Experiencing Enlightenment
Defining the Characteristics of Enlightenment by Charles Day
1. Dissolution of the ego or sense of an independent, autonomous, controlling, and enduring self, following which there is no longer any fear of death, and all life is experienced as a manifestation of grace.
2. Realization of the interdependent unity and perfection of all reality, of everybody and everything, of all physical and mental phenomena.
3. Living in the present moment, in the here and now, mindfully attentive to moment-to-moment sensory and cognitive experiences, without judgment, commentary, and unnecessary concern about the past or future.
4. Complete acceptance of and surrender without resistance to the continuously changing flow of creation, whether attributed to God, Allah, ground of being, pure consciousness, or whatever name is given to the mystery.
5. An affective component consisting of profound equanimity, bliss, gratitude, and awe in experiencing life as part of a perfect and unified whole.
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