Medical News

If you look in a dictionary to find out what the word “enlightenment” means, you’ll find diverse definitions ranging from having knowledge or understanding about a subject or situation to the state of having attained spiritual knowledge or insight. However, in most spiritual schools of thought and practice, enlightenment has a more specific meaning.

The origin of the word enlightenment is from the Old English, to make luminous, to shine or lighten. This is a little more to the point. We’ll see why further on.

There are some who believe that enlightenment is either all or nothing; you’re either enlightened or you’re not, there’s no in-between about it. Others say that enlightenment unfolds by degrees. Can they both be correct?

When one has had direct experience, or direct perception, of Truth, one has had an enlightenment experience. By direct, I mean that the mind is not involved; there is no via, or means, by which this event occurs. You could say that the mind has been bypassed.

It is tempting to assume that anyone who has had such an experience is therefore enlightened. In a way, this is true, but it is only true in a limited context. An enlightenment experience occurs in a fraction of a second and it is possible to lose the effect. Even so, one is changed to some degree by the experience.

When one has direct experience of Truth that continues long enough and often enough, it evolves until the term “enlightenment” becomes the obvious descriptor: in advanced stages, Truth shines of its own light. And I mean that quite literally – light is not shined upon something so that it becomes perceptible but consists solely of light. The dual situation of reflected light and the darkness of shadow does not exist.
Eventually there is absolute union with Truth in the sense that there is nothing (no-thing) to experience or perceive, directly or indirectly. There is no sense of yourself knowing, perceiving or experiencing anything – all there is is the rolling bliss of Truth. This is when you realize with certainty that Truth/God/the Absolute (use your own word here) is all there is.

So how do you become enlightened? Is there something you can do to have an enlightenment experience? Or does it just happen if you’re lucky or have enough good karma? Does enlightenment happen all at once or by degrees?

All of the above. There are no limits to the possibilities in this life. You can do techniques designed for the purpose, or you can meditate, or you can just sit under a tree and hope for the best. An enlightenment can be attained through your own efforts or it can happen when you least expect it.

You can always set the stage and make conditions more conducive to enlightenment. You can do this by learning enlightenment techniques or by establishing a meditation practice or both. When you’re not doing one of these, you can add knowledge and inspiration by reading the teachings of those who are enlightened or who have had enlightenment experiences.

However you choose to go about it, keep in mind that having an enlightenment experience is not the end of the line but the beginning of an amazing adventure into internal affairs, and keep going until you reach the Ultimate.

Relaxation is the key to good breathing and so is emotion, the more positive the emotion the better the breathing. Anxiety, fear, stress and tension all quicken breathing and make it shallower; pleasure, contentment and emotional and physical well being deepen and strengthen your breathing. Both conventional and complementary medicine understands the importance of good breathing.

But in some ancient systems it is the cornerstone of health, Indian holy men or yogis practice panorama, or deep breathing, to calm the mind and spirit. In traditional Chinese medicine, harmony comes when your inner life energy is at one with the life energy in the air around you. Shallow breathing is when you inhale an inadequate amount of air, largely because you have not exhaled enough air, is common and can have harmful effects on the body.

The key to avoiding shallow breathing is to concentrate on breathing out. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, sighing as you do so. Every time you sit down, breathe out long and slow. Aim for a count of five on every out breath. When you walk, count two on each in breath and two on each out breath. Gradually increase the count on each out breath to five.

Your doctor can keep symptoms at bay, but if you stop taking medication, they may return, often worst than before. Also many of these ailments may have a psychological origin, caused by difficulties at work or at home, poor housing conditions and so on, and they derive much benefit from the holistic approach. The healthy functioning of the lungs is, of course, a vital part of the body’s survival mechanism. When the tubes carrying air to the lungs become inflamed an asthma attack occurs.