By Wes Annac, The Culture of Awareness
Franklin Merrell-Wolff, who we’ll hear from here, frequently referred to enlightenment as a “treasure”.
Like a lot of spiritual teachers have told us, enlightenment is as much of a destructive process as it is constructive, but at the “end” of it all, we’ll come out shining, divine beings who are fully aware of our divinity and are able to use our newfound, elevated awareness to address society’s biggest problems.
We’re becoming aware of our Godliness and the things we can achieve once we tap into it, but for the most part, none of us have really found enlightenment.
We still have quite a path ahead of us before we get there, but our spiritual evolution isn’t about reaching the destination – it’s about enjoying ourselves along the way.
Some of us have probably put enlightenment on the backburner so we can focus on our mission to use our awareness and, in some cases, creativity, to uplift the world. We’re fortunate enough to be evolving as we strive to awaken the planet, and in every moment, we inch nearer and nearer to a higher state of consciousness.
This can reassure us as we focus on working, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make some kind of effort to pursue enlightenment.
We can get there a lot quicker if we consciously focus on the spiritual path and actually try to raise our vibration, and all we really have to do for now is focus on our inner perception and the creativity it inspires.
We’ll find enlightenment in time, but we might want to pursue it now so we can prepare for what’s to come.
According to Franklin Merrell-Wolff, the “treasure” of enlightenment is more valuable than any other achievement.
“I would place this treasure far above anything which may be obtained in the [ordinary] world field, in whatever domain, such as achievement in government, in business, in science, philosophy, mathematics or the arts. All these stand as values far inferior to these greater values which come from Fundamental Realization.” (1)
Our mission might not even be as valuable as enlightenment, but it’s still important. The rest of the world might have trouble awakening if we don’t work hard to raise awareness, but again, we might as well focus on enlightenment while we help others awaken.
Whereas we once felt separate from God or even forsaken, enlightenment fills us to the brim with God’s eternal, everlasting love.
“He who realizes the obverse of the Crucifixion of Jesus forgets the latter in the presence of that Majestic Glory which sheds a Light so potent as to consume all darkness within Its range. The ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachtnai,’ seen from one side as ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me’ becomes, ‘My God, My God, how greatly has Thou exalted me!’” (2)
When it comes to healing the world and fixing our broken society, enlightenment is the best tool we could have.
“It remains true to my present state of consciousness that I would say that no accomplishment, in the world field, can be effective in solving the wrongness which is so evidence in that field, without the insight and resources which are derived from Fundamental Realization. …
“As we advance in our scientific knowledge we not only implement the powers of good that may be in the world but we also implement the powers of evil, with the result that the old difficulties, the old wrongness, return again, if anything in an amplified form.
“Therefore, if we are to resolve in any durable way these difficulties that call for the function of Redemption, it is necessary that more and more of this human whole should attained the perspective and the resources that come from Enlightenment.” (3)
“As many people as possible” should seek enlightenment, he tells us.
“…that which is needed is a seeking for the ultimate Attainment on the part of as many people as possible.” (4)
Enlightenment is the greatest solution to our problems, which are caused by our separation from our essence.
“In [this that I had realized] lay the one effective key for the solving of [humanity’s] problems. The little tragedies of men left me indifferent. I saw one great Tragedy, the cause of all the rest, the failure of man to realize his own Divinity. I saw but one solution, the Realization of this Divinity.” (5)
If we wait until the end of life to seek enlightenment, it’ll be too late and we’ll either have to seek it from the spiritual realms (which would take a lot longer) or from a fresh human body.
“The personal life is centered upon the world-field; though it is a doomed life in any case since, inevitably, Death reaps all here. Still, the personality never quite believes this and strives in its feebleness to will its continuance in the outer world, until in ripe old age it craves rest, even though it be at the price of extinction.
“But when this hour of tiredness has come, it is already too late to achieve the Awakening in that body, for this Awakening calls for a profound, though possibly subtle, virility.” (6)
We might want to focus on our mission and on elevating our consciousness, and however important our mission is (it’s very important to me), we don’t want to miss out on enlightenment just because we were so focused on helping others.
We have to be willing to help ourselves as much as we help the rest of the world, and this is one reason I always mention the benefits of meditation.
Those of us who are working hard to help others would benefit from finding some time to meditate every day, and no matter how important our role is or how hard we want to work, finding some time to explore our consciousness is the best thing we can do for ourselves.
Our work will always be there, but we only have so much “time” to explore ourselves. While our work is important, exploring our consciousness and enlightening ourselves is just as crucial, if not more so.
Enlightenment is just the beginning of our greater life in the higher realms, Franklin tells us.
“I cannot too strongly emphasize the fact that Liberation is no more the end of life than is a college commencement the end of the young man or woman who graduates. It is simply the end of one stage and the beginning of another. The really worthwhile Life begins after Liberation.
“When this new Freedom is attained, a Man may return Home, as it were, and spend a long period enjoying the warmth and comfort of that Home.
“On the other hand, He may return and continue with his chosen profession on a larger field. Some, who have been highly exhausted by their labors at college, may need a long rest, but obviously Those who are strong should occupy Themselves with the Activities of Real Life.” (7)
Even if we’re tired at the beginning and we prefer to rest or enjoy some leisurely activities in the greater, more expanded consciousness enlightenment will offer, we’ll eventually shake off our sleepiness and start working/playing hard in our new sphere.
I’m sure the same can be said for when we depart the body. Some people will want to rest, while others will be excited to explore the landscape that’s opened up before them.
Maybe it comes down to our personality and the experiences we had on earth, and personally, I’m not sure if I’d rest for a while or jump headfirst into whatever work awaited me. I suppose we’d all need a little time to adjust and get used to our new state of consciousness, and once we adjust, the fun can really begin.
As we’ve learned, enlightenment is more important and beneficial than anything we can achieve or experience on earth, and even the hardworking spiritual seekers among us will want to strive for it.
What’s interesting is that ‘striving’ for it isn’t really striving at all. All it requires is the permanent transcendence of our ego-centered consciousness; that aspect of us that has trouble releasing its tight grip on reality and going with the flow.
The mind, if rigid and continuously obeyed, will do everything in its ultimately limited power to prevent us from finding enlightenment or just enjoying life. This is why making the crucial transition from the mind to the heart will help us so much along this crazy journey.
The heart isn’t concerned with its identity or with constantly racing around to find “happiness”, because it naturally embodies happiness, wholeness and every other quality the mind tries so hard to find.
Thus, shifting from ego to heart-centered consciousness will make enlightenment a constant aspect of our existence, and beyond working hard to help others, we won’t really ‘strive’ for anything.
We won’t feel the need to strive for happiness, because we’ll finally have everything we’ll ever need and for the first time in a long time, life will finally start to make sense.
Our connection with the heart and with God/Source/Jah is the most important thing we can establish, so we’ll want to keep this connection in mind and try to expand it as we raise awareness and share the philosophies that resonate with us.
The end result will be infinitely worth the effort we made to get there, and from an enlightened, heart-centered space, we can radiate our love and awareness into the world and help everyone find and maintain that essential connection that’s been missing for so long.
Footnotes:
- Franklin Merrell-Wolff, Pathways Through to Space. A Personal Record of Transformation in Consciousness. New York: Julian Press, 1973, xi.
- Ibid., 38.
- Ibid., xi.
- Ibid., xii.
- Ibid., 5.
- Ibid., 37-8.
- Ibid., 89.
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I’m a twenty-one year old writer, blogger, musician and channel for the creative expression of the inner universe, and I created The Culture of Awareness daily news site.
The Culture of Awareness features daily spiritual and alternative news, articles I’ve written, and more. Its purpose is to awaken and uplift by providing material about the fall of the planetary elite and a new paradigm of unity and spirituality.
I’ve contributed to a few different spiritual websites including The Master Shift, Waking Times, Golden Age of Gaia, Wake Up World and Expanded Consciousness. I can also be found on Facebook (Wes Annac and The Culture of Awareness) and Twitter, and I write a paid weekly newsletter that you can subscribe to for $11.11 a month here.
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