Enlightenment means awakening of the Soul.

The Soul is an abode of permanent happiness. And that Soul is what we really are. So, the enlightenment begins from when one attains the experiential knowledge of really ‘who am I’. And when one is fully enlightened, one gets free from the cycle of birth and death as the Soul attains the ultimate liberation.

Having the right understanding of ‘who am I’, the enlightened person is able to remain detached from all mental, physical or external sufferings. This detachment is experienced even under adverse circumstances, and hence one endures no suffering, no matter what the external circumstance may be.

One begins with enlightenment when s/he is convinced that, ‘I am indeed a pure Soul, totally separate from the body, name and ego’, and one also understands, ‘who is the real doer in this world.’ Currently, one believes s/he is the doer of the task that gets done by him. But after enlightenment, one understands how the world runs naturally, and one himself is a mere instrument in the work done. Owing to this right understanding, no new karmas are bound.

But how do we get this right understanding?

The enlightenment becomes possible only with the grace of the Enlightened One.

Without a Gnani, the Enlightened One, enlightenment cannot happen and we cannot begin our journey towards liberation. So, the first stage of Self-realisation can only be acquired through a living Gnani, an Enlightened Being, who has attained Self-realisation and has the divine spiritual power to enlighten the masses too!!!

The Enlightened One is an ocean of compassion, and hence he lives in this world, fulfilling the sole objective of awakening people spiritually. He inspires people to take on the spiritual path, invokes the knowledge of the real Self within the spiritual seekers, and guides them on the path of liberation until they attain full enlightenment.

Hence, the one who is enlightened will generally continue to reincarnate for the spiritual welfare of masses, all the while rising higher until he/she attains final liberation. The rebirths can either be in human form, in this Bharatkshetra (where we currently live) or in Mahavideh Kshetra (where Living Tirthankars live), or as a celestial being, in Heaven. Besides carrying out the salvation work, each enlightened being progresses individually towards his own final liberation as well.

The second and last stage of enlightenment, which makes the final liberation possible, can only be attained from a Tirthankar - a living fully enlightened being - whose presence turns every place He goes to into a place of pilgrimage and whose darshan (devotional viewing) grants final liberation to the one who has attained Self-realisation.

The scriptures claim that in this day and age, it is not possible for one to acquire the ultimate liberation directly from this world of ours; one will have to go to Mahavideha kshetra and after doing Darshan (worship) of the living Tirthankara (the fully Enlightened one), Shri Simandhar Swami there, final moksha is attained. Gnani, the Living Enlightened One, present amidst us here, places all aspirants of liberation on this path, by making them Self-realized first and thereafter guiding and grooming them so that they can establish themselves in Mahavideh Kshetra, and attain full enlightenment from the Living Tirthankar there.

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Author's Bio: 

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 manifested within him became known as Dada Bhagwan. A Gnani Purush is One who has realized the Self and is able to 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.