In today’s world, enlightened beings don’t look like Buddha. They are very much ordinary, like you and me. They don’t have shining bodies or halos over their heads. They may wear jeans and a T-shirt and roam with sunglasses on. Shopping and even cursing where they want to.
So how would you spot an enlightened being if they cross you at a shopping complex or ask for directions?
In simple words, you can never be sure.
Yet there are powerful ways to recognize these hiding gems. It may not be easy, but it can give you a glimpse of who they really are.
Before talking about that, I must point out that you must be in a state of peace and tranquility. You can’t peep through a cloudy vision. Your heart must be silent to recognize those who otherwise seem so simple.
Yes, the journey inside requires the utmost commitment. It needs serious effort.
But as one progresses, they find a light-heartedness even in dire situations. A subtle joy flows in the undercurrent.
That is why enlightened people laugh openly, like a child. There is innocence in that laughter, which makes it more infectious.
They can laugh at any topic and even at stupid things. It need not make any sense.
Why?
Because they have realized that everything is temporary. There is no point in fretting over expectations and intermingling with desires.
They make the maximum out of this present moment and operate from the infinite joy that flows in their heart.
However, an enlightened person’s reaction is free from situations. They don’t change even if they face something life-threatening.
Why?
Because they are one with pure life, and separation ceases to exist.
Situations are worse or good depending on how one perceives them. And when one is beyond any judgments, ‘what it is’ only exists.
Their mind does not create any commentary or story about anything. They are conscious of any deviation of the mind and know how to deal with it.
This makes them live in absolute freedom.
They freely choose to react or be non-reactive. They can consciously decide to be nosy or carefree. They can choose to be in complete silence or total chaos.
This makes them unique, free from any obligation. They don’t follow society and may be labeled as rebels or mad. Yet they are the most compassionate beings one can ever meet.
But enlightened beings don’t distinguish between what is theirs and what is not.
My spiritual master has a family and a kid. Yet he treats Sangh as his family. He even built a home for all members to get together and chill out in the hills.
Usually, the mind becomes selfish because we distinguish between ourselves and others.
But for an enlightened person, this whole world is his family. There is nothing special about serving others and being there for them.
Selective attachment is not there in enlightened hearts. He/she treats everyone as their own. They deal every one with great respect, affinity, and humility.
Attachment dissolves, and they exude unconditional love for everyone. That is why people feel compassion and love when they encounter such beings.
But a person who has experienced even a tiny stillness can feel something different when they meet enlightened people.
Why?
Because these enlightened persons function from utter stillness.
Their mind and heart are in absolute silence. No wave of emotion or thought arises.
And when a meditator meets such persons, they slip into more silence.
Whenever I used to meet my master, I could feel a wave of peace and tranquility enveloping me. I could not explain how it happened.
Everyone might be talking or laughing with him, but all you could feel was absolute silence.
My eyes would get shut and roll up. His presence would trigger my stillness more profoundly. My every question would evaporate, or I could not remember them. Only intense peace would remain.
I’ve spent more time in silence with him rather than any verbal communication. Because both my mouth and mind would get shut in his presence. And in that profound stillness, only bliss flowed.
The presence of enlightened beings hits you when you have encountered inner peace.
Don’t resist it. Don’t force yourself to follow the routines if pulled to the peace. Just be in that silence, and every answer will come to you.
The enlightened person’s footprint can leave an undeniable mark on one’s consciousness. You may not register it consciously. But somewhere in your subconscious mind, they have a place for themselves.
The unique humbleness, compassion, and words can do the magic. Or sometimes, their mere presence is enough to shake you from the inside.
You might even forget after some time. But deep down, they might have left a seed of transformation within you.
But then also our mind will judge them. That is why a bit of inner consciousness is necessary to spot them. Listen to your heart. It knows when you meet one that has merged with life. See through the eyes of the heart, and you’ll never fail to recognize one.
