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AWAKENING VS. ENLIGHTENMENT

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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awakening vs. enlightenment


Mahayana Buddhism

A clear distinction should be made between Awakening / Great Awakening and Supreme Enlightenment. To experience a Great Awakening is to achieve (through Zen meditation, Buddha Recitation, etc.) “a level of insight and understanding equal to that of the Buddhas” (Master Yin Kuang). It is to see one’s Nature, comprehend the True Nature of things, the Truth. Only after becoming a Buddha can one

be said to have truly attained Supreme Enlightenment (Attained the Way). A metaphor appearing in the sutras is that of a glass of water containing sediments. As long as the glass is undisturbed, the sediments remain at the bottom and the water is clear. However, as soon as the glass is shaken, the water becomes turbid. Likewise, when a practitioner experiences a Great Awakening (Awakens to the Way), his afflictions (greed, anger and delusion) are temporarily suppressed

but not yet eliminated. To achieve Supreme Enlightenment (i.e., to be rid of all afflictions, to discard all sediments) is the ultimate goal. Only then can he completely trust his mind and actions. Before then, he should adhere to the precepts, keep a close watch on his mind and thoughts, like a cat stalking a mouse, ready to pounce on evil thoughts as soon as they arise. To do otherwise is to court certain failure, as stories upon stories of overconfident monks, roshis and gurus demonstrate.


Editor /Zen: 215-216


Note: The distinction between “Awakening” (Great Awakening) and “Supreme Enlightenment” is very important, because only when a cultivator has attained Supreme Enlightenment can he become a Buddha. There are many degrees of Awakening and Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment of the Arhats, Pratyeka Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc. is different from Supreme Enlightenment, i.e., Buddhahood. (In practice however, Enlightenment and Supreme Enlightenment are sometimes used interchangeably.) Likewise, there are many levels of Awakenings. The Rinzai (Lin-Chi) school of Zen, for example,

distinguishes between “Small Awakening” and “Great Awakening” and teaches that there are an infinite number of Small Awakenings versus eighteen levels of Great Awakenings. Thus, in Zen training, an enlightened teacher is absolutely necessary.


Editor /Zen: 105


On the subject of Awakening, see the following excerpts from Buddhism of Wisdom & Faith:

“Furthermore, in the Dharma-Ending Age (i.e., current period), how many cultivators can claim to be Awakened to the Way? Awakening to the Way is not easy. There was once a Zen Master who practiced with all his might for forty years before he succeeded. Another Great Master sat for so long that he wore out more than a dozen meditation cushions before he saw his Original Nature. As far as today’s Zen practitioners are concerned (with the exception of a few saints who have taken human form to teach sentient beings), the majority only manage to achieve a temporary calming of the mind and body;

at most they may witness a few auspicious realms! Even if they have Awakened to the Way, they can still encounter dangerous obstacles during transmigration. … The path of Birth and Death, filled with fearful dangers for those who have not attained Supreme Enlightenment, is the same. Therefore, to claim that we should not fear Birth and Death is a superficial point of view.”


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