Expert: Justin Choo - 4/28/2005

Question
"Now your comment: "since enlightenement is like waking up from a dream (or so i hear), could enlightenement be just another level of awareness ( could an enlightened person wake up from the dream of enlightenement)?
My comment: Enlightenment means awakened. Enlightenment is no longer a dream. If one is awakened, how can one be awakened again?"
My comment : Since i am writing this i must consider myself awake; i also know that when i will go to sleep i will not be awake. This means that when i go to sllep i seep in my sleep (if you consider life just a dream). In order to get enlightened i must wake up from my sleep, then wake up from the dream of "life" (that, by the way, i must consider real) and only then will i be really awake. But what if i consider the enlightened state just another dream that i am not aware of ( like when i am not aware that i am dreaming and consider myself awake)? If buddha was asleep for 30 years and woke up, maby he has to sleep for some 1000 years in the enlightened state in order to wake up again. Anyway this is not important, (( even though i am curious how the state of dream in dream can be explained by buddhist philosophy (did you ever dream that you were dreaming ?)) i wanted to ask you something else.
   Let's say that one does get enlightened; how does he live his life after beeing enlightened ?
Do you have any enlightened friends that work a normal, dull job ? Some (like aung s moe) say that there are enlightened people right here, right now; why don't they try to awaken us ?
By the way, are you enlightened ?  

Answer
Hi Tudor,

Welcome for the 4th. time.

Mr Tudor, my dear friend, have you ever wonder why a puppy goes round and round chasing its own tail? I hope I don't sound rude. Of course you are welcome to ask any questions related to Buddhism.  I am actually aware that you have been asking the other "Experts".  It is common practice and it is also very healthy.  At least you get a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and even a 5th. opinion on the same question.  You will know by now that the answers can be so different.  This is the beauty of Buddhism.


Your question: "Let's say that one does get enlightened; how does he live his life after beeing enlightened ?
Do you have any enlightened friends that work a normal, dull job ? Some (like aung s moe) say that there are enlightened people right here, right now; why don't they try to awaken us?
By the way, are you enlightened ?"

I was told by another teacher that after a person attained enlightenment, he can only stay in the household for a maximum of 7 days.
As for the answers to your other questions, perhaps you would like to analyze and come out with the answers!

The Buddha's teachings are actually very simple.  Please save yourself the agony of probing esoteric concepts in great detail.  It will only make life more complicated and miserable.  What we need to do as sensible human beings is to live a dignified and harmless life so that all can live in peace.  In this respect the Buddha advised us to avoid evil, do good, and purify our mind.

You are still welcome to ask more questions if you need to.

May you have peace.

Smile from justinchoo :-)