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nd might tell the stories, “if only I had a million-dollar I would be happy…”.</li><li>Thus, the mind remains <i>dependent </i>on physical or mental objects to find contentment.</li><li>Grievously, the satisfaction doesn’t last long, and the chain of seeking repeats.</li><li><b><i>The mind is not content with the way of nature and blames the surroundings for its suffering.</i></b></li><li>This creates a duality: Mind — is separated from — Nature.</li></ul><h1 id="d22e">2. A Taste of Transcendence — False Understanding</h1><ul><li>Here, the pursuit of enlightenment might spring from an unsatisfied mind who chases transcendental experiences in the name of spirituality.</li><li><b><i>Spiritual bypassing: the harshness of present moment reality is escaped by attaching to mind-created mystical experiences.</i></b></li><li>The mind might create over-obsession over spirituality and take drastic decisions like leaving family/job to pursue enlightenment. Basically, adding to the ignorance that happiness can be found <i>somewhere else</i> other than now.</li><li>Dispassion and thirst for honest enquiry are missing.</li><li>Due to initial mystical experiences, the mind might consider itself superior to others. For example: “I” am spiritual. “I” know the truth. “World” is a fool.</li><li>The Ego of the previous stage is transformed into Spiritual-ego.</li></ul><h1 id="613b">3. Healthy Ego Development — Self-Actualization</h1><ul><li>The mind realizes there’s no point in mentally looping over the suffering. Instead of running away, the mind starts working on its shortcomings.</li><li>Action is undertaken with responsibility.</li><li><b><i>The focus shifts away from mystical experiences to developing a content life.</i></b></li><li>Mind passionately seeks a purpose to prove its ability.</li><li>Still, the contentment remains <i>dependent</i> on the nature of work being done.</li></ul><h1 id="abf8">4. True Seeker — Sincerity Emerges</h1><ul><li>Unlike the previous stages, here, the yearning for wisdom comes from a sense of sincerity, humility and dispassion.</li><li><b><i>The true seeker is keen to understand the nature of suffering rather than escaping it.</i></b></li><li>Though there might not be any epiphanies, the seeker wholeheartedly engages in the appropriate spiritual practices.</li></ul><h1 id="e37a">5. Trust</h1><ul><li>Slowly, as life becomes more serene and content due to sincere spiritual practices, the mind starts trusting the path more and more.</li><li>This faith doesn’t stand on some scriptural knowledge that can be refuted.<b><i> It is embodied wisdom, realized by observing the nature of the mind.</i></b></li><li>Irrespective of the external situation, the mind unshakably trusts that the actual cause of suffering is internal, and everlasting contentment can o

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nly be found by self-enquiry.</li></ul><h1 id="a457">6. Surrender</h1><ul><li>A profound truth is revealed: <b><i>peace is the nature of being, unveiled by the letting-go of tension held in mind.</i></b></li><li>Upon this discovery, the mind stops chasing external objects to facilitate the release of tension.</li><li>Moreover, the mind recognizes there’s no one but it itself is holding onto tension.</li><li>Mind obtains a skill — surrendering/letting-go that releases the tension <i>independent </i>of external aid.</li></ul><h1 id="c9f6">7. Acceptance</h1><ul><li>There’s a subtle difference between surrender and acceptance. The word surrender suggests that <i>letting-go</i> <i>needs to be done</i> — a deliberate action that spans a certain moment, and only after it is complete, can contentment be found.</li><li><b><i>Mind understands that existence feels like a jail only because it doesn’t want to be where it is right now. Freedom is to graciously accept this present moment!</i></b></li><li>So there’s nothing inherently wrong in holding on to the tension. Only the <i>identification</i> with the tension needs to be eliminated.</li><li>Thus, no need to deliberately let-go of the tension, just a mere acknowledgement of it frees the mind.</li></ul><h1 id="295e">8. Love — Enlightenment</h1><ul><li>When all the identification ceases, the mind doesn’t chase contentment by altering the present moment.</li><li>Now the mind is free of all identifications with the experience, i.e., there is no object of experience which generates the feeling of <i>I/me/mine</i> — Eternal Awakening!</li><li>This doesn’t mean the mind is free of all the wanting. The mind would want things (as it is its nature), but it doesn’t tie its satisfaction to the desired object. In other words, wanting becomes a preference rather than an obsession.</li><li><b><i>Every moment is recognized as Buddha-Nature — complete as it is! Nothing needs to be done! Everything emerges out of the Loving Source, As Love!</i></b></li><li>All is perfect, right ____, right ____. Silence!</li></ul><h1 id="f971">Conclusion</h1><p id="fc33" type="7">Buddha is the greatest loser, literally.</p><p id="e33e">Though these 8 stages might seem like something a person <i>achieves</i>, it truly is about <i>losing </i>everything you have to recognize the divinity of the situation where you already are!</p><p id="9b1f">If you feel stuck in your life, re-read these stages, and surely you will discover a resistance you are creating against this present moment.</p><p id="143b">With this map, I hope you find where you stand and open your heart to receive the next insight needed in your life. May you be showered with integrity!</p><p id="e88d">Eager to find unshakable self-fulfillment? Give a follow and stay connected.</p></article></body>

How Wisdom Develops and Frees from Suffering

8 stages of spiritual progress directly relevant in everyday life

Many people are not interested in spirituality, maybe because of its unscientific and mystical aspects. Some seekers speak highly of themselves when it comes to enlightenment — as if they are the next Buddha. Others, who are sincere, get stuck in false information prevalent about the topic. Consequently, there are quarrels all over the internet on how to find freedom from suffering.

Primarily, the disputes arise due to failure in a convergence of diverse perspectives like science, spirituality, modern philosophies and ancient wisdom traditions.

In this article, I have put the progress of enlightenment in a clear and grounded manner, making it directly applicable in day-to-day life and bringing more relatability to the topic irrespective of the cultural background.

What is Enlightenment?

Firstly, I would like to clarify my take on enlightenment to make sure we are on the same page. Here, I am not talking about enlightenment as an epiphany of the realization of God or some transcendental state. Instead, I refer it as a way of living — ever-developing wisdom that frees the mind from suffering. You might have had sudden openings in the past, but if you don’t have it right now, you have still a long way to go!

Below are the stages one would discover in their spiritual journey. Don’t take these stages too literally or necessarily in strict order. Remember, the map is not the territory.

1. Unskilled Mind — No Understanding

Someone who has never heard how suffering can be skillfully eradicated. There is no inherent fault in such a mind. It is simply unskilled to free itself from suffering.
Such an untrained mind restlessly jumps from one place to another to find freedom from dreadful existence. May it be chasing physical objects, engaging in mental daydreaming, logically justifying the suffering, looping over the situation etc… the mind tries everything to find relief.
For example, the mind might blame others for its anger or frustration. The mind might tell the stories, “if only I had a million-dollar I would be happy…”.
Thus, the mind remains dependent on physical or mental objects to find contentment.
Grievously, the satisfaction doesn’t last long, and the chain of seeking repeats.
The mind is not content with the way of nature and blames the surroundings for its suffering.
This creates a duality: Mind — is separated from — Nature.

2. A Taste of Transcendence — False Understanding

Here, the pursuit of enlightenment might spring from an unsatisfied mind who chases transcendental experiences in the name of spirituality.
Spiritual bypassing: the harshness of present moment reality is escaped by attaching to mind-created mystical experiences.
The mind might create over-obsession over spirituality and take drastic decisions like leaving family/job to pursue enlightenment. Basically, adding to the ignorance that happiness can be found somewhere else other than now.
Dispassion and thirst for honest enquiry are missing.
Due to initial mystical experiences, the mind might consider itself superior to others. For example: “I” am spiritual. “I” know the truth. “World” is a fool.
The Ego of the previous stage is transformed into Spiritual-ego.

3. Healthy Ego Development — Self-Actualization

The mind realizes there’s no point in mentally looping over the suffering. Instead of running away, the mind starts working on its shortcomings.
Action is undertaken with responsibility.
The focus shifts away from mystical experiences to developing a content life.
Mind passionately seeks a purpose to prove its ability.
Still, the contentment remains dependent on the nature of work being done.

4. True Seeker — Sincerity Emerges

Unlike the previous stages, here, the yearning for wisdom comes from a sense of sincerity, humility and dispassion.
The true seeker is keen to understand the nature of suffering rather than escaping it.
Though there might not be any epiphanies, the seeker wholeheartedly engages in the appropriate spiritual practices.

5. Trust

Slowly, as life becomes more serene and content due to sincere spiritual practices, the mind starts trusting the path more and more.
This faith doesn’t stand on some scriptural knowledge that can be refuted. It is embodied wisdom, realized by observing the nature of the mind.
Irrespective of the external situation, the mind unshakably trusts that the actual cause of suffering is internal, and everlasting contentment can only be found by self-enquiry.

6. Surrender

A profound truth is revealed: peace is the nature of being, unveiled by the letting-go of tension held in mind.
Upon this discovery, the mind stops chasing external objects to facilitate the release of tension.
Moreover, the mind recognizes there’s no one but it itself is holding onto tension.
Mind obtains a skill — surrendering/letting-go that releases the tension independent of external aid.

7. Acceptance

There’s a subtle difference between surrender and acceptance. The word surrender suggests that letting-go needs to be done — a deliberate action that spans a certain moment, and only after it is complete, can contentment be found.
Mind understands that existence feels like a jail only because it doesn’t want to be where it is right now. Freedom is to graciously accept this present moment!
So there’s nothing inherently wrong in holding on to the tension. Only the identification with the tension needs to be eliminated.
Thus, no need to deliberately let-go of the tension, just a mere acknowledgement of it frees the mind.

8. Love — Enlightenment

When all the identification ceases, the mind doesn’t chase contentment by altering the present moment.
Now the mind is free of all identifications with the experience, i.e., there is no object of experience which generates the feeling of I/me/mine — Eternal Awakening!
This doesn’t mean the mind is free of all the wanting. The mind would want things (as it is its nature), but it doesn’t tie its satisfaction to the desired object. In other words, wanting becomes a preference rather than an obsession.
Every moment is recognized as Buddha-Nature — complete as it is! Nothing needs to be done! Everything emerges out of the Loving Source, As Love!
All is perfect, right ____, right ____. Silence!

Conclusion

Buddha is the greatest loser, literally.

Though these 8 stages might seem like something a person achieves, it truly is about losing everything you have to recognize the divinity of the situation where you already are!

If you feel stuck in your life, re-read these stages, and surely you will discover a resistance you are creating against this present moment.

With this map, I hope you find where you stand and open your heart to receive the next insight needed in your life. May you be showered with integrity!

Eager to find unshakable self-fulfillment? Give a follow and stay connected.