Enlightenment.

Enlightenment is a label that a lot of "spiritual people" spend hours discussing. It is an endless wrangle, but a pleasant one... Yet, self realized people often do not participate in those discussions, because they know that all labels come from ego and are essentially meaningless.

People ask me questions, Goddess gives me the answers in simple words anyone can understand... and often in the metaphors of popular culture. When the topic came up yet again on one of my lists, I got up from my computer and watched a movie on TV, which presented me with 2 gems of wisdom in answer to the questions that had been posed on the topic.

The movie is Joe Vs. the Volcano. Recommended viewing for Kundalites.

Scene 1: Joe and the Mogul's daughter are on the yacht, talking about life, because she is not pleased with hers. She says "My Father says almost everyone alive is asleep. They are walking around asleep. There are only a very few people who are really awake, and those people walk around in a state of constant utter amazement."

That resonated complete truth for me. Awake to the amazing magical wonder of the gift of life itself.

The second memorable scene came at the end of the movie, when the lovers have just miraculously escaped death yet again and they are astonished at the beauty of the moon... they are radiant and happy, when Joe descends to rationality and points out that in the moment, they are still in a pretty hopeless situation... She smiles with love and understanding and says:

"Its just always gonna be something with you, isn't it Joe?"

That resonated equally true. We are the Tao, no matter how far we surf into bliss and wonder, there will always be that little restless unsatisfied part, somewhere waiting to come forth again when by our doubts we show we are getting jaded with bliss and wonder. This is the dark that motivates creativity, maintains appreciation, wonder and gratitude in their freshness by comparison.

Us wanting "More Better, thank you Goddess", with our hungry mouths and appreciating the physical keeps us alive in duality. We are like trees, so long as we are growing, we thrive. When we cease to grow, we die. The thousand petals of the crown chakra mean infinite petals, it continues to open, allowing us to experience more and more of All that Is.

Enlightenment is not about leaving the body behind to surf off into some alternate reality in meditation, and leave the world behind. The crown chakra is actually outside of the body, above the crown of the head. Too much focus on the crown chakra without corresponding Earth grounding, and spirit might think it's time to exit the body. Too long in Samadhi and your body will die... The body will become more vulnerable and begin to malfunction and shut down.

Giving love and gratitude for the gift of the physical keeps it strong and healthy. Enlightenment is not about crawling back into the womb and wishing you were never born. It is a celebration of the gift of life itself, bringing the light down into the here and now.