Steps to enlightenment (Buddhism)

Enlightenment is freedom from suffering caused by selfishly trying to have reality the way one wants it rather than the way it is.

In order to understand the world, fully and compassionately, without disfiguring it with one's own desires, expectations or habits, one follows the progress of the Gautama under the Bodhi tree. First there is the struggle with the demon Mara to control entrapping emotions – when the temptations, desires and fears which normally delimit one's identity are confronted and defeated. Secondly there is entering the four levels of dhyana or jhana, until there is mastery of all stages of meditative concentration and ease in moving from one level to another. Through the subsequent series of insights there comes perception of the six types of extraordinary knowledge, abhijna or abhinna. This perception enables understanding of the nature of suffering. Thirdly comes meditative analysis of one's life, to understand how the total of past actions determine the present. There is understanding that one is one's self responsible for one's own personality. Gautama is said to have remembered all his previous lives in order and seen how they led to the present one. Fourthly there is the ability to understand other people's idiosyncracies and predicaments in the same way as one understands one's own. They create their own problems although they may not be aware of the fact, and one can respond fully and compassionately to them. In the divine vision of the Gautama, he saw all former lives of all beings. Finally, having destroyed the source of asrava or asava, the poison of the mind, one comes to know the four noble truths. Having gained this insight, Gautama saw that suffering comes from desiring things the way one wants them rather than the way they are. Nirvana is the "blowing out" of this desire. Having reached such enlightenment, Gautama became Buddha.

Different sources treat the path to this awakened state through different means, basically the following of the four stages of the arya marga (noble eightfold path); and realizing the four noble truths through completing the bodhipaksika dharma (harmonies with enlightenment, in which 37 mental qualities are enumerated) and through dissipation of ignorance. Mahayana Buddhism distinguishes three levels or varieties of enlightenment: that of the arhat who has pursue the path of liberation for its own sake; that of the bodhisattva who has pursued the path in order to liberate others; that of a buddha who is totally enlightened. Theravada also recognizes three levels of enlightenment: savakabodhi, arising through learning the lessons of the Buddha; paccekabodhi, arising through solitary study; and samma-sambodhi, the full enlightenment of a buddha. It also relates enlightenment to the extinction of desire in cessation, nirodha, the third noble truth. There is freedom from ignorance – avidya, avijja – and craving – trisna, tanha. Other related states are cessation of passion, hatred and illusion (ragaksaya, dosaksaya, mohaksaya) and unconditioned existence (asamskrita).

Mahayana describes enlightenment as seeing everything as it is, the "suchness" of all – tathata. This may be to see that they are empty of essential or substantial being – sunyata. Being what they are and nothing more or less, they cannot be characterized. Awareness of all things and perfect enlightenment – sambodhi – is wisdom – prajna – which, if cultivated, leads to understanding the emptiness of the world. Open to one's own buddha nature – bussho – there is awareness that subject and object are one in the unity of nirvana and samsara.