Is Enlightenment Possible in Modern Day Life?
This question has been as potent in my mind as when it was first posited to my teachers during a training back in 2017. There is, as I consider the subject in depth now and realise its complexity, a sense of guilt arising from our expectation that they would have the answer and could convey it without warning in a succinct way to a group of fresh faced Yoga Teachers. So this is for Them, for in fact not answering the question, because if they had perhaps I never would have ruminated upon it for so long and spent the time I needed to begin creating my own perspective.
You’ve probably heard of the word Enlightenment before. It may be in reference to the Age of Reason (an intellectual movement across Europe in the 17th and 18th Centuries) or it could be in reference to Spiritual Enlightenment spoken of in the Yoga Tradition, Hinduism or Buddhism. From what I’m aware wherever the word is positioned it references freedom, liberation, a shift away from shackles (of some kind) and towards a realisation of a deeper truth; the detail of course shifting depending on the tradition you are referencing.
In the context of Yoga philosophy spiritual Enlightenment refers to a state of transcendence; a liberation from our physical and psychological holding patterns where we transcend the limitations of ego and realise the true nature of self and the universe it is located within.
It is the final stage of the journey laid out for us on the Eight Limb Path (Ashtanga Yoga - which is a philosophy as well as a style of practise) described in Patanjali’s Sutras. We are, through these verses, guided along the journey of reorganising our relationships with the outside and inner world so that we are no longer entangled or confined by the situations we encounter, but rather have cultivated a inner-stillness of non-reactivity; an awakening to the truth of existence, where we become increasingly aware of the spiritual dimensions of our being and our place in the much wider cosmos of existence.
I understand deeply that this may seem like a distant destination, far enough away and difficult enough to warrant a sense of resignation from the journey. However I don’t believe the experience of it is quite as obscure as we might think. In ‘The Inner Tradition of Yoga’, Michael Stone shares with us;
“If you’ve stood aside from your own mind and become the witness of your experience, or felt loving toward someone you ordinarily don’t like, or stood in nature and sensed the interconnectedness of everything, you’ve touched one of the flavors of the enlightened state… If you’ve ever lost yourself completely in a task, in sexual ecstasy or dancing or music, or felt pure happiness or compassion well up for no reason, you’ve touched enlightenment.”
So why have I even asked the question? If Stone believes that we all have the potential to touch Enlightenment in these real-world ways what is it about modern day life that we could consider barriers to our realisation of inner freedom?
There is one clear thread weaving through Stone’s examples of touching Enlightenment; presence. It is something that happens in the here and now, which I believe the qualities of our modern day life does not facilitate the journey towards. Think of the ways in which we celebrate busyness & productivity - caught in the trappings of urgency and always doing we can all agree on how difficult it can be to find the time and focus needed to educated ourselves upon, and put into practise, the spiritual teachings that guide us towards awakening.
Spiritual Enlightenment is also hindered by, as referenced earlier in this entry, The Age of Reason. We have become a society so deeply rooted in scientific rationalism that it is challenging, if not impossible en masse, to accept the abstract concepts and intangible experiences that are often associated with the realisation of Enlightenment, let alone put them into practise.
Finally, Division. We hold so dearly the concept of individualism as means to organise ourselves around one another and value so highly self-expression and self-reliance that, over the centuries, we have created a society of division, otherness and separation which is antithetical to realising the inherent unity and interconnectedness of all things. Ultimately I believe this is our biggest hurdle to overcome on both an individual and collective level on the journey toward awakening.
With this said, while the demands of modern life make it difficult to pursue the path of Enlightenment, I think it is important to remember that the essence of spirituality is always within us and with the right mindset of dedication and a willingness to explore it can be accessed through any form of practice that resonates with us. This could be yoga, meditation, mindfulness, prayer, or any other practice that helps us quiet the mind and create a greater sense of self-awareness and connection to the world around us. Furthermore we could embrace the challenges of modern day life as a pivotal part of our journey towards awakening. With discipline, patience and a hopeful, open heart there is room in our modern day lives to touch what the ancient sages have deemed possible for millennia.