September 11, 2016

Do I Need to Be a Monk or Nun to Become Enlightened?

Mindah-Lee Kumar Uncategorized becoming enlightened, Buddhist enlightenment, can lay Buddhists become enlightened, can lay people get enlightened, do I need to become a monk, do you have to be a monk to become enlightened, enlightened people, enlightenment Buddhism, I want to be enlightened, layperson Buddhism, spiritual enlightenment, will everyone become enlightened

In Buddhism, the goal of the Buddhist path is to reach enlightenment, a state free of mental suffering and characterized by bliss, peace and happiness. But what if enlightenment was only possible if you were willing to become a monk or nun? This would mean only a small minority of Buddhists could ever find happiness, since the vast majority of Buddhists are lay practitioners.

In this video, I explore whether lay people can become enlightened, and if so, what are some of the steps we need to do to ensure that we achieve it.

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February 1, 2015

Bodhgaya: The Highlight of My First Buddhist Pilgrimage

Mindah-Lee Kumar Uncategorized about Bodhgaya, boddhi tree, bodh gaya, bodh gaya india, bodh gaya temple, Bodhgaya, Bodhgaya Buddha, Bodhgaya india, bodhgaya pilgrimage, Bodhgaya stupa, Bodhgaya temple, Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree Buddhism, Bodhi tree india, Bodhi trees, buddha a story of enlightenment, buddha enlightenment tree, buddha enlightenment where, Buddha gaya, buddha pilgrimage, buddha tour, buddha tours and travels, buddha travel, buddha travel and tours, buddha travels and tours, Buddhism, buddhism pilgrimage, Buddhist, Buddhist enlightenment, Buddhist pilgrimage, buddhist pilgrimage india, buddhist pilgrimage tour, Buddhist pilgrimage tours, Buddhist pilgrimages, Buddhist tour, buddhist tours, holiday packages india, india holidays, india tourism, india tourist attractions, india tours, india travel, india trip, indian tours, mahabodhi stupa, north india tours, pilgrimage, pilgrimages, spiritual enlightenment, tourism india, tours india, tours of india, travel india, tree of enlightenment, under the Bodhi tree, where was the buddha enlightened

A photo I took while sitting under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya

Imagine… You’re sitting next to the MahaBodhi Temple, only meters away from the very spot where the Buddha gained full enlightenment. You take in a few deep breaths and look up at the beautiful heart-shaped Bodhi tree leaves moving gently in the breeze above you. There is a feeling of wonder and excitement in the air, knowing that this was the place where the Buddha sat in meditation and achieved a great awakening 2,600 years ago.

You bring your body into a meditation posture and feel a rush of anticipation as you reflect on the promise of what your meditation may bring. Many wondrous things have happened in this special place. Who’s to say that something wonderful couldn’t happen to you as well?
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January 18, 2015

What Happens After Death, Buddhism Reincarnation, Our True Nature & Enlightenment (No Self Part 2)

Mindah-Lee Kumar Uncategorized becoming enlightened, benefits of enlightenment, Buddha enlightenment, Buddha on rebirth, Buddha reincarnation, Buddhism and reincarnation, Buddhism enlightenment, buddhism on reincarnation, buddhism reincarnation, buddhism soul, Buddhist enlightenment, Buddhist reincarnation, consciousness after death, consciousness and mind, difference between rebirth and reincarnation, difference between reincarnation and rebirth, does Buddhism believe in reincarnation, does consciousness exist, does consciousness survive death, enlightenment Buddhism, enlightenment in Buddhism, how consciousness works, how does consciousness work, is there a life after death, is there an afterlife, is there anything after death, knowing your true self, our true nature, rebirth and reincarnation, rebirth or reincarnation, rebirth reincarnation, rebirth vs reincarnation, reincarnation and Buddhism, reincarnation Buddhism, Reincarnation in Buddhism, reincarnation of Buddha, reincarnation rebirth, true Buddhism, true nature, understanding Buddhism, what after death, what happen after death, what happens after death, what happens after you die, what happens when we die, what is after death, what is our true human nature, what is our true nature, what is reincarnation in Buddhism, what is spiritual enlightenment, where does consciousness come from

The Buddha talked about a continuum of consciousness, so was he talking about souls? It’s a common misconception that Buddhism teaches about reincarnation, when it is actually teaching about rebirth. In this video I explain the Buddha’s position on the soul theory as well as the difference between rebirth and reincarnation. Within the Buddhist teachings there are several analogies to explain how consciousness continues moment to moment and what happens after death. I draw on these analogies to illustrate just how this continuity takes place and how consciousness is affected after death.

Also, being the inquisitive creatures that we are, it’s not surprising that we ask, ‘well, what am I, what is my true nature and what will I be if I’m enlightened?’ In this video, I explore the main reason why the Buddha didn’t specify our ‘true nature’ and I share some sutras where the Buddha does describe the beauty and freedom experienced by one who is enlightened.

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