Can you be enlightened without robe, beard, or poverty? Some people fear that once they are enlightened and find the extreme joy of being in the present moment, that they may not return. They think, “Why would you get out of your chair?” They worry that they would just sit there and melt into extreme ecstasy.
But that is never going to happen. Your mind will always be a tool available to you. You couldn’t get rid of your mind even if you tried. You just may decide to use it less frequently. Your mind will always be there for you if you need it. You might be surprised how little you need it though. It may eventually seem primitive to you. What you wear, how you cut your hair, and your level of wealth or poverty, have nothing to do with enlightenment. Those all exist in the material world and prove nothing about your internal awareness of the nature of being. Enlightened without robe, beard, or poverty–of course–why not? Those are material things.
If anything, your increased awareness and peace of mind in the enlightened state is likely to make your life more joyful, and thus attract even the material world to you more quickly. Mind resistance stops the flow of everything–material and joyful. You can have a mind without the pain. You will know when the mind is taking you down a painful path.
When I am living in the present moment, my mind is always nearby.
I am the same person as far back as I can remember.
And I consider who I am to be what’s behind the mind because it’s more calm and peaceful and often the mind is self-centered. My mind seems more interested in mental constructs like how do I survive, what am I going to eat, I want to have sex, how do I get rich, how do I get people to like me, … it is very material centered. But it seems to create pain by looking for shortcuts for all these things. Mind energy seems to create a resistance by focusing too much on what is missing.
And being in the present is more relaxing, spiritual, connected, joyful. The feeling of having a heart beating, and having trees around me, or living my life … the feeling of being in the present moment … it is more enjoyable. The present moment puts me in a zone where things come to me more effortlessly.
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