The Three Stages of Enlightenment

The First Stage of Enlightenment –

Being Asleep

The first stage of Enlightenment

Begins when we are born,

As we are socialized and

Taught what to believe,

As we are exposed to and

Accept the mores of the

Society we are born into.

With our birth, our identity is

 Often already pre-determined.

The color of our skin, country

We are born into, religion,

And many other man-made

Comparisons often dictate

Our future in the world.

We believe these comparisons

Are true by observing others,

Reading about them in books

And newspapers and by

Watching tv and movies.

Most people believe and

Internalize these differences,

Further proving to themselves

They are better, more

 Important than another.

Those who accept and believe

 What they were taught is true,

Despite their success in life,

Remain asleep, destined to

Live a life of mediocrity,

Believing their happiness

 And meaning will come

From the world.

It will not.

The Second Stage of Enlightenment – Awakening

Those who Awaken begin

To question if everything we

Learned and accepted to be

Real in life, as we were

Growing up, was true.

A feeling begins to flourish

Within, no longer able to

Be ignored, questioning the

Validity of everything

We once believed.

Though we may be leading

A successful life, be wealthy,

Famous, or any other learned

Comparison as to what success is,

It no longer quells the uneasy

Feelings we experience coming

From deep within us.

The anguish we feel emanates

From our Spirit, present

Within every life.

Some may call the

Spirit God/Soul/Essence

Or assign it another name.

It does not matter.

It represents our guide through

 Life gives our life meaning.

We Awaken when we first

Sense something is wrong,

Begin to question if what

We learned and accepted was

 True may not have been,

Beginning us on a journey we

Have no choice but to pursue.

A journey toward Enlightenment.

The Third Stage of Enlightenment – Enlightenment

Enlightenment happens when

We finally accept everything we

Learned and believed to

Be true was not.

Despite our appearance, wealth,

Job, material possessions, or any

Other comparison we were taught

Differentiates us from each other,

We now realize we are not better or

More important than anyone else.

We begin to hear our Spirit within,

Embracing its message by sharing our

Love unconditionally with all others.

Though what we learned when we

Were young will remain with us, its

Influence on our life is now minimal.

Instead of competing, we

Now wish to cooperate.

Instead of living in fear,

We now seek to live

Our life with love.

And instead of desiring only

What is best for ourselves, we

Now wish to selflessly help others,

To ease their journey through life.

With this change and acceptance

 Of the Spirit’s message, we

Move further along the path

Toward Enlightenment.

-Ken Luball-