Quotes About Enlightenment

only the truly detached can understand what is meant by "detachment"

Darwin caused controversy, not merely because his ideas contradicted Genesis, but because they fell foul of the way in which Genesis had been read by those influenced by the Enlightenment, for it was the Enlightenment that conceived of the human as almost exclusively rational and intellectual, and set the human at a distance from the animal.

It sounds romantic finding the meaning of life in Tibet, but enlightenment in Tibet is for Tibetans! The meaning of life for most of us is probably in the suburbs.

The true conquests, the only ones that cause no regret, are those made over ignorance.'68

The true conquests, the only ones that cause no regret, are those made over ignorance.

Napoleon's crowning of himself was the ultimate triumph of the self-made man, and in one way a defining moment of the Enlightenment. It was also fundamentally honest: he had indeed got there through his own efforts. It is possible that he later regretted doing it, however, because of the vaulting egoism it suggested.

Despite hating mobs and technically being a nobleman, Napoleon welcomed the Revolution. At least in its early stages it accorded well with the Enlightenment ideals he had ingested from his reading of Rousseau and Voltaire.

Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, "Abba, as far as I can, I say my [daily prayers], I fast a little, I pray and meditate. I live in peace as far as I can. I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?" Then the old man stood up, stretched his arms towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, "If you want, you can be all flame."18

Ven hacia la luz.

Angus Stevenson

There could be nothing more wrong than the Maslowian model of hierarchy of needs. … Please do not ever think that only after meeting your physiological needs and other needs can you be thinking about your spiritual needs or your enlightenment.

No single step in the persuit of enlightenment should ever be considered sacred; only the search was.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the universe is the merest illusion.

When a human being becomes so still that they begin to lose awareness of their gender, and they are simply looking into that abyss where there is no notion of self whatsoever, the world disappears. And that's really the only place to go. It's the only place to remain.

The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.

Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin.

All emotions are pure which gather you and lift you up; that emotion is impure which seizes only one side of your being and so distorts you.

I have self-actualized. Pardon me whilst I adjust my glowing halo.

Buddha means awareness, the awareness of body and mind that prevents evil from arising in either.

No one can get an education, for of necessity education is a continuing process.

My appointed work is to awaken the divine nature that is within.

Our Creator expects His children everywhere to educate themselves.

If we extend our senses, then, consequently, we will extend our knowledge. It's really very basic.

It's wrong to look at what we call 'Enlightenment values' as some fad of the 18th century. It's deeply rooted in ancient history.