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[–] Reddiggoat ago 

So how do you guys feel about the concept?

It's one of many tricks religions use to hook people for life. The victim is kept reaching for an unattainable plateau, pressured with stories of saints and other mythical figures who've supposedly attained it.

Along with the process comes compassion, forgiveness, lasting happiness, gratitude for all life, and really every positive emotion without any of the negatives.

IMO that just reads like a very poor sales pitch for a fix-all placebo. If people are willing to believe this, it's no wonder theistic religions still exist.

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[–] middle_path [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

What about Buddhism. It's inherently atheistic and sees what the Buddha taught as practical life advice for happiness.

Nothing is being sold there.

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[–] Reddiggoat ago 

I think there is a major difference in trying to change ones self for the better and trying to emulate changes you've perceived others to make. I also think there is a big difference in bettering ones self and trying to reach a plateau or marker of bestness (or enlightenment). Maybe buddhism doesn't sell their version, but many other religions make a ton of profit off this idea.

I also believe negative emotions can be very beneficial to helping build life the way you want it. Kind of like a "without evil there can be no good" kind of thing, "bad" emotions will contrast the "good" and you're able to make personal decisions of likes and dislikes of the actions of others around you. It keeps you from being taken advantage of and helps you to succeed. In real life, people without these "bad" emotions are called sociopaths.

Will meditation and self-betterment lead to one being a sociopath? I doubt it, but ultimately that's what will happen if you actually end up eliminating all negative emotions.

TL/DR - I think "enlightenment" is a sham, but I don't think moving that directions for your own personal reasons is bad.

[–] [deleted] ago 

[Deleted]

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[–] middle_path [S] 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Ugh. It's such a cringed term misinterpreted by most who use it.

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[–] greycloud 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Along with the process comes compassion, forgiveness, lasting happiness, gratitude for all life, and really every positive emotion without any of the negatives.

this is not true. you cannot reach enlightenment without learning how to embrace the suck. you cannot know light, without experiencing darkness.

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[–] middle_path [S] ago 

I agree. I meant that those are their actions, I wasn't very clear. They embrace and acknowledge the darkness mentally, but project positivity in their teachings and actions.

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[–] greycloud 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

or they practice action through inaction, or sometimes they hand out pointless and unenjoyable tasks to those learning that ultimately lead to more happiness (the person experiences more happiness because they went through more unhappiness, they learn to be content with what they have after having temporarily lost it).

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[–] TherealScrable ago 

So you mean enlightenment in a religious way? Heh, nothing.

Enlightenement is for me when you have finally experienced pretty much everything and know what when to do... Which is never.

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[–] goatsshadow ago  (edited ago)

If what's to be enlightened will bring me happiness I'm all game as long as it's outside of the context of humanity. Humans don't matter and if that brings me to not like myself well I'll end the circle right there. I'm good hand me a beer

edit: took out a "to"

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[–] middle_path [S] ago 

I used to really hate humanity. What we've done to the planet, what we do to each other. It's despicable. But, when you start looking for the good you find it and I feel it's more than just confirmation bias.

Regardless, we're stuck on this planet and we're each one of them. We can make our lives happy and peaceful, or we can wallow in our grief. I choose the former.

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[–] goatsshadow ago 

we aren't stuck here unless it's due to our own insanity in the pursuit of more grievance for profit. It wouldn't be hard for humans to work together if they achieved hive mind or some likeness that benefitted them all instead of a percentage

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[–] goatboy 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

If one could seek enlightenment, could one also seek endarkenment?

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[–] middle_path [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Sure. Unconsciously I feel a lot of us do. Nice shower thought.

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[–] xenoPsychologist ago 

if one did that, they might also switch from baking cookies and cooking bacon to baking bacon and cooking cookies. and we cant have that. it would just be wrong.

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[–] iownyou ago 

I'm enlightened like Bill Nye

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[–] ZardoZ2017 ago 

I think there is 7,3 billion different forms of enlightenment. I'll give you some of my own enlightenment: Don't be pretentious; Don't expect too much from others or yourself; Never postpone anything you know can be done right away. Always wash your feet,hands, hair and have clean short nails before a date. Never trust a fart after eating chili con carne; Always eat parsley when eating onions and garlic; Everything has a price;