Nirvana and the Path to Enlightenment

If you were to ask a Hindu or a Buddhist the meaning of enlightenment they might tell you that it is a very blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana. However, the Hindu and the Buddhist share the term Nirvana but each may describe the state of Nirvana differently. The Buddhist description is the ineffable ultimate in which one has attained disinterested wisdom and compassion. While the Hindu claims it is the emancipation from ignorance and the extinction of all attachment. Both seem to view detachment as a primary awareness needed to lead into the bliss of enlightenment.

It seems the journey for this awe struck state has been going on since man became conscious of having awareness outside of self. Yet, if you were to look up the definition in the dictionary the term equates to the age of enlightenement being a philosophical movement found in the 18th century where reason was emphasized to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms.

If you go to your local bookstore to find resources to help you attain greater peace of mind and find deeper levels of happiness, you may be one step closer to attaining enlightenment. You may want to read up on bodies of work from those whose lives where spent devoted to the subject. One westerner who contemplated eastern spiritual enlightenment much of his life was Alan Watts, who was known as a master of communication. He wrote over twenty books on philosophy and the psychology of religion, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Zen. His life teachings may give a perspective from an eastern philosophical view.

If you want to contemplate the American enlightenment characteristics from western thought, or a more Christian perspective you would have to consider how western and eastern spiritual and religious paths join and find their common ground. There are many writings on this subject, which discuss how prayer and faith in God allow a person to detach from having all the answers and always knowing what is best for them. This trust and faith in God then must set up a state of mind for embracing detachment, which in turn may also lead to a path for finding an enlightened heart. It seem, no matter what religious dogma one professes to worship, the path to spiritual enlightenment is open to all who seek it.

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