What is enlightenment, how it feels after it and how can we attain it?
Question by Anand Mishra, Research scholar in the Department of English and modern European languages, University of Lucknow.
Anandji, you seem to be in a hurry to outpace Buddha. But, it is a very important query as it will help bust many myths attached to the word ‘enlightenment’. However, the right term used by the Indian rishi is yogaarudha —union with your infinite dimension, also called atmashakshaatkaar .
Let’s not get into the terminology and drive straight to the point. The Gita lays down a basic principle —you become what you identify with —यो यत् श्रद्ध: स एव स:…you are what you are lovingly attached to (Chapter 17). What does it mean? It is the key to unlock the mystery of atmashakshaatkaar. If you identify God as light then you become light. If you identify Him as Buddha then you become Buddha, the same way if you identify with Him as the master of all, you become the master of all. That is why some say He is the light, He is Buddha, He is Jagat Guru and so on and so forth. The end principle is being and becoming your own God idea and manifesting it. If the ruling idea in your mind is to grow muscles like Salman Khan then you will end up becoming him! Another fact pops out of it here—that is you have to get out of the Anand dimension to assume the Salman dimension. Likewise, a person who unites with the infinity in any way has to leave his finite dimensions and assume the infinite one. The God idea in all the practices around the world has one common fact—He, She, It, They have everything in infinitude. Love infinite, power infinite, knowledge infinite and so on and so forth.Ha ha ha…
Krishna makes it very clear in Chapter 8, Shlok 6,-- यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् ।तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावित: ।। "He becomes the idea with which he enters the infinite dimension leaving the finite one, because he has always been energising that idea through constant remembrance." Now when you become your idea, you manifest it to the infinity the way it is. If your idea is light then you become light and radiate light. Everybody then will see everything in your light. This is one of the reasons why we worship the sun as God—because the sun is nothing but the God idea of countless people. Of them countless became the sun and countless will become the sun. This is enlightenment at the core. Krishna says in Chapter 8 Shlok 7 last line—मय्यार्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामे