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After Enlightenment Then What?
Each swept floor invites another sweep. Every child washed invites another washing. Each lawn mowed demands another mowing. Every breath taken demands another breath.
The sun ascends each morning and sets every evening. The moon shines each night. Tides ebb and flow every day. Birds sing wonderful songs today and sing them again tomorrow.
Oysters open their shells when the moon is high in the heavens. The chambered nautilus creates another chamber in its spiraled shell each lunar month.
When we breathe, we do not stop inhaling because we have breathed in all of the oxygen we will ever need. We stop because we have gotten all the oxygen we need for that particular inhalation.
When we exhale we stop breathing out in order to prepare for the next inhalation. We will need to breathe again, however, no matter how perfectly we have inhaled and exhaled.
What these scenarios are telling us is what is finished invites refinishing.
So what do we do after we become enlightened? We become more enlightened. Once we are aware that we are one with the Infinite Isness there is a tendency to think we are finished, that we are complete, that we have reached the pinnacle of our perfection.
But nothing could be further from the truth. There is a Zen saying which goes like this: Before enlightenment, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. At the moment one becomes enlightened, mountains cease to be mountains and rivers are no longer rivers. After enlightenment, mountains are once more mountains and rivers are again rivers.
A current version of this Zen koan comes from Unity minister, Jim Rosemergy who has this to say: "Mystics do not turn from the world once they turn to God. They remain in the world but not of the world. Even mystics have bills to pay.".
Once we are enlightened, that is, once we positively, absolutely, without a doubt realize we are God expressing at the point of us, we stay in the world, but not of the world to demonstrate to others the path of enlightenment.
That is our Great Commission: to fully demonstrate our Christ potential and help others to do the same. It is the same commission expressed in Matthew 28:19-20.
We will share the New Revised Standard Version and then sprinkle an ontological version from the New Metaphysical Version of Matthew to add spiritual depth.
After His resurrection Jesus announced to His disciples in verse 19:
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
Metaphysically Jesus was referring to three specific nations: our body, mind, and soul. Baptizing the nations means purifying our body, mind, and soul from unhealthy worldly attachments.
We must do this 'in the 'name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.' Name means 'in the nature of.' And, ontologically speaking Father, Son, and Holy Spirit refer to the three aspects of Divine Order (Mind, Idea, Expression).
So, we are to cleanse our body, mind, and soul by becoming one with the nature of the Christ Presence within us so we can divinely orchestrate our experience.
Matt. 20 asserts in the New Revised Standard Version: "Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you, remembering that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.""
Ontologically 'teach them' means to exemplify our talk with integrity. 'I am with you always' means we have an indivisible, unshakable, eternal connection with Spirit. To the 'end of the world' means moving from one level of consciousness to another.
Matthew 20 means we are to walk our talk by letting our Christ Light shine as we move from one level of enlightenment, one level of completion, to another.
So, what can we do after we are enlightened?
We stay in the world but not of the world. We live as monks and mystics in cities, towns, and communities. We light up the world with our example. Like the enlightened ones who became enlightened before us we will teach others how to teach others.
We will appear as typical men and women, but our values and the manner in which we live, move, and have our being will show our surrender to our higher calling.
We will have human challenges, but we will not be bound by them. We may wear glasses or contact lenses, hearing aids or pace makers, but we will not be limited by them.
We may take medications or require hospitalization, but we will not be incarcerated by them. We may find ourselves in a world that is imperfect, but we will not be bound by that imperfection.
We will be in the finishing and refinishing business. We will pot and repot ourselves daily. We will renew and keep renewing ourselves. We will tool and re-tool ourselves constantly.
We will continue to work toward our enlightenment because enlightenment is a verb, not a noun. It is a process, an unfolding, a movement from one exhilarating cusp of consciousness to another.
About the Author Drs. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course. |
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