In this third and final installment, we will continue to discuss some of the most common reasons people fear enlightenment, as well as the antidote to these inaccurate belief systems.
Reason #3: I will spend all of my time in some meditative state and/or in non-dual awareness, and I really am not interested in that type of existence.
I am not really interested in that type of existence either, even though I am very intent on going deeper and deeper into enlightenment.
Contrary to what many students and teachers of Eastern Spirituality believe, enlightenment is not about obtaining and permanently resting in the alternate reality of non-dual awareness. Rather, it is in part about obtaining a full range of motion of consciousness, so that we have the ability to follow and embody our Highest Self in each and every moment, no matter where it takes us.
Sometimes our Highest Self wants to experience non-dual awareness. Sometimes our Highest Self wants to experience the simple and profound joy of washing the dishes or smelling fresh flowers or looking into the eyes of someone we love. Sometimes our Highest Self wants to build a business and create material abundance. Sometimes our Highest Self wants to write a book.
The point is: enlightenment is not a cage. It is liberation.
The Antidote: Enlightenment gives you a full range of motion, not a fixed position. Surrendering to your Highest Self means you get to experience the full spectrum of human experience — from the most transcendent states of consciousness to the most ordinary, everyday moments — with grace, wisdom, and increasing joy.