Why Looking For Enlightenment Might Be What Blinds Us

A reflection on how the striving mind creates its own barriers to awakening from the perspective of a mindfulness teacher

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If you clicked to read this essay it is probably because the notion of enlightenment or becoming enlightened is one that captivates your heart and mind. In this, you are not alone, as throughout human history, seeking or becoming enlightened and conversations about enlightenment in one way or another have been a component of philosophical, societal and contemplative debates and traditions (Feltham, 2024; Outram, 2019).

But what and where is “Enlightenment”? It seems to be an elusive state of being that, if experienced, cannot be described.

Having said that, I also have to point out that the path to attaining this and descriptions of what this state might look like are found all across different cultures and contemplative traditions and considered to be the pinnacle of spiritual and human development (Feltham, 2024).

However, I would say that nowadays, there exists a bias. It seems that such a word has become synonymously associated with the Buddha, so the moment the word enlightenment is mentioned, Buddhism automatically comes to mind.