If we look at it through the perspective of the true enlightened masters of the history, essentially enlightenement or self realisation means being yourself, simple, growing compassion, kindness, love for others, not wanting to become anything other than what you are and accepting everything life throws at oneself.
Here is the multiple answer to question: What is Enlightenment, Self Realisation, Liberation, Salvation or Cosmic Consciousness by the enlightened masters themselves.
What is Enlightenment and its Meaning by Enlightened Masters
Followings are the words from the Enlightened Masters explaining what exactly Enlightenement is, what’s its meaning and who is an Enlightened Man.
What is Enlightenment By OSHO
To discover that everything is as it should be is to be enlightened.
According to OSHO: Enlightenment is realising that everything is perfect the way it is. That’s exactly how I feel! No matter what, everything has been accounted for. You are a part of something important, whether you realise it or not. You’re comfortable in it, and you’ve given yourself over to it. You are not separate. Everything has been dissolved into one infinite whole.
A great celebration occurs because there is no longer any fear, no longer any despair, and no longer any death. Enlightenment is this. Understanding that everything is perfect is the first step in seeing the beauty in what is before you. All is harmonious, in perfect accord.
The first principle to grasp: you cannot want spiritual awakening/Enlightenment/Self Realisation. You will not receive it if you have decided you do not want it. Wanting is the greatest barrier. As a result, those who don’t want remain trapped in samsara. This is great, because you don’t care about spiritual awakening. Do you believe I’m concerned? To be completely honest, I consider you to be enlightened, but you aren’t aware of it. The meaning of enlightenment is not something far away, a goal you must strive for; it is not a requirement for others that you be speedy or quick.
Who is an enlightened Man by Osho?
An enlightened man is one who knows who he is, who faces himself, and who has no masks. His consciousness is always present, and his actions are driven by his consciousness.
By J Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti says: Enlightenment is not a fixed place; it’s not a location that you can pin down. Everything you need to know is that our world is disorganised and chaotic. When we fully comprehend that, we gain clarity, order, and certainty. That certainty was not brought about by the inventive power of thought.
The essence of Enlightenment/intelligence is certainty. When all this is added to your life, the door to understanding opens. There is no end to it; it cannot be named. You will never be able to put it into words. A word is not the same as the thing itself, a description is not the same as the object of description. In addition to all that you can do, you must be attentive in all aspects of your relationships. Specifically, you must understand the whole nature of pleasure and fear, which is to understand that pleasure and desire are not love. The only way to know for sure is to find out for yourself.
We’ve already arrived, so there’s nothing to gain. Teachers pity their students because most of them haven’t reached enlightenment. While faith, prayer, and worship have no use on this path, words, emotions, and thoughts are also useless. It is not necessary to go through an experience in order to achieve enlightenment. It is already an enduring and ever-lasting state of being. To be well-informed about enlightenment is similar to having read a menu or a map. It’s quite different to eat or travel, isn’t it? Now that I have attained it, can you do the same?
By Ramana Maharshi
The only real state is effortless and choiceless awareness. It is all right as long as we are in it.
Ramana maharishi stats that: However, without making an effort, one cannot get close to the goal. The endless set of vasanas (impression) propel the mind outwards and turn it towards external objects for the entirety of a person’s life.
Your thoughts must be surrendered and you must meditate on your own mind. Most people need effort for that.nIndeed, in every book, you’ll find the words “Be quiet or still.” However, it is not simple. Due to this, all of this effort is required.
By UG Krishnamurti
I discovered this for myself and I made it my own discovery by discovering that there is no self to be found. It feels like a knockout blow. It comes out of nowhere like a bolt of lightning. In your mind, you’ve put everything on one basket, and in the end, you realise that there is no “you” to realise; you ask yourself, “What was I doing my whole life?” You’re in for it now.
Enlightenment According to Buddhism
Buddhism holds that enlightenment is found when a person realises the truth about life and becomes liberated from the cycle of rebirth due to having reached Nirvana. You cannot be born into samsara again once you have attained Nirvana (which is suffering).
Lao tzu says
It is wise to know others; it is enlightened to know yourself.
By George Gurdjieff
Russian mystic Gurdjieff is thought of as the greatest of his era, but his teachings were so abstract and nonsensical that the general population would not have comprehended him directly.
George Gurdhieff says: Some people have found the truth.” It cannot be said or shown — it must be experienced to be obtained.
Enlightenment by Kant (Summary)
Enlightenment is the return of the human being from his pre-grown immaturity. An inability to function independently without guidance from others is known as nonage. It is self-imposed if the reason for it is that one does not want to use one’s own intelligence and refuse to use the guidance of another person.
Immanuel Kant says: man’s release from “self-incurred tutelage” was called enlightenment. Enlightenment was the long process of waking up the general public, which had remained unconscious for hundreds of years.