I’ve always struggled with the term enlightenment.
For some reason, the idea of an individual as ‘enlightened’ has held for me a distinct tinge of superiority and speaks to a sense of a goal achieved, both of which leave me uncomfortable. I have also tended to interpret the word enlightenment in terms of the light of insight.
Recently I have arrived at a different understanding for myself that has a very different resonance and one that I can relate to much more easily.
I am ‘enlightened’, made lighter, by the experience of letting go of attachment to thoughts and feelings that net me in in the weight of habit and preconception.
This lightening of heart and soul can only happen through hard work and disciplined practice. It is an ongoing process, rooted in the way you respond to each moment – I cannot envision an end point.