Enlightenment is Not an Event Because It’s Not Subject to Time
According to Upanishads (the original source of non-dual texts), Brahman/Atman/Self is an ever true fact.
Thus that which was true before, true now and true in the future — can't begin at any moment.
“Today I'm enlightened“, implies “Yesterday, I wasn't“. Which contradicts THAT which is ever-true.
What's more, such thoughts are subject to Time. Anything that BEGINS in time, ENDS in time.
So what's the solution if moksha (Freedom) is beyond thought (which is same as time since we always measure thoughts in reference to a thought starting and ending)?
By understanding that thought or absence of thought still relies on a conscious entity. Meaning there must be an existent principle (unaffected by starting-ending) —in whose presence both conditions are known.
Otherwise who else can one report thought/no-thought, knowledge/ignorance… unless “I AM” other then both.
And how to prove Existence of this conscious entity (Brahman/Atman)? The fact that you're AWARE or CONSCIOUS (they're synonymous words in Advaita Vedanta) right now.
It's self-evident. Obvious, ordinary, down-to-earth Awareness (which mind unfortunately loves to reject as it idealizes Enlightenment to be a special-extraordinary event, much better then the ordinary state).
There is AWARENESS of reading these words, right?
If you said “No“, then you're contradicting yourself. Because you can only reply to my question if you are AWARE of the question – including being AWARE of the thought “No“.
Meaning: YOU ARE AWARENESS. Because you can't help, but to be AWARE of not only your body-mind, but everything outside the edges of your body-mind.
Pain. AWARE of it.
Pleasure. AWARE of it.
Confusion. AWARE of it.
Clarity. AWARE of it.
“I know!“. AWARE of it.
“I don't know!“. AWARE of it.
“I like this post“. AWARE of it.
“I disagree with this post“. AWARE of it.
“I wish I understood this message“. AWARE of it.
“I and God are One“. AWARE of it.
“World is ___“. AWARE of it.
Silence. AWARE of it.
____. AWARE of it.
___ is constantly Changing. While AWARENESS is Unchanging. AWARE of it. 🙂
Therefore, job of Vedanta is to remove false notions that ___ is real. When in truth ___ is constantly changing. So trying to modify ___ only leads to endless saṃsāra.
The only way “out”, is to Realize that in truth you are unchanging AWARENESS (Atman). Thus to re-identify “I” as the unchanging AWARENESS.
This can only be done successfully by a competent Vedānta teacher. It's nearly impossible by means of self-study via YouTube videos and books.
Final ego-trap that'll sabotage one's success in modern age is “I can do this by myself! Internet has abundance of info about all this. Living teacher is an old idea that's no longer necessary in today's age of media“. This justifiable and convincing ego-trap too can last lifetimes.
Your duty as seeker of truth isn't over until you know you've found a living teacher.
