Enlightenment Is Not Something Strange

 

Enlightenment isn’t some mystical or extraordinary event.
In truth, it’s much like what we call "growing up" — a process of maturing, of coming to understand life and oneself more deeply.

As children, we see the world only through our own needs. We cry, demand, and expect others to respond. But as we grow into adults — becoming sons, daughters, parents, and members of society — we start to consider others. We learn to give up certain things for the sake of harmony. We begin to coexist.

But this isn’t true maturity just yet.

Real Maturity Includes Empathy

Real maturity — what I call the beginning of true enlightenment — includes something deeper: a sense of empathy that treats others as extensions of oneself. When I’m hungry, I know others must feel hunger too. When someone is in pain or grief, I feel that pain as if it were my own. I don't just understand with my head, but with my heart.

From here, a sense of morality and integrity naturally begins to take root. We become more mindful, considerate, and compassionate.

Still, this is not the final stage.


Self-Awareness Is Still Missing

Even with empathy and moral awareness, something is still missing: a deep and clear understanding of the self.

Many of us live according to common values and social norms. But we may not fully understand our own inner nature, nor the contradictions and dualities that exist within ourselves and the world.

As a result, we often struggle with complex issues that challenge our beliefs. We find our thoughts drifting, our convictions shaken. And so, we begin to long for a deeper insight — something that goes beyond surface understanding.

The Journey of Self-Reflection Begins

This deeper insight doesn’t come easily. It requires something most people rarely do: honest self-reflection.

To know the world, we must first know ourselves — because we are not separate from others, or from nature. We are all connected.

This isn’t like writing a short apology letter in school. True introspection is much deeper. And at first, it can feel strange and even confusing. Looking inward can bring up things we didn’t expect to find. But that confusion is part of the process — and everyone experiences it.

Let Your Questions Arise Naturally

We're used to analyzing external things — people, events, ideas — but not ourselves. That’s why self-reflection feels unfamiliar at first.

But it’s not impossible. All we need to do is quietly observe our thoughts and feelings. Let questions arise naturally, and hold them gently in our hearts. If the questions are sincere — if they come from a true desire to understand — the answers will come in time.

The mind has a mysterious way of offering clarity when we are ready to receive it.

What Enlightenment Truly Means

Enlightenment, then, is not a sudden flash of wisdom from the sky.
It’s the moment when a deep question about our existence takes root — and at last, we begin to see the answer from within.

At that moment, a new kind of order begins to appear. One that embraces both chaos and contradiction.
Our narrow perspectives shift. Compassion arises naturally. We begin to see both the world and ourselves more clearly — without distortion.

And this is when a person truly begins to grow up — in the deepest, most human sense of the word.

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