2 Realizations - Enlightenment/paradoxes

[TruthSeeker]

First

Something hit me...this might be obvious to some people but maybe not to some. 

It seems like from the way people speak about it that you are either enlightened or not. Like a light switch...the lights either on or off. (enlightened or non enlightened lol)

But it occurred to me that this is probably not the case...maybe Leo can confirm...it seems to me that enlightenment is like a light dimmer (http://www.lumens.com/skylark-incandescent-light-dimmer-by-lutron-R204990.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=PLA&utm_term=&scid=scplp9696261)

Except that with enlightenment theres no maximum....everyone is to an extent enlightened or aware of there enlightenment. This awareness can go up and down...meditating helps it go up. Not meditating for a while makes it go down. But theres no such thing as "he's enlightened or not". Its "To what degree is he enlightened" and obviously theres no ruler to measure how much...but I think this is the case.

Second

Theres no such thing as paradoxes. When two things seemingly contradict. Its just a lack of understanding in one of those two things. There is never actually a contradiction. How could there be? I guess we can call a paradox "two things that seemingly contradict" and its important to live with it and accept that you cant understand or explain the contradiction...but its important to know that there is no actual contradiction in the big picture of things. 

 

 

 

 

[WelcometoReality]

It is both an on/off switch and a dimmer.

The initial awakening from ego is a on/off switch and the surrendering of the ego that occurs after it is more of a dimmer switch.

[Neo]

Like waking up first of all, from then on you can become more and more alert as you go through the day?

[TruthSeeker]

58 minutes ago, WelcometoReality said:

It is both an on/off switch and a dimmer.

The initial awakening from ego is a on/off switch and the surrendering of the ego that occurs after it is more of a dimmer switch.

Awesome...I guess I was assuming when the dimmer is off all the way...then its off :)...but awesome insight

[WelcometoReality]

2 hours ago, Neo said:

Like waking up first of all, from then on you can become more and more alert as you go through the day?

Yes you could explain it like that.

[WelcometoReality]

2 hours ago, TruthSeeker said:

Awesome...I guess I was assuming when the dimmer is off all the way...then its off :)...but awesome insight

An even more fitting analogy would be two dimmer switches. one is turned and turned until the light goes on, you then start to turn the other one to brighten the light.

[Ayla]

46 minutes ago, WelcometoReality said:

An even more fitting analogy would be two dimmer switches. one is turned and turned until the light goes on, you then start to turn the other one to brighten the light.

There's no dimmer whatsoever LOL ! There's only FULL LIGHT! The only thing that's keeping it from shining, is the amount of S**t we scooped over it  

[WelcometoReality]

38 minutes ago, Ayla said:

There's no dimmer whatsoever LOL ! There's only FULL LIGHT! The only thing that's keeping it from shining, is the amount of S**t we scooped over it  

Yes exactly.

A light bulb behind a tinted window which darkness we can control with the dimmers. The light bulb will always be on full light, the amount that shines through is depending on how much we have turned the dimmers.

[Spider Jerusalem]

2 hours ago, WelcometoReality said:

Yes exactly.

A light bulb behind a tinted window which darkness we can control with the dimmers. The light bulb will always be on full light, the amount that shines through is depending on how much we have turned the dimmers.

Agreed. Objectively, there is no off position or even degrees of "on-ness" or "off-ness". It's always in the "fully" on position. Even in deep sleep, it's always fully on. It has to be that way, otherwise nothing would work. The "enlightenment" or "functioning" never takes a break, apparently, and always works perfectly and at full potential. Only the "imagined" subject can narrow his or her focus, but shit is always fully on without exception 

Edited February 18, 2016 by Spider Jerusalem

[Leo Gura]

What there are are degrees of the mind's recognition and alignment with Truth. Truth itself doesn't fluctuate, but "your" awareness of it does. And yes, that awareness can increase sometimes like a light switch and sometimes like a dimmer switch.

Awakening experiences themselves are lightening quick and tend to be mindblowing.

But there is also a gradual raising of awareness that happens throughout all the consciousness work that you do over the years.