Enlightenment is the word, for any serious spiritual practitioner. It is the ultimate end of the road, the finishing line, the reward. Your definition of enlightenment might be different than mine, but in the domain of spirituality, we all know where we are heading…
Adopting the Level of Consciousness (LOC) calibrations’ technique, in earlier spiritual research (1990-2003) Enlightenment was associated with the LOC of 600 and above. Although, Dr David R Hawkins, in his latter works (“Healing and Recovery” 2009), ascribes it the LOC of 700 and above – states denoting Pure Consciousness. In the end, for those who realized it, the numbers matter very little; yet for those working towards it, they are seen as the indicators of where the finishing line is a beacon to be reached.

Thus we know where we’re going, we know the “vital signs” yet, preciously very little has been written about the “effective techniques” or the path that needs to be taken; one that delivers the quickest results and avoids wasteful detours. Sure, there are thousands of spiritual “gurus” that for a fee, will guarantee you Enlightenment. There are secrets, special codes and skilful spiritual charlatans who will make you pay dearly, in your lifetimes and money, for being gullible enough to give them a try, when you’re looking for a shortcut…

Enlightenment means realizing that you’re THAT, or whatever name you prefer to call IT, already. You and I know this, yet our human nature makes us search for complicated prescriptions, directives and road maps. Simplicity cannot be worth anything, we think. There must be ways to speed the progress, to get there by a shortcut; surely, there’s somebody selling it? There’s no economy in spirituality; monies hold no sway. The only way you can economise is to give your spiritual work a 100% of your time, with an unquenchable earnestness in the search for the Self.

Still, being exposed to sleek marketing techniques that many spiritual “gurus” of today expose you to, carries a risk of derailment for your spiritual campaign. Yes, there are trusted techniques (LOC) that you can use to verify the level of integrity of someone you’re going to adopt as your spiritual teacher. The same goes for his teachings. Enlightenment takes lifetimes… of pain and drudgery. Even now, with the finishing line in sight, the danger of going astray persists. That’s why I choose to listen to those spiritual teachers who are no longer alive, and have nothing to gain from me; with one exception being Dr David R Hawkins – his publicist and the marketing machine are very low key and hardly noticeable. Seriously though, it was Dr Hawkins who through his LOC calibrations pointed to Zen Master Huang Po. And finally, the directive to you, I and all on the Way to Enlightenment. How to get there, prescribed in simple and realizable terms. Listen to what Huang Po said, some 1200 years ago, to his student monks:

“Were you now to practise keeping your minds motionless at all times, whether walking, standing, sitting or lying; concentrating entirely upon the goal of no thought-creation, no duality, no reliance on others and no attachments; just allowing all things to take their course the whole day long, as though you were too ill to bother; unknown to the world; innocent of any urge to be known or unknown to others; with your minds like blocks of stone that mend no holes – then all Dharmas would penetrate your understanding through and through.

In a little while you would find yourself firmly unattached. Thus, for the first time in your lives, you would discover your reactions to phenomena decreasing and, ultimately, you would pass beyond the Triple World; and people would say that a Buddha had appeared in the world.

Pure and passionless knowledge [Enlightenment] implies putting an end to the ceaseless flow of thoughts and images, for in that way you stop creating karma that leads to rebirth – whether as gods or men or as sufferers in hell.

Once every sort of mental process has ceased, not a particle of karma is formed. Then, even in this life, your minds and bodies become those of a being completely liberated.”

What more explanation do you need? His teaching gives us the briefest and easiest to understand “formula” for reaching Enlightenment, I know of. When you’re finally there, you’ll be one with the Mind. Then, and only then, you’ll know that what has been written here has no real meaning. Zen Buddhism founder Bodhidharma said:

“The nature of the Mind when understood,
No human speech can compass or disclose,
Enlightenment is naught to be attained,
And he that gains it does not say he knows.”