Thread by @poonamdut

Why did Buddha keep on meditating even after attaining enlightenment?
#enlightenment
#Spirituality

There are said to be several stages of enlightenment.

This maybe confusing for some advaitins, who like to talk in terms of oneness, but the stages all take place beyond the mind in a state of non-duality, so the oneness is never lost.
#enlightenment
#Spirituality

They are simply deeper dissolutions into the Whole.

Different teachings, traditions and systems that have arisen from different mystics use different names for these stages.
#enlightenment
#Spirituality

Some say, from the first stage of enlightenment the soul can still be reborn.

So the Buddha would have proceeded until he had reached Nirvana.

Buddha spoke of several types and stages of enlightenment and two types of Nirvana.
#enlightenment
#Spirituality

But also, an enlightened one will still meditate just to rest in the silent space where he/she is completely free from the body and mind. Awakening transcends the mind and reveals unlimited consciousness, the Self, or Atman . There is only the One.
#enlightenment
#meditation

The next stage reveals the Cosmic being, Brahman or Paramatman. This is also known as ‘God-realisation’ in India . However there is still another stage.
#enlightenment
#meditation

Full enlightenment or Nirvana brings access to non-being, or void which is ultimate ecstasy & freedom for humans, but inexpressible in words. This is when crown chakra, sahasra opens fully. But a Buddha still has to meditate to dissolve into void.
#enlightenment
#meditation

The fifth - the spiritual body - is even more subtle than the fourth. Here there are not only vibrations of thought but also vibrations of the being. If I sit absolutely silent without a single thought within, even then my being creates vibrations.
#meditation
#enlightenment

If you come near me and there is no thought in me you will still be within the field of my vibrations. And the most interesting thing is that the vibrations of my thoughts are not as strong or penetrating as the vibrations of my being.
#meditation

Therefore, one who reaches the no-mind state becomes very powerful.. Its difficult to gauge the effect of his power because vibrations of existence begin to arise within him. The energy vibration of the fifth body is the subtlest form of energy in the whole knowledge of man.”

This is by way of example. You will know what is until the sixth body. When you plunge into the seventh body and come out again into the sixth you will be able to say "Aha! I have been elsewhere. I have experienced nonbeing."
#meditation
#Enlightenment

This account is given only in the sixth body, and so many did not speak after reaching the seventh plane. There was a reason: why say that which cannot be said?
#meditation
#Enlightenment

The Vedas, Bible, Upanishads, Gita, go up to sixth body. Seventh is that which is inexpressible & can't, in fact, be expressed. Up to sixth there isn't much difficulty & up to fifth its very easy to express. But at seventh plane, neither the knower remains nor the knowledge.

In fact, that which we imply to be the remainder does not remain. If we talk of this empty gap we will have to use the language of negation. Therefore, the Vedas and the Upanishads have to say, "Neither this, nor that."
#meditation
#Enlightenment

They say, "Do not ask what there is. We can only tell you what was not there; we can only say that what was, is not. There was no father there, no wife, no matter, no experience, no knowledge.
#meditation
#Enlightenment

And the 'I' too was not: the ego was not. Nor was there the world or its maker. There was nothing there." This is the boundary line of the sixth body. What was there?
#meditation
#Enlightenment

You will remain silent, because it is inexpressible.

News about the Brahman has been reported, but what is conveyed beyond it is bound to be negative - as was that which was told by Buddha. Buddha tried his hardest to express the seventh plane.
#meditation
#Enlightenment

Therefore, all that he conveys is denial, all that he conveys is negation, and so it did not come within the understanding of the people of his land. The experience of the Brahman, being positive, was well understood by the people.
#meditation
#Enlightenment

Brahman was said to be sat-chit-ananda - truth, consciousness, bliss - & these positive assertions were well understood. One could say about it that this is, that is, but Buddha spoke of that which isn't. Perhaps he is the only one who worked hard to make seventh plane known.“

Take, for instance, the word aum: it has no meaning; it is a meaningless word, and we have used it in connection with the seventh body. Until the fifth body we can talk, but when someone insists on talking about the seventh we say, "Aum."
#meditation
#Enlightenment

Therefore, when a scripture was completed the words aum shanti were written. Do you know what it means? That the seventh has come; there is nothing further to be said. Scriptures end as soon as seventh appears; the beginning of seventh is the end of the scriptures.

Therefore, at the end of each scripture we do not write "The end"; we write "Aum Shanti." The aum is the symbol of the seventh and it is meant to convey that there cannot be any further discussion. It urges us to be tranquil and at peace thereafter.’
#meditation

So nothing can be reported about the seventh plane. It can only be described in the language of negation: "It is not this; it cannot be that, etcetera." But this also holds meaning only up to the sixth plane. Therefore, many seers have remained silent about the seventh.

Those who tried to talk about it raised many difficulties for themselves, because even while talking about it they had to repeat again and again that it is inexpressible. Again and again they had to warn their listeners: "We speak about it, but indeed it cannot be spoken about."

Then we are puzzled. Why do they speak of things which cannot be spoken of? They should not tell about it. But they say, "The seventh definitely is, but we have no words worthy to describe it."
#meditation
#enlightenment

There's nothing in world comparable to it; its inexpressible. There's a lot that can be told about it, lots that can be expressed; the difficulty is that there's no way of conveying it in words. It can be known but can't be expressed.’

(OSHO - In Search of the Miraculous vol 2)

It is said by some that after one has reached Nirvana, the seeds of desire which keep the soul returning to new bodies have been burnt. The connection to the body is very loose, it is difficult to remain in the body,

as really the function of the body is finished, and there can be a strong pull to leave the body behind forever and have the final ecstatic reunion with source, free from all limitations of the body. The only point in hanging around is to be of a help to some people.

But a fully enlightened Buddha knows that in reality nothing is born or dies , & their energy & presence will still be around to help people who they are connected to.

Leaving the body behind for last time for a Buddha is known as Mahaparanirvana, ‘Beyond Great Enlightenment’.