The biggest realization is seeing through the illusion of selfhood so deeply and completely that one no longer imagines that s/he is a separate entity. This is what Zen folks call "satori," but it is not a stopping point. From that point forward there can be a maturing process as well as additional insights and realizations.
After an initial experience of seeing into their true nature, many people reek with what is called "the stink of enlightenment." It should more accurately be called "the stink of MOMENTARY enlightenment." They think they've become fully enlightened, and no one can tell them anything. Gradually, however, they come to their senses, and are horrified to discover that selfhood has co-opted the non-dual experience of oneness and is back in full force. In some ways, this could be considered the real beginning of the path.
If s/he continues to pursue the truth, many more realizations and insights will follow as more and more illusions are penetrated. At some point the structures of thought supporting a sense of selfhood collapse, and one attains what we might call "an enlightenment that continues." Even this enlightenment is often followed by a certain amount of stink, and there are countless stories of how such people were counseled by older and wiser teachers.
One monk, for example, attained satori, packed his bags, and told his teacher that he was leaving the monastery to go teach people. The teacher asked, "Are you saying that you are now fully enlightened?" The monk replied, "Yes." The teacher said, "Are you able to keep this enlightenment all the time?" The monk replied, "Yes." The teacher asked, "Are you able to keep it even in deep sleep?" This question/koan stopped the monk's mind, and made him realize that his enlightenment was not as complete as he had thought. He unpacked his bags, and stayed with his teacher for another six years before he was sanctioned as ready to teach. Afterwards, he never again claimed to be enlightened.
Zen contains numerous stories similar to this. Lest it be misunderstood, it is important to realize that this monk had fully realized that he was not a separate entity; he knew that he was oneness manifesting as a human being. He had attained freedom from life and death, but there were still other things to learn. The truth is infinitely deep.
On the scale of the ten ox-herding pictures of Zen the monk had attained the eighth level. This is very deep, but he still had a long way to go. One might imagine that after he attained the tenth level, his journey would have been complete, but this is not so. At that level his teacher would sanction him to go out into the world as a teacher, but there are thousands of levels beyond that. Zen limits the ox-herding pictures to ten because anything beyond the tenth picture is incomprehensible.
There are several people on this forum who have reached the eighth level, but if you asked them ten years from now if anything had changed in their understanding or attitude during that ten years, they would find that question very funny and have a good laugh. This journey, which is not a journey, of no one going nowhere never ends. TIFWIW, and don't get attached to these words. They are simply a pointer.
After an initial experience of seeing into their true nature, many people reek with what is called "the stink of enlightenment." It should more accurately be called "the stink of MOMENTARY enlightenment." They think they've become fully enlightened, and no one can tell them anything. Gradually, however, they come to their senses, and are horrified to discover that selfhood has co-opted the non-dual experience of oneness and is back in full force. In some ways, this could be considered the real beginning of the path.
If s/he continues to pursue the truth, many more realizations and insights will follow as more and more illusions are penetrated. At some point the structures of thought supporting a sense of selfhood collapse, and one attains what we might call "an enlightenment that continues." Even this enlightenment is often followed by a certain amount of stink, and there are countless stories of how such people were counseled by older and wiser teachers.
One monk, for example, attained satori, packed his bags, and told his teacher that he was leaving the monastery to go teach people. The teacher asked, "Are you saying that you are now fully enlightened?" The monk replied, "Yes." The teacher said, "Are you able to keep this enlightenment all the time?" The monk replied, "Yes." The teacher asked, "Are you able to keep it even in deep sleep?" This question/koan stopped the monk's mind, and made him realize that his enlightenment was not as complete as he had thought. He unpacked his bags, and stayed with his teacher for another six years before he was sanctioned as ready to teach. Afterwards, he never again claimed to be enlightened.
Zen contains numerous stories similar to this. Lest it be misunderstood, it is important to realize that this monk had fully realized that he was not a separate entity; he knew that he was oneness manifesting as a human being. He had attained freedom from life and death, but there were still other things to learn. The truth is infinitely deep.
On the scale of the ten ox-herding pictures of Zen the monk had attained the eighth level. This is very deep, but he still had a long way to go. One might imagine that after he attained the tenth level, his journey would have been complete, but this is not so. At that level his teacher would sanction him to go out into the world as a teacher, but there are thousands of levels beyond that. Zen limits the ox-herding pictures to ten because anything beyond the tenth picture is incomprehensible.
There are several people on this forum who have reached the eighth level, but if you asked them ten years from now if anything had changed in their understanding or attitude during that ten years, they would find that question very funny and have a good laugh. This journey, which is not a journey, of no one going nowhere never ends. TIFWIW, and don't get attached to these words. They are simply a pointer.
