Feeling every other being as a buddha,

in this is a buddha present

When seeking, it is quite common for the question to arise, How will I know when I am enlightened? This question is often asked in satsangs. After enlightenment, the question seems rather absurd, and absurd for two reasons. Firstly, after the event, everything seems rather obvious. It’s a bit like the question, How will I know when I’ve had an orgasm? Of course if one has never experienced an orgasm then that question is valid, and afterwards, the question seems absurd. Because the orgasm is very obvious, there is no doubt left. But with enlightenment the question is even more absurd because the transformation is one that destroys the whole idea of enlightenment. So, any question about enlightenment also disappears in that great inferno. So much is burnt up. So much vaporises away, disappears, loses all meaning and, actually, disappears from the consciousness.

So afterwards, there’s really no question about enlightenment. There’s no thinking, I am enlightened, or, I am not enlightened. Such thoughts and questions do not arise anymore. But beforehand the question is valid, for those who are still seeking. And it’s remarkably difficult to put into words how you will know when you are enlightened. But there are some indicators. And this little poem is showing one such indication, and in fact it’s my favourite indicator of enlightenment. If you start to see other people as buddhas, not intellectually but as a feeling, this is a good indication that you yourself have become a buddha. And what do we mean by feeling other people to be buddhas? See the buddha nature has the air of perfection about it. So if you are feeling someone else to be perfect, exactly as they are, in their totality, not wanting to change one atom of their being, not wanting their behaviour to be different in any way, then in a sense you are feeling that perfection in the other being. And of course when you are feeling someone else to be that way, there naturally arises a great appreciation for the person, a great love; not a romantic love; not a sexual love, although that may be there too; but just a love, a deep love in an undemanding way, that has nothing to do with you yourself; a deep appreciation of the other.

Perhaps you feel this in nature sometimes. Seeing a beautiful tree, or a magnificent wild animal being its natural self, easily these feelings can arise. And indeed, everything wild in nature is living its buddha nature. These too are buddha beings. And when we start to feel each other this way, other human beings, then there is the indication that I, too, am within myself, unconsciously perhaps, feeling myself to be perfect, as I am, in my natural state, without need of any change, without need of anything to be modified in any way. And of course when one is feeling oneself this way, then there is nothing left to achieve. The desire to achieve something, to become something, to get somewhere – this is all based on a deep discontentment. And that discontentment, at its root, is a discontentment with oneself, as one is. When that discontentment with the self finally disappears, then, amazingly perhaps, one’s discontentment with the outer world is also gone. And in that is included one’s discontentment with other people. They too are felt to be beautiful as they are, with no changes needed. And then what is there left to feel except love towards these other beings?