Where can You Find Enlightenment?

By Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.
July 1, 2009

Enlightenment, a term often stemming from Hindu or Buddhist roots, is defined as the extinction of human suffering. Wow, that’s a tall order. Although when we sit down to actually consider this term, it’s merely an aspiration that can serve as a beacon to direct us in the direction that can be most effective for us.

Acclaimed author and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh says, “There is no enlightenment outside of daily life.”

This is what rings true most for me. He grounds the concept into something tangible, something we can all get our hands dirty with. At the end of many mindfulness-based groups that I run, I discuss how we can truly engage with becoming more present in our daily lives. A common objection with the concept of doing meditation is that “I simply don’t have the time or discipline.” Ok, fair enough. While it is suggested to make time for practice in order for it to seep more effectively throughout the day, we might ask, where are the spaces throughout the day to practice?

While driving a car in traffic, the common habit might be for thoughts and feelings of frustration to arise along with tension in the body. What would it be like to use red lights as reminders to just stop, check in with the mind and body, and intentionally choose to bring the focus to the breath and relax the body?
While waiting on hold with a company (e.g., phone, internet, computer, credit card, take your pick) that bounces you from one department to another can be a source of exponential irritation, what if you understood that it was a space during your day to practice being present, acknowledging your frustration, not judging it as good or bad, and bringing awareness to the sensations as they arise in the body. Notice what happens.
If you find yourself constantly rushing while walking from one place to the next, understand that is also a space where you might choose to walk slightly slower, bringing attention to the sensation of walking. You may even say to yourself, “breathing in, I calm my body, breathing out I relax” with every few steps.

There are so many opportunities in the day, so many spaces to weave in mindfulness to move in the direction of what some people might call “enlightenment” while others may simply call “peace of mind.”

Question: What are some other spaces you can think of that might be a place to stop, take a breath, and bring mindfulness to that moment to transform it from a moment of dis-ease to a practice to be present?

As always, share your thoughts, stories, and answer to this question below. Your interaction here provides a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and conducts a private practice in West Los Angeles. He is co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook (New Harbinger, February 2010) Check out Dr. Goldstein's acclaimed CD's on Mindful Solutions for Stress, Anxiety and Depression, Addiction and Relapse Prevention, and Success and Stress Reduction at Work -- "They are so relevant, I have marked them as one of my favorites on a handout I give to all new clients" ~ Psychiatrist. He also current has a FREE Mindful Companion EBook: Top Mindfulness Quotes and How They Can Support Your Mental Health. If you're wanting an interactive program to find relief from anxiety and stress, check out Dr. Goldstein's progressive online behavioral change program in Aliveworld. If you're wanting to integrate more mindfulness into your daily life, sign up for his Mindful Living Twitter Feed. Dr. Goldstein is also available for private psychotherapy.

Related Posts

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Comments to
“Where can You Find Enlightenment?”

Dustin at 1:26 pm on July 1st, 2009

Enlightenment, to me, is the freedom of the mind resulting from the epiphany of realizing what is real and true in the world. Also a tall order that most never achieve unfortunately. So for this comment, I will stick with the suggested ‘peace of mind.’

Peace of mind often comes to be by introducing context into my stressful situation. Stuck on the highway during rush hour? Take a minute to think about how many people in the state or country are stuck in similar positions. Take yet another minute to feel fortunate you are not part of the accident that caused the delays.

Introducing a broader context can depersonalize the situation, allowing you to gain the proper perspective and act accordingly. On the flip side, narrowing context can provide the same benefit.

For instance, while walking to the mailbox, suppose a piece of rubbish comes across your path. Thinking globally, you see that piece of trash as insignificant, picking it up does very little to help the global cause of reducing litter/trash. However, if you narrow the context from the whole world to just your neighborhood, then you’ll see that you can make a difference by picking the trash up. Instead of thinking about the impossible battle of ridding the world of litter, relish on the opportunity to help keep your neighborhood clean all while living by example.

Michael Swanhart at 11:19 pm on July 2nd, 2009

What a great blog!

Regarding mindfulness:

When sitting, sit. When eating, eat. When washing, wash.

The tweeting of a cell phone can be a reminder to return to the present. When we turn the car on to leave our homes, or when we arrive home after work can be opportunity to pause for a moment.

During distress is a great but challenging time to practice mindfulness. Can we allow ourselves the space to notice the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations as they unfold - without judgement or aversion? Can we do that when we’re about to behave unwisely? What if our patients could learn this? What if people could learn to be truly present with their loved ones? Adversaries?

The past is like a dream and the future is no more solid. The present moment is always here and should be noticed. Unaware and untrained, our minds tend to linger elsewhere.

Regarding enlightenment:

In my understanding, enlightenment results when we use practices like mindfulness to tap into the true nature of reality. To see things as they really are.

With our mind left on default, reality often becomes obstructed by a limited concept of self, one we experience as separate from everyone and everything else. This separate self develops attachment to pleasurable events/psychological content and aversion to painful events/psychological content. So, tuning in to the always unfolding present moment without judgement is a way to have a break from this cycle and just be.

Cessation of suffering occurs when there is no “I” left to suffer. Enlightment, then, can be understood a lack of our “self”-induced suffering - not some state of bliss to strive for. Striving in this way is still ego-driven - the unquenchable desire for pleasure/fame/achievement. This is what I think Hanh was referring to. Our daily lives ARE our paths to enlightenment, and we’re already experiencing exactly what we need to experience in order to tread the path. Quit looking outside. We already are enlightened underneath it all. Just gotta get the grime off. The more you reside in the present moment, the more you realize that you already have everything you need.

Just pay attention.