Liberation, Enlightenment, and the Cosmic Joke

Night Lotus
Quick Links

Audio Links

Listen to: The Spirituality For Dummies CD of Inspiring Music

Listen to: The Glorious Bhagavad Gita Sung in English

Listen to: Diamond Sutra Sung in English

Listen to: Sacred Music Concerts

Listen to: Kashmir Shaivism Texts in Sanskrit and English

Listen to: Sanskrit Spiritual Scriptures

Listen to: Kirtan Chanting

Listen to: Chanting and Devotional Singing

Listen to: Secrets of Spiritual Happiness

Video Links

Watch: The Documentary "Peace Pilgrim: An American Sage Who Walked Her Talk"

Watch: Purnadas: King of the Ecstatic Baul Singers

Watch: The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Music Video

Watch: Many More Inspiring Videos

Writing Links

Read: Secrets of Spiritual Happiness

Read: Never to Return: A Modern Quest for Eternal Truth (Sharon's newly updated multimedia memoir)

Read: Breakthrough Consciousness

A Modern Quest For Eternal Truth

Read: The Spiritual Social Commentary Blog

General Links

Sharon Janis Speaking and Workshops

Photographs of God's Glory in Action

Favorite Spiritual Links

Fantastic Monastic Chai

An Excerpt from Chapter 17:

Liberation, Enlightenment,
and the Cosmic Joke

by Sharon Janis

Okay, so you’ve come to accept that you and the world arise from a divine source. You follow spiritual practices and principles and use your resulting spiritual powers only for good. Well then, what’s next?

Dessert! The crown jewel of spirituality! The big cherry on top – enlightenment, nirvana, fanaa, moksha, God-realization, oneness, bodhisattva, the pearly gates, satori, self-realization, the kingdom of God, liberation!

Zen masters often speak of enlightenment as being like a moon that shines brightly in the dark sky. Teachings about enlightenment are like fingers that point up toward the moon. What is important is to look at what exists where the finger is pointing. However, many people prefer to look at easy, tangible things and end up staring relentlessly at the pointing fingers instead of at the moon.

In this chapter, I share ideas that can help point your attention toward the elusive state of enlightenment.

What Enlightenment Is Like

With enlightenment, you move beyond mere relaxation techniques or positive thinking. Enlightenment is a complete shift of perception, in which you flow with absolute inner freedom in an awareness that reaches deeply into the unseen realms. With the blessing of enlightenment

You have no more fear, no more greed, and no more aggression.

Your love becomes unconditional and untainted by mundane expectations.

You’re able to let things happen naturally rather than trying to force them to happen.

Every action you perform springs forth from the flow of universal energy through and as you.

To experience enlightenment, you have to be willing and able to let go of who you thought you were so that you can paradoxically become that which you have always really been.

Giving up all you think you are is a big sacrifice to make. But remember that if you don’t do it now, Father Time will come and do it for you one day. Therefore, the Sufi sages gave the command to “Die before you die!” Die to your small self before the small self dies. Loosen your identification with the leaf and remember that you are the great tree. Then, when that particular leaf turns brown and falls to the ground, dissolving particle by particle into the elements of the earth, you will still be here in all your grand and divine glory.

People ask ‘What do you get by realizing God?’
You get eternal peace and bliss.
You are in a state of bliss in all conditions and circumstances
because it comes from the source of your being.
The fountain of joy will open in you and you will be flooded with it.
In that state of happiness you work in the world, and that will be for the good of all.

-- Papa Ramdas

What Enlightenment isn’t

Along with “finger-points” toward what enlightenment is, here I share a few “thumbs down” about what it isn’t:

Enlightenment is not about stuffing more and more information into your head.

Enlightenment is not about feeling superior and going around pronouncing judgments about who is or isn’t enlightened.

Enlightenment is not about changing external appearances or looking more spiritual, but is a shift of awareness that may or may not be visible to others.

Enlightenment doesn’t mean that a person will only act in nice or pre-approved ways. Even an enlightened person can appear to act like a jerk sometimes!

Enlightenment isn’t something that you pay a certain amount of money to acquire during a course that ends with you walking away with a certificate of enlightenment. Enlightenment is not that cheap (even though it’s technically free)!

You know how big the whole physical universe is, with endless blankets of stars, galaxies, and unfathomable distances and warps of time and space? Surely, you’ve seen the Hubble telescope images, and on clear nights have looked up to see planets and stars sparkling across the dark sky.

Well, enlightenment is like going through all the day-to-day events of your life – including brushing your teeth, feeding your pet, working at the office, taking a walk, and buying groceries – while remaining constantly and completely aware that you are a speck within this huge blanket of massive universe. Imagine walking through your day being as aware of the universe filled with stars as you are when you look into the nighttime sky. Except with spiritual enlightenment, you’re not only aware of the immensity of the physical universe, but of its spiritual breadth as well.

With an enlightened perspective, you know that you are a speck of nothingness in the grand scheme of things and you also know that you are greater than you’ve ever imagined.

Keep two truths in your pocket and take them out according to the need of the moment. Let one be “For my sake the world was created.”
And the other: “I am dust and ashes.”

— Rabbi Simcha Bunam

Here are some more descriptions that point toward what enlightenment is like:

Being enlightened is like being an actor in a play and knowing that all the scenes are just dramas for entertainment. Even if you get angry or pleased with someone, you remember that you’re really the actor, who is free from anger and is just playing his role. Those who remember that they are actors in this universal play get to smile at one another from behind the scenery even if outwardly they appear to be at odds.
Enlightenment is to be comfortable with paradoxes and seemingly opposing viewpoints. Psychologist Abraham Maslow described self-actualization as a state that resolves dichotomies, where, “Opposites are seen to be unities and the whole dichotomous way of thinking is recognized to be immature.” Maslow continues by saying, “For self-actualizing people, there is a strong tendency for selfishness and unselfishness to fuse into a higher subordinate unity. Work tends to be the same as play; vocation and avocation become the same thing. When duty is pleasant and pleasure is fulfillment of duty, then they lose their separateness and oppositeness. The highest maturity is discovered to include a childlike quality. The inner-outer split between self and all else gets fuzzy and much less sharp, and they are seen to be permeable to each other at the highest level of personality development.”
With enlightenment, you see both the perfection and imperfection of the universe at the same time. You realize that everything is perfectly complete even when there is still much to be done. You feel the perfection of everything even while you enthusiastically act to make improvements.
Being enlightened is like someone in a dream who starts saying to other people, “I really do believe that this is all a dream.” Even if you don’t go around saying it to other people, you know in your heart that everything that takes place in life is like a dream in the mind of universal Consciousness.
With enlightenment, you’re not afraid of all the turmoil going on in the world, nor are you too obsessed with it. Even as you take steps to help improve the world, your vision stays focused on the spiritual realm of universal creation that is bigger than all the concerns of this physical world. You remember that many sides and points of view can coexist, depending on how you choose to look at a situation.
When you’re enlightened, you may notice yourself becoming a conduit of grace. Synchronicities may occur more often around you, and the spiritual presence of your company may inspire people around you to go through various transformations that bring them to a better place of awareness. Of course, keep in mind that grace doesn’t always look like grace at the beginning. Sometimes grace comes in the form of revealing a problem so it can be resolved.
In the state of enlightenment, you are fully present in your life and also fully ready to leave this world when the time comes. You enjoy life while remaining detached from it. You don’t get trapped by things. You live with a sense of allowing, acceptance, and inner freedom.

Two conditions come together on a successful quest for enlightenment: You have to want it, and you mustn’t want it too much.

Enjoying the Cosmic Joke

As Charlie Chaplin once said, “In the end, everything is a gag.” Life is funny. God is funny. You’re funny. The events of this world are funny. Joy is funny, love is funny, and as some have discovered after intense troubles, even suffering can be funny when you have the benefit of hindsight. As comedienne Carol Burnett has said, “Comedy is tragedy plus time.”

If a person can laugh totally, wholeheartedly, not holding anything back at all,
in that very moment something tremendous can happen
because laughter, when it is total, is absolutely egoless,
and that is the only condition in which to know God, to be egoless.

— Osho

Beneath this entire universe is the cosmic joke, and tapping into that level of the game is almost like going beyond enlightenment. You’re tapping into the very bliss of God, applauding His grand dance, appreciating Her intricate set-ups, and of course, rolling in the aisles at the magnificent punch line.

The punch line of this cosmic joke has many faces:

You can see the punch line in how big this universe is, in those amazing photos of countless stars, nebulae, and galaxies that exist millions of light years away and are a whole lot bigger than anything you’ve ever called “big.”

You can see the punch line in how small it all is, in a drop of swamp water seen through the lens of a high-powered microscope that is filled to the brim with invisible legions of life.

You can see the punch line in how temporary it all is, as those who spend decades ruthlessly pursuing wealth and power end up dying just like everyone else — with their hands empty.

Why do you think they call it realization?

The state of enlightenment is also called self-realization or God-realization. It’s called “realization” because the great, enlightened beings have “realized” one fact — a fact that has implications on every element of life as they know it.
They’ve realized the omnipresence of divinity. They’ve realized that everything is one, and that knowledge and the knowing of that knowledge are inseparable. They realize that what you see is what you get, what you get is what you see, and what you see is who you are. In other words, it takes one to know one. We are the world, indeed.

Realization is not just about reading some words and being able to discuss or debate them; but rather to realize the essence behind spiritual insights such as “In the beginning was the word, and the word was God,” “Everything is one,” “The kingdom of Heaven lies within,” or “Thou art That.”

Once you realize the essence of spiritual teachings and make them an integral part of your reality, these teachings filter through and transform your entire world. Your sense of limited individuality fades like a mirage that had been blocking the bright sunlight of supreme truth. As this supreme light blasts through you unimpeded by mortal illusions of limitation and separation, you become enlightened. You emanate not only your own personal human light, but also a higher, more universal light.

Before becoming forever established in the highest realization, you may touch that enlightened space for a while and then return back to limited thinking. Even when you’re feeling limited, remembering the higher spaces you’ve touched helps to keep you moving forward toward your divine birthright of knowing who you are in the highest sense at all times.

And life goes on . . .

Enlightenment is the ego’s ultimate disappointment.

— Trungpa Rimpoche

One day the master announced that a young monk had reached an advanced state of enlightenment. The news caused some stir. Some of the monks went to see the young monk. “We heard you are enlightened. Is that true?” they asked.

“It is,” he replied.

“And how do you feel?”

“As miserable as ever,” said the monk.

Here’s the thing: Even after enlightenment, you’re still you! For example, if a mopey, sullen person were to somehow become enlightened, he wouldn’t necessarily start running around smiling and laughing all the time. In fact, he may not change so much outwardly, although those with eyes to see the light of spirit would see it shining through his eyes, words, and actions.

With enlightenment, you may continue playing your role, but with the awareness that you’re the one who’s playing your role!

More about Spirituality For Dummies

“This book bridges the gap between conventional experience and the spiritual life. Spirituality for Dummies gives practical advice for entering the path of spirituality, borrowing wisdom from a host of religious, philosophical, and comedic traditions. Insightful, wise, and humorous, this book can and should be read by all, from novice to saint!"

— Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, Loyola Marymount University

From the Publisher (Wiley): Want to get in touch with your spiritual side? Spirituality For Dummies 2nd Edition shows you how to use spiritual principles to understand and improve your life, empower you mind, and nourish your soul. Complete with a CD filled with calming, spiritual music, it is your personal guide to serenity and spiritual healing.

Spiritual philosopher Sharon Janis shows you how to discover the deeper calling of your soul, survive and thrive through adversity, and look at the world with optimism. You’ll learn how to use meditation, yoga, prayer, and journaling for inward reflection and to spark new vistas as you unfold your own spiritual wisdom and move forward on your spiritual journey in your own individual way. You’ll find similarities and differences among a variety basic spiritual concepts from different religious and philosophical traditions, and you’ll discover how to:

* Find your spiritual path
* Uplift your body, mind, and spirit
* Fulfill your greatest dreams
* Spiritualize your relationships
* Cultivate your spiritual virtues
* Increase your inner peace and happiness
* Turn troubles into triumphs
* Recognize yourself as a co-creator
* Be a VIP: a very inspired person

The companion CD that accompanies this gentle guide brings you more than 60 minutes of inspirational music from around the world. It features the author and other artists performing songs and chants from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions in their native languages.

The Spiritual Guide that Comes with It's Own Ego Test

CLICK HERE if you are offended by the title

spirituality

Humorous, edgy, profound, and enlightening, Spirituality For Dummies brings modern-day spiritual seekers a view and approach to life that is universal, personal, and optimistic, with the dependable style, clarity, and friendliness of the “For Dummies” series.

User-friendly descriptions of spiritual teachings, principles and practices are brought to life with with humorous anecdotes and insightful quotes from great thinkers, scriptures, and texts from many traditions. With a friendly and conversational tone, Spirituality For Dummies gives readers tools tofind and enter the spiritual dimensions of their lives in today's unique world circumstances.

Spirituality For Dummies guides readers to the awareness of their natural and inherent identity with spirit and the all-pervasiveness of divine spirit in everything. It does this with a realistic and common sense approach that is scientific in nature, without asking readers to subscribe to fluffy or black-and-white ideas.

Reviews for Spirituality For Dummies:

“You can be sure you will no longer be a dummy if you finish reading Spirituality for Dummies. This 330-page primer provides a general overview of spiritual knowledge and awareness, and offers specific spiritual exercises and principles designed to expand one's universal consciousness. Author Sharon Janis fuses mystical traditions with "new thought" to encourage individuals to see beyond mere appearances and use intuitive perceptions to comprehend the spiritual laws at work behind the outer conditions in their lives."
— Sacramento Bee

“Spirituality For Dummies is a Mecca for those who are sincerely seeking the genuine meaning and practice of spirituality. Sharon Janis fuses mystical insights drawn from the east/west approaches, resulting in a volume that opens the heart, exhilarates the mind, and inflames the soul. No matter upon which rung of the spiritual ladder you now stand, expect to be catapulted to the next level of awareness through practice of the wisdom-offerings in this scripture of Truth.”
— Michael Beckwith, Agape and "The Secret"

“If you feel empty inside (and not because it's been six hours since your last burrito), it might be time to search for the meaning of life in Spirituality for Dummies… Even skeptics can gain self-knowledge from the thought and visualization exercises strewn throughout the book, which demonstrate how to take a positive view of negative experiences and let go of emotional baggage—like going to a therapist, but cheaper. Janis explains meditation, yoga, and other practices in a chipper, down-to-earth style, using everyday analogies and many an exclamation point, that won't scare off the novice.”
— Village Voice

More Reviews

READ SAMPLE PAGES:

The Table of Contents

Chapter 1: "Finding Authentic Spirituality"

The eclectic and extensive index

What makes Spirituality For Dummies different from other contemporary spiritual books?

Breadth and depth of coverage – It is rare to find a contemporary spiritual book that covers the breadth and depth of topics covered in Spirituality For Dummies.

It's Universal and Personal– The author brings quotes and ideas from many spiritual, religious, psychological, ancient wisdom, scientific, and philosophical traditions together with personal insight and advice.

Friendly, knowledgeable guidance with no strings attached – The author’s goal in writing this book is to share beneficial ideas and worldviews that are accessible to people from all walks of life.

About the Author:

Sharon Janis was brought up by psychology-teacher parents and studied neuroscience and film at the University of Michigan, before spending ten years living a monastic ashram life – studying, chanting, and serving in deep spiritual immersion, while producing and editing hundreds of videos for the worldwide Siddha Yoga spiritual movement.

After a decade of monastic life, Sharon moved to Hollywood for a career as film editor, director, and producer of popular television shows and films – including many evening news and news-feature shows, Hard Copy, X-Men, and The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers – winning a Los Angeles Emmy, an Associated Press National Board of Directors award, and many other accolades. With her combination of monastic life and Hollywood creativity, Sharon offers a fresh view and style that motivates, entertains, educates, and enlightens with a down-to-earth intimacy, touches of music and singing, and a generous dose of humor.

Watch a video about Sharon and Spirituality For Dummies

Excerpts from Spirituality For Dummies at
"Dummies.com":

Cultivating Spiritual Virtues

Exploring the Meaning of Spirituality

10 Small Things You Can Do to Uplift Your Life
             (with photos)

Living Spiritually in a Conscious World

Practicing Spirituality for Personal Growth

Transcending Life's Problems through Spirituality

11 Commandments for Living a Spiritual Life

5 Divine Forms to Check Out

The 7 Stages of Universal Creation Based on Kashmir Shaivism

10 Spiritual-Sounding Lines and What They May Really Mean
              (humor with photos)

How to Connect with the Divine through Prayer

Singing to the Divine

What Is the World Made of?

How This World Is Like a Movie

Dream Interpretation and Spirituality

The Laws of Karma

Should You Make Lots of Good Karma?

How to Clean Up Your Karmas

The Law of Attraction

How to Untangle the Web of Desires

10 Opportunities to See Your Life with Spiritual Eyes
           (with photos)

How to Rise Above Illusions

The Power of Affirmations

Remember That the Universe Is Always Listening

How to Use Manifestation Techniques

How to Clarify Your Spiritual Intentions and Goals

What Is the Supreme Surrender?

The Importance of Divine Guidance

How to Depend on Spirit

What Enlightenment Is Like

Find more info and video and audio clips of the author at: Sharon Janis Speaking.

Every copy of Spirituality For Dummies comes with
A CD of inspiring devotional music!

The Spirituality For Dummies 2nd Edition music CD comes in the back of every book and gives a delicious taste of inspiring spiritual music, including Gregorian chanting, Christian songs, Buddhist texts, Jewish prayers, Hindu chants, Latin hymns, and gospel music, sung by artists including Erik Peterson, Cantor Kathy Robbins, The Eternal OM, the Desert Fathers, Kali Mandir, Premanand Trikannad, Swami Nirvanananda, and the author.

CLICK HERE to Play the
Spirituality For Dummies Music CD Tracks

Additional Works by Sharon Janis

Click on a book or audio CD to enjoy it online in its entirety
as part of the Night Lotus offering of free multimedia spiritual resources

View our videos on:

CLICK HERE to go to Sharon's speaking, concerts, and workshops page

Visit the Night Lotus website of free multimedia spiritual resources