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There's a lot of talk about enlightenment. It's a concept that's very old in Buddhism, but also in other spiritual traditions. And it can mean so many different things, but in my Zen tradition, it really refers to: "Waking up to the truth of what life is." And to some of the surprising aspects of life that we don't normally see. Most specifically, the interconnectedness of everything, the essential oneness of everything. That yes, on one level, everything exists separately. I exist separately from you, and this chair exists separately from me. And at the deepest level, none of it is separate. All of it is completely interconnected and always changing. That is awakening to the truth of life. Now, enlightenment is often held out as a thing that we can get. And in fact, you can read accounts of people sitting in long periods of meditation, sometimes on retreats, where they essentially have these amazing experiences. Sometimes they feel like out-of-body experiences, and they can write elaborate descriptions of what these are like. And sometimes people feel like, "Well, if I just have those experiences, then I'm enlightened. And if I had those experiences once, I want them back, so I want to try to get them back again."

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There's a lot / of / talk / about / enlightenment. // It's a concept / that's very old / in Buddhism, / but also / in other / spiritual traditions. // And / it can mean / so many / different things, / but / in / my Zen / tradition, / it really / refers to: / "Waking up / to the truth / of what / life is." // And / to / some of the surprising aspects / of life / that we don't / normally see. // Most specifically, / the / interconnectedness / of everything, / the / essential oneness / of everything. // That / yes, / on one level /, everything exists / separately. // I exist / separately from you, / and / this chair / exists separately / from me. // And / at the deepest level, / none of it / is separate. // All of it / is completely interconnected / and always changing. // That / is / awakening/ to / the truth / of life. // Now, / enlightenment / is often / held out / as a thing / that we can get. // And in fact /, you can read accounts / of people sitting / in long periods of meditation, / sometimes / on retreats, / where / they essentially have / these amazing experiences. // Sometimes / they feel like / out-of-body / experiences, / and they can / write elaborate descriptions / of what these / are like. // And / sometimes / people feel like, / "Well, / if I just have those experiences, / then I'm enlightened. / And if I had / those experiences / once, / I want them back, / so I want to try / to get them / back again." //

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What we teach in Zen is that that's actually dangerous, that nobody lives in a kind of unusual altered state all the time. Most of us never do. And if we have unusual experiences, it's very brief, an experience of, for example, complete interconnectedness and oneness cannot last. In fact, one Zen teacher did a set of interviews with people who had enlightenment experiences, and he put them into a book, and the title of the book was, "After the Ecstasy, The Laundry. And what he meant by that was that no matter what kind of unusual experience we might have of waking up, of enlightenment, we always go back to needing to do the laundry and needing to brush our teeth and needing to go to work, but that is just how life is. So, although most of us, myself included, wish that there were a way to get enlightened and stay that way, to get to a place where it's always blissful and we never suffer, I have never met a human being on this Earth who gets to that place.

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What we teach / in Zen / is / that / that's actually / dangerous, / that / nobody / lives in a kind of / unusual altered state / all the time. // Most of us / never do. // And if / we have / unusual experiences, / it's very brief, / an experience of, / for example, / complete interconnectedness / and oneness // cannot / last. // In fact, / one Zen teacher / did a set of interviews / with people / who had had / enlightenment experiences, and / he put them / into a book, / and the title of the book / was / "After the Ecstasy, / The Laundry. // And what he meant by that / was / that / no matter / what kind of unusual experience / we might have / of waking up, // of enlightenment, / we always go back to / needing to do the laundry / and needing to brush our teeth / and needing to go to work, / but that is just / how life is. // So, / although / most of us, / myself included, / wish / that there were a way / to get enlightened / and stay that way, / to get to a place where it's always / blissful / and we never suffer, / I have never met / a human being / on this Earth / who gets to that place. //