What Enlightenment is Like

Q. Is it possible to get a sense of what enlightenment is like using your imagination?

A. Yes. But it is not a substitute for the actual experience itself. So I'll include a few simple transformative practices that can help bring about the enlightened state of being, or what I often refer to as our true nature. First, here's a brief description of one way I’d describe it:

Imagine your body dissolving and all traces of the life you are living disappearing. Then picture that the only thing left is your awareness of being aware, and then even that falls away. You momentarily cease to exist in a way, becoming nothing. But this state of nothingness is not empty. Rather, it is a boundless dimension that has always existed, even before the Big Bang. What's more, the moment you make contact with this eternal dimension, you realize that this primordial realm of creation is filled with the cosmic energy out of which everything in existence is continuously arising, including you: a self-aware being having a human experience. This direct recognition of your true nature, which is who and what you are at the deepest depths of being, is the essence of enlightenment.

There are several ways to get a real sense of our true nature. One of the simplest is to contemplate the vastness of the sky. Find an open field and spend some time looking up. As you do let your consciousness widen. Let it spread out until it has no boundary. It really can be that simple. Or, in the comfort of your own home, you can try imagining you are floating in the ocean, letting yourself become so vast that you feel limitless. I still do this every time I go for a swim and also at the end of a nice warm bath. Lastly, some people may not need to picture anything at all. If you can become aware of your own consciousness in a sustained sort of way, your consciousness will naturally expand until it becomes boundless, which is basically another way of describing meditation.