There is a process or a natural order for doing things. For example, to walk, a baby learns to move his hands and feet, he learns to roll over, he learns to push up with his arms and legs, he learns to crawl, he learns to stand, he learns to balance on his feet, and he learns to take his first step. We wouldn’t expect him to start walking without first learning the basics to set up the foundation for walking. Processes are important road-maps to help us head toward our final destination.

As the world gets more complicated, we have to learn more to live in it, and we are swept farther into the current of our daily lives. Most of us get lost and trap in our daily existence. We live our lives based on what we know and learn from our environment and culture. We form our understanding of the world and that becomes the boundary of our lives. Most of us will live inside that boundary for our entire lives unless someone or some event shakes us to the core and break us free of this prison.

To free ourselves from the boundary, we need to examine ourselves. We need a process to lead us from where we are to the point where we understand nature’s law or universal law. The point when we reach this understanding is called enlightenment. This is my understanding of the process toward enlightenment.

Journey Toward Enlightenment

Description of each step in the journey:

Focus - Focus allow us to feel the connection between mind and body. One thought leads to coordinated action, awareness of self and surrounding, and produce excellent performance.

Awareness - Focus leads to awareness of thoughts’ influence on mind and body. Awareness of thoughts help us learn to separate our “thoughts” from our “self”. This separation lessen thought’s control over us. We learn that we are not our thoughts, and we don’t have to watch a thought develop. In not following thoughts, we are more present in our lives.

Clarity - In being present, the mind sees things as they are rather than through desires, emotions, ego, superstitions, culture, and family influence. Seeing without these attachments allows true understanding of our lives and of the world rather than through a clouded lens of our thoughts.

Good Character – In clarity we see how negative characteristics cause suffering. What are the things that cause suffering? Things such as arrogance, greed, hate, jealousy, or lust cause suffering. How many arguments and wars have they cause? Do we want to be the cause of ours and others’ suffering? We change ourselves to end our contribution to the problem. We do our best to help ourselves and others in an honorable way.

Overcome Attachments – In developing a good characters we find that we hold certain ideas and things close to our hearts. In holding tight, we breed the hate, greed, or jealousy which causes the suffering. To develop this good character, we learn to release our grip on each thing we hold so tightly.

Human Purpose – In letting go of attachments, we are not held back by thoughts and emotions. We can sense a higher purpose beyond struggling to make a living, caring for your children, exploring the world and experiencing life’s pleasures. We begin to see a sacredness in things around us.

Enlightenment - In understanding our existence and our connection to everything, we begin to understand the true meaning of life. We can begin exploring the many levels of nature’s law to deepen our understanding of life. Supernatural things are suppose happens when we reach enlightenment, but we won’t know until our long journey is complete.

Endurance - The key to unlock the truth is endurance. Obstacles will try to block the way or distract us toward other directions. Persistence in face of endless challenges weeds out the ones worthy of the secrets. Nature’s secret doesn’t reveal itself to anyone who can’t handle it. That is why it is precious and many are willing to spend a lifetime to refine themselves for the opportunity.