What is Buddhist enlightenment?

An interesting conversion between the two Wrights; Robert and Dale, the latter has written a book about this topic.

Do we need terms like karma and enlightenment?
Dale think so.
Not because they are in then Buddhist context, but also because they pragmatically can be in use.
Even if we don't  believe in reincarnation, our deeds will shape us.
If we do good deeds we will become good - in this life.

And this may be true even outside a religious context.

  http://meaningoflife.tv/videos/38017?in=22:47

Here, in Sweden, more and more people are leaving the church.
Many of us, because we don't  want to pay the tax - but also don't believe in  God anymore.

I'm right now in the countryside, and  here many still go to to evangelicals meetings.
Maybe partly for a social reason, to meet and have a chat with other people.

It may be be that people here also believes in karma, even if they name it "what comes around goes around". But they also have to be skilled in different areas to survive at the countryside. They know the law of cause and effect. Especially in winter - they have to be prepared for the long dark and cold period. There must be firewood enough to not make the heating of the house too expansive. There must be food in the house if the snow blocks the roads and so on.
And you should be prepared to give help or ask for it. And to ask for help you have to be good to your neighbors.

So you may don't have to be religious to know about karma.

Here's my view today:

And what about "enlightenment": Is that more than a word?
Let us ponder about that in the next blog post....







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