Jack Kornfield article on enlightenment

www.inquiringmind.com/Articles/Enlightenments.html

I liked this article on enlightenment, by Jack Kornfield, in the new issue of Inquiring Mind. He's frank about Stream Entry being an attainment, but mentions nothing beyond it. Just curious to see if any KFD'ers had any thoughts on this piece....

" www.inquiringmind.com/Articles/Enlightenments.html

I liked this article on enlightenment, by Jack Kornfield, in the new issue of Inquiring Mind. He's frank about Stream Entry being an attainment, but mentions nothing beyond it. Just curious to see if any KFD'ers had any thoughts on this piece....
"

Oh oh!
Chris Marti will be "pleased" to see Konrfield's article on enlightenments posted for the 94th time!!
(sorry, a bit of an inside joke)

I think many 4th pathers will agree that there seems to be this vast world of possibilities in terms of how one experiences all the rising phenomena post 4th path, and that all it really takes at that point is a simple shift in awareness to experiences these "different types of enlightenments". At the end of the ride, one now sees every single rising phenomena as having 3 characteristics, and a sense of being the "self" as purely an arising and passing mental formation. Some see their true nature at the time as pure primordial awarenes, some as pure emptiness, some (like Ingram and myself) see it as both, as some argue they are both the same thing. From there, seeing things while in utter equanimity (Sayadaw's "mode"), or being utterly present in the here and the now (Thich Nhat Hanh's "mode") , or the luminosity of PCE/DM or 3rd gear (Eckhart Tolle's "mode") can all be experienced by a simple shift in awareness. I'm going to apologize before hand if I have misused any terminology or concepts above, (PCE/DM, 3rd gear) as to me they are very similar but apparently not exactly the same. The truth of the matter is that all these experiences are available post 4th path. So I'm in agreement with Jack in the sense that they are different ways to experience phenomena and to relate to phenomena once it is seen for what it really is.

"Oh oh!
Chris Marti will be "pleased" to see Konrfield's article on enlightenments posted for the 94th time!!
(sorry, a bit of an inside joke)

I think many 4th pathers will agree that there seems to be this vast world of possibilities in terms of how one experiences all the rising phenomena post 4th path, and that all it really takes at that point is a simple shift in awareness to experiences these "different types of enlightenments". At the end of the ride, one now sees every single rising phenomena as having 3 characteristics, and a sense of being the "self" as purely an arising and passing mental formation. Some see their true nature at the time as pure primordial awarenes, some as pure emptiness, some (like Ingram and myself) see it as both, as some argue they are both the same thing. From there, seeing things while in utter equanimity (Sayadaw's "mode"), or being utterly present in the here and the now (Thich Nhat Hanh's "mode") , or the luminosity of PCE/DM or 3rd gear (Eckhart Tolle's "mode") can all be experienced by a simple shift in awareness. I'm going to apologize before hand if I have misused any terminology or concepts above, (PCE/DM, 3rd gear) as to me they are very similar but apparently not exactly the same. The truth of the matter is that all these experiences are available post 4th path. So I'm in agreement with Jack in the sense that they are different ways to experience phenomena and to relate to phenomena once it is seen for what it really is."

Ack. Sorry if I missed the previous 93 reposts! Rather than the many facets of enlightenment, maybe we should be speaking of the many facets of the many reposts of Jack Kornfield's article on enlightenment....

"We know that the Buddha taught many different approaches to enlightenment, all as skillful means to release grasping of the limited sense of self and return to the inherent purity of consciousness. Similarly, we will discover that the teachings on enlightened consciousness include many dimensions. When you actually experience consciousness free of identification with changing conditions, liberated from greed and hate, you find it multifaceted, like a mandala or a jewel, a crystal with many sides. ***Through one facet, the enlightened heart shines as luminous clarity, through another as perfect peace, through another as boundless compassion. Consciousness is timeless, ever-present, completely empty and full of all things. But when a teacher or tradition emphasizes only one of these qualities over the others, it is easy to be confused, as if true enlightenment can be tasted in only one way. Like the particle-and-wave nature of light, enlightenment consciousness is experienced in a myriad of beautiful ways.***" -- Jack Kornfield

'Nuff said.

"
"


"We know that the Buddha taught many different approaches to enlightenment, all as skillful means to release grasping of the limited sense of self and return to the inherent purity of consciousness. Similarly, we will discover that the teachings on enlightened consciousness include many dimensions. When you actually experience consciousness free of identification with changing conditions, liberated from greed and hate, you find it multifaceted, like a mandala or a jewel, a crystal with many sides." -Jack Kornfield

I like this. It sounds very much like the direction in which I wish to go.

"Through one facet, the enlightened heart shines as luminous clarity, through another as perfect peace, through another as boundless compassion. Consciousness is timeless, ever-present, completely empty and full of all things. But when a teacher or tradition emphasizes only one of these qualities over the others, it is easy to be confused, as if true enlightenment can be tasted in only one way. Like the particle-and-wave nature of light, enlightenment consciousness is experienced in a myriad of beautiful ways. -- Jack Kornfield

Hi Chris!

Do you think that is what happened/ is happening here at KFD?