Big Think

Debunking the #1 myth about enlightenment | Robert Waldinger


Listen Later

**🧘 What Enlightenment *Really* Means in Zen — And Why It’s Not What You Think ✹**

Enlightenment. We chase it like a prize—something to attain, something to *keep*. But in Zen, it's not about bliss or a permanent state of awakening.

Instead, it’s about *seeing clearly*:

🌐 Realizing the deep, ever-shifting interconnectedness of everything—where *you* and *I*, this chair, and the whole universe, are not truly separate.

Yes, people have intense spiritual experiences—moments of pure oneness. But Zen warns: don’t cling to them. Even after awakening, you still have to do the laundry đŸ§ș and brush your teeth đŸȘ„. There’s no escape from daily life.

True enlightenment isn’t about staying “high.”

It’s about how you *act* in each moment:

đŸŒ± Are you kind?

🌍 Are you living with awareness of how deeply connected you are to others and the planet?

Zen reminds us:

**There are no enlightened people—only enlightened actions.**

So skip the perfection fantasy. Enlightenment is not an endpoint—it’s a way of *being*. One compassionate moment

Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes

----------------------------------------------------------------06:30-17

----------------------------


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Big ThinkBy bigthink

  • 1.8
  • 1.8
  • 1.8
  • 1.8
  • 1.8

1.8

37 ratings


More shows like Big Think

View all
StarTalk Radio by Neil deGrasse Tyson

StarTalk Radio

14,322 Listeners

Intelligence Squared by Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

778 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,088 Listeners

Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,350 Listeners

The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

The Quanta Podcast

530 Listeners

The Michael Shermer Show by Michael Shermer

The Michael Shermer Show

935 Listeners

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas by Sean Carroll | Wondery

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

4,175 Listeners

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

2,344 Listeners

Within Reason by Alex J O'Connor

Within Reason

1,638 Listeners

The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss by Lawrence M. Krauss

The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss

510 Listeners

Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

Why This Universe?

392 Listeners

The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu by theliuniverse

The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu

70 Listeners

Cool Worlds Podcast by coolworldslab

Cool Worlds Podcast

100 Listeners

The Astrophysics Podcast by Paul Duffell

The Astrophysics Podcast

55 Listeners

Crash Course Pods: The Universe by Crash Course Pods, Complexly

Crash Course Pods: The Universe

509 Listeners