What Is Enlightenment?

“The state we call realization is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has realized, he is that which alone is, and which alone has always been. He cannot describe that state. He can only be That.”  Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

What is Enlightenment? Did you know that it is simply the state of being yourself. Does this sound too simple to you?

There is so much talk about Enlightenment these days. Gurus, teachers, self-help experts, and personal development specialists go on talking about the wonders of Enlightenment. Well why not? They are selling something, a vague but an attractive idea of bliss and happiness; and there are plenty of buyers.

My friends, where is the glamor in being one’s own Self?

That is all what Enlightenment is. But we run from this simplicity.

There are many extraordinary Samadhis, visions, and powerful mental experiences on the spiritual path.

These can be captivating. Ultimately, all these things are transient. That is why there is no point in being attached to such phenomena and pursuing it. These cannot add an iota of substance to our natural reality.

Beyond all the imagination, there is only who you truly are. In face of your own Self, all the glamor of visionary experiences and mental states becomes zero. You are the ground of being on which all the experiences play out.

Ultimately, you are going to have to introduce yourself to yourself. The reality at the core of your Being turns out to be simply you. Bhagavan Ramana once said, “There is only you. There is nothing but you.” 

Indeed, Self-Realization is the ordinary state. That is why it is called the Sahaj or the easy and natural state. What could be more natural than simply being yourself?