MEDITATION IS NECESSARY FOR ENLIGHTMENT
One of the most common questions I get from beginning meditators revolves around the role of meditation and attaining a state of enlightenment. Since these two ideas are often interlinked I thought I’d take a few moments to separate them out and consider an interesting question: is meditation necessary for enlightenment? Enlightenment is a wonder. Our own ideas of enlightenment pop into mind: all-knowingness, a perpetual smile and a mystical presence. Yes, and wasn’t it in the Matrix, when the movie’s hero dodges his enemies by stopping time in an enlightened state? Somehow, these ideas of enlightenment seem a bit too supernatural for everyday life. “Enlightenment is very possible for the ordinary individual. Whenever someone is ordinary, simple, innocent and natural, that is enlightenment.” We do catch glimpses of this state of mind. Most of the time, it is all covered up in the stresses of day-to-day life. Like when a memory of a childhood dream flashes in the mind. It creeps up...