2015 Easter Enlightenment Intensive: Day 5 and Day 6

I never got the chance to write the blog for Day 5 and 6 of the Easter Enlightenment Intensive during the retreat.  It’s now many days since the retreat completed and I’m at last posting the blog for the remaining two days of the Six Day 2015 Easter Enlightenment Intensive.

Here’s a few words, feelings and self realizations typical of what is often shared in those last two days of a Six Day EI.  

“I want to take risks and make mistakes but I’m scared.”

“I’m me.  Everywhere I go I’m me.”

“I’m confused and trying to find who is having this confusion.”

“I just became aware of trying to control the future and my thoughts.  I want to be free.”

“I feel at peace and I just want to stay here.”

“I’m not 100% present.”

“I’m so tired of this dyad process.  The relentless nature of getting myself across. I feel resistance.  

I never want to do the Enlightenment Intensive again…..until the next time!’

“No bells.  No whistles.  No Party  No noise.  I’m just me.  I’m everything.  I’ve been me all along.  Who would have known!  It’s so simple.” 

“There is tremendous energy flowing through my body.  The judgements that usually cloud my mind and my contemplation are gone.”

“I feel so happy to be me.  Just me.  I AM HERE and there is no better place to be.”

Do some of these words and sentiments sound familiar to your own experiences during an Enlightenment Intensive? 

Enlightenment has never been an easy state of consciousness to attain.  Just ask Siddartha Gautama.  He became the Awakened One, the Buddha, Before Siddartha became the Buddha he spent years doing various forms of yoga and practising asceticism.  He’s said to have nearly died from his extreme deprivations.  At about the age of 35 according to Buddhist texts, he realised that focusing his attention or meditation was the right path to awakening and that extreme asceticism didn’t work. Following this realisation he began meditating under the Bodhi Tree and vowed not to stop until he attained the Truth.  Forty Nine days later he attained Enlightenment.

Siddartha’s level of commitment to Total Awakening is not a choice everyone makes. But if you are willing to put yourself in the fire of Awakening for just a few days at the Enlightenment Intensive retreat then you may find within you some of the same Truth that the Buddah found.

Yes there are few barriers to enlightenment that you will have to overcome, just like the Buddha.  One of those barriers is guilt or karma.  That is thinking you don’t deserve the Truth.  You think you’ve done such bad things to others in the past that if you open to the awesome energy flow of enlightenment you will lose control and injure others.  Some people have impressions in the mind of injuring others through sexual mis-conduct.  Others through anger, greed, jealousy or other passions. But those impressions in the mind are experiences which may have occurred for you in the past and not in the present moment and in the sacred space of the Enlightenment Intensive where you’re fully supported to not criticise, blame or abuse others.  In such a sacred environment you can take that last step into what some call, Christ Consciousness or Buddha Nature and let go of control.  Taking that Last Step allows you to abandon the ego, surrender wilful control and recognise who you truly are.  It’s a paradox that the mind does not understand:  letting go of control gives you more control.  It allows more of you to be present and available to serve the Truth in yourself and in others.  It allows more of you to be who you are: Infinite Ability, Love, Compassion, Joy, Peace and a Friend to the world.  

The world needs more enlightened individuals.  It needs more Buddhas. I encourage you to take that next BIG step of Awakening if not for yourself then for the love of others.