After enlightenment, you begin to experience the Soul. The awareness of the real Self arises, which gradually transforms one’s entire life. So, to know what is the test of a person’s enlightenment, let’s explore what one would and should experience after enlightenment. This proves as an effective test.
In Aadhi, Vyaadhi, Upaadhi, one experiences Samadhi
Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan explains, “When mental problems, physical problems or external problems do not bother you, then you know that your enlightenment is real.” He further illustrates, “If you lose your wallet with a lot of money in it, you experience some restlessness. And at such time, if You say from within, “This is Vyavasthit (destined),” you will be able to pacify ‘John’ (you may insert your own name here). This inner experience is the experience of the Soul. If on the other hand ‘John’ is unable to remain calm and he loses his peace of mind, then that is the experience of the physical body. Are you familiar with these two experiences?”
The next point will help us decipher what are these two experiences....
The Attachment to ‘I am John; this body, mind, speech, etc. are mine’ breaks
The experience of, ‘I am John; this body, mind, speech, etc. are mine’, is called body-consciousness. After enlightenment, this experience begins to leave and the experience of the Soul begins to prevail. Consequently, attachment to anything connected with the body begins to diminish
Ordinarily people in this world are not able to let go of the awareness of “I am this body” because they are not aware that their real Self is the Pure Soul residing in their body. The Soul comprises infinite knowledge and infinite vision, but it is currently covered with ignorance. Ignorance means unawareness of our true identity. Owing to ignorance, one mistakenly believes the body or the name given to the body as Self. When we attain enlightenment from Gnani, the veils of ignorance are lifted.
Clashes and Falls in Life Are Averted
While ignorance of Self is darkness, the infinite knowledge of the Soul (Self) is in the form of light! Gnani explains, “Suppose there is pitch darkness in your home. How will you feel? You will have clashes with chairs, tables, etc. And what will happen if you have full light in your room? When you have full light, there will not be any clash, there will not be any suffering, there will not be any worries, no doubts, nor any stress! With full light, you feel happiness and your close relatives also will feel happiness. This is what we experience in the light of the Soul.”
One Continues to Live a Normal Worldly Life but Nothing of the Worldly Life Affects Him
In Akram Vignan (an easy and direct path to enlightenment), through the scientific experiment of separation between ‘I’ and ‘My’, Gnani Purush breaks the layers of ignorance and the direct light of the Soul starts. And through that direct light, you can experience your Soul. Thereafter, although you continue to live a normal worldly life, nothing of the worldly life will affect you because you stay in the awareness of the Pure Soul. A Pure Soul is full of permanent happiness! This happiness does not go away in any circumstance. No matter how bad the fruits of karma are, the circumstances are temporary while the Soul is permanent. Therefore, sadness, sorrow, and grief do not touch him.
The Light of Soul from Within Flashes All Your Mistakes and Keeps you Alert about your Real Self
After enlightenment, the experience of the Pure Soul has occurred. But it is like the second day of the moon (as compared to a full moon). So, initially you continue to make mistakes. However, the direct light of the Soul (Pragna) warns you from within and alerts you in every mistake. Suppose ‘John’ becomes angry and abusive towards someone. Pragna alerts you that, “You as a Pure Soul are completely separate and pure.” At the same time, it warns John for his every mistake, “Your act has hurt others. Do pratikraman.” Pratikraman means John accepts his mistake, repents for the mistake and vows never to repeat the mistake. You, as a Pure Soul, remain an observer of how ‘John’ performs the pratikraman and with how much sincerity.
Thus, the phases keep growing day by day from the second day of the moon to a full moon, which is the Absolute state of the enlightened Soul. The light of the Soul pervades the entire Universe then.
One Does Not See Other’s Faults but Is Busy Clearing His Own Flaws
Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan emphatically says, “There are innumerable life forms in the world, but none of them ever interfere with you. And those who interfere do so because of your own mistakes. You yourself had previously caused interference, and therefore, are now facing the consequences of your past actions. I see this in my enlightened vision and I am telling you this as I see it.”
The person who has attained enlightenment thus starts seeing his own faults. He understands that whatever karma was charged by him in the past life (eg. that of an insult), it is discharging now in the form of present circumstances (where someone insults him). Through the awareness of the Self, he remains separate from the circumstance, knows and sees the effects of the circumstance on him with equanimity which is verily the function of the Soul, and consequently experiences the permanent happiness of the Pure Soul.
Enlightenment Turns the Person on the Positive Side
As long as one has the belief ‘I am John’, he will always be on the negative-side only. To have a slightest bad thought about someone is also negative. But after enlightenment, the desire for jagat-kalyan (salvation of the world) develops in the person. All his negative intents are destroyed. A lot of good comes out of this. Further, the inner intent of not causing hurt to anyone grows stronger day-by-day. There is no kind of insistence or force in his communication as he now knows that things do not happen according to what he thinks nor does it happen according to what the other person thinks. It is when Nature brings together the circumstances that things happen accordingly.
Also, an enlightened person comes into the practice of seeing everyone as a Pure Soul. Therefore, he experiences oneness with the other person; no separation is perceived with the other person. This gradually brings him into the state of absolute humility.
One craves to stay with the Gnani
Gnani is the One whose own Soul is enlightened and has the power to enlighten other’s Soul too. Never before, has love arisen for the Gnani. Once this love arises, all solutions follow. After acquiring enlightenment from him, one craves to stay with the Gnani because His love is incomparable; the person who experiences it is never able to forget it!
To conclude, the direct result of enlightenment is freedom and fearlessness. You experience bliss of the Soul right here, in this world, between the present people and amidst the present circumstances. This is the ultimate test of a person’s enlightenment.
To know more please visit: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/self-realization/
Ambalal M. Patel was a civil contractor by profession. In June 1958, spontaneous Self-Realization occurred within Ambalal M. Patel. From this point on, Ambalal became a Gnani Purush, and the Lord that manifest within him became known as Dada Bhagwan. A Gnani Purush is One who has realized the Self and is able help others do the same. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan used to go from town to town and country-to-country to give satsang (spiritual discourse) and impart the knowledge of the Self, as well as knowledge of harmonious worldly interactions to everyone who came to meet him. This spiritual science, known as Akram Vignan, is the step-less path to Self-realization