The word 'enlightenment' can be used to refer to many different ideas. The phrase 'The Enlightenment' refers to a philosophical revolution of the 18th century based on rationalism. In a secular or a non-Buddhist context the word is often used meaning full comprehension of a situation, or having gained spiritual insight. Enlightenment is also used as a translation of the word Bodhi and thus is construed as being the opposite of Saṃsāra and thus me...
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The word 'enlightenment' can be used to refer to many different ideas. The phrase 'The Enlightenment' refers to a philosophical revolution of the 18th century based on rationalism. In a secular or a non-Buddhist context the word is often used meaning full comprehension of a situation, or having gained spiritual insight. Enlightenment is also used as a translation of the word Bodhi and thus is construed as being the opposite of Saṃsāra and thus means a state of freedom from suffering, desire and ignorance. Many scientists believe that at the moment of the subjective experience of enlightenment there is an actual physical change in the brain, as detailed in Eugene D'Aquili's The Mystical Mind: Probing the Biology of Religious Experience.
In Buddhism, enlightenment refers to a unique experience which wholly transforms the enlightened individual from its opposite - samsara. For example Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, is said to have achieved enlightenment, as are others...
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