind of like being pregnant and reading all the baby magazines.