The Essence of Enlightenment: The Role of the Path and the Now in Buddhism

Delving into the teachings of the Buddha, particularly from a Theravadan perspective, reveals profound insights into the nature of enlightenment and the path that leads to it. The Buddha, often referred to as the Sammasambuddha (perfectly enlightened being), taught the Four Noble Truths through which the path to enlightenment can be understood.

Understanding the Four Noble Truths

The Buddha proclaimed that life is suffering due to the inevitabilities of desire, loss, and impermanence. This suffering is the first truth. The second truth identifies that suffering arises from craving – the persistent desire for pleasure, permanence, and control. The third truth, known as the cessation of suffering, suggests that when craving is abandoned, the cessation of suffering also ends. This is the liberating insight of the third truth. Finally, the fourth truth outlines the Noble Eightfold Path, a practical framework for abandoning craving and attaining enlightenment.

The True Nature of Enlightenment

Enlightenment, from a Buddhist perspective, is seen as the ultimate release from the cycle of suffering and rebirth. It is not merely a destination but a continuous liberation from the habits of the mind that obscure our true nature. In essence, enlightenment is the recognition of our inherent peace and fullness in the present moment. The Buddha often taught that enlightenment is achievable in the present and that there is no need to seek it elsewhere.

Being vs. Doing: The Heart of Buddhism

Unlike Hinduism, which often holds a specific goal or state as the ultimate purpose, Buddhism emphasizes the continuous presence of enlightenment in the here and now. Enlightenment is not something that we achieve just once and then carry forward as it were on a shelf. It is the recognition of the eternal now and the omnipresence of the here and now. This now is not merely a temporal moment but an eternal state, the here is not a physical location but a state of awareness that is always with us.

Releasing Goals and Seeking the Eternal Now

The Buddha did not say that the path is the goal. Instead, he often compared the path to a raft – a tool to cross the river of suffering and then to be abandoned once that purpose is fulfilled. The path itself, in time, becomes a burden if it is not let go of. When the burden of an ongoing path restricts our freedom, it cannot be the goal.

Practicing the Present Moment

Seeking enlightenment through ongoing practice becomes burdensome and can actually hinder our journey. True enlightenment is found not in striving for an ideal, but in becoming fully present in each moment. Just being here now and doing what is here now, without grasping or aversion, will reveal the true nature of our being. This is the journey, not the destination. It is in this state of mindfulness that the eternal now and the omnipresent here can be seen.

Conclusion

Enlightenment, according to the Buddha, is an inherent state of peace and awareness that we are always capable of recognizing and embodying. If we keep seeking the goal, we will forever be lost in the illusion of absence. There is no destination because the destination is here and now. The path is a method to guide us to this realization, but once the understanding dawns, the path becomes irrelevant.

References and Further Reading

1. Four Noble Truths on Buddhism 2. The Noble Eightfold Path on Buddhism