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Enlightenment

Reason opens the door; practice, wonder, and direct experience keep carrying him through it.

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107
first seen
2006
last seen
2024

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Matthew Williamson's exploration of enlightenment spans nearly a decade, from 113 Thoughts from the Buddha in 2007 to Are you ready to meet God? in 2015. His early posts, such as A Meditation On Chenrezig and All Sound is Prayer, both from 2007, reveal a strong interest in Buddhist teachings and practices. Later posts, like A book review of The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness in 2013, suggest a broader exploration of spiritual and philosophical ideas, including the relationship between consciousness and chemistry. The thread of enlightenment weaves through various traditions and practices, reflecting Williamson's ongoing quest for understanding and spiritual growth.

the thread through time

oldest first

2007

  1. It's Just Good Karma I have been lazy of late and not writing posts. Mainly because I have been reading more than living, there is an issue in there somewhere. Reading more about Dz... Buddhist Philosophy · Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  2. For Priya I met a girl about 5 years ago and we became friends. She is sweet and funny and so smart, we still talk some. She is from India and a practicing Jain. I won't ... Cultural Exchange · Human Connection Reflection 2m
  3. A conversation between friends about God A good friend and i had a conversation a few days ago that I think is worth sharing. We had spoke about a few things already and then he read on of my posts, le... Buddhist Philosophy · Compassion · Human Connection Reflection 25m
  4. St. Valentine's Day and The Buddha I woke up this morning and wished my wife a happy Valentine's day. Rolled over, put my feet on the floor and decided to have a good day. ( I do that every day, ... Inner Peace Reflection 3m
  5. Perspective and Context A friend of mine prays every morning, laying in bed, holding her rosary. Her eyes are closed as she slowly recites her rosary and lets go. She lets go of the he... Personal Growth · Spirituality Reflection 5m
  6. All Sound is Prayer I tried to convince my son this weekend that all sound is prayer. We were listening to birds chirping and singing on Sunday morning and he asked if I knew what ... Nature Reflection 2m
  7. Getting Fit I am going to get in to shape again; mentally, physically and spiritually too. This is my plan: Step 1 : Sculpt my body. For some reason I let my body go as my ... Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  8. A Meditation On Chenrezig Outside the tarp covered window the winter rages on. Snows fall for another countless day and the sun is hidden once again. Inside, the room is warm and fragran... Buddhist Philosophy · Inner Peace Reflection 3m
  9. The Five Precepts of Reiki I am learning more about Reiki and preparing to take classes about this healing art. So far I am loving it and what it stands for. I will be blogging more about... Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  10. The Essence of Buddha's Teaching I copied in whole this document from another site; http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96jun/buddha2.html . I did so because all too often web pages that I enjoy a... Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 5m
  11. Six Realms and the Six Paths of Rebirth I was at lunch a few days ago with a friend and we were talking about Buddhism. I was telling her about my understanding of the Six Realms as stated in the teac... Human Connection · Personal Growth Reflection 6m
  12. A Carification About A Consternation Some one I trust just reminded me that teaching prematurely is a trap. I told him as I have told you in the past; I am not a teacher. What I write here and pres... Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  13. Gone The alarm went off and I heard the ringing of the Tibetan singing bowl like always, as if it was miles away on a snow covered cliff somewhere. That is a pretty ... Reflection 4m
  14. Statement of Faith Why is it hard for many people to accept miracles in a religion other than their own? Very normal, logical and sane people accept that Jesus walked on water, ch... Buddhist Philosophy · Human Connection · Personal Growth Reflection 3m
  15. Reiki Level 1 This past Saturday I began my path to Reiki healer. I met with a Reiki master and after a few hours I asked for and received the attunement for Reiki I. Way too... Energy Healing · Martial Arts · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  16. Twilight We live within the Twilight. We have been here longer than you, but you gave us form, shaped us with your fantasies and wishes, with your pleas and desires and ... Animal Welfare · Human Connection Reflection 2m
  17. I am Angulimala I was in church Sunday morning with my family and something dawned on me: I am Angulimala. Well, I don't really think I am a reincarnation of Angulimala , but I... Buddhist Philosophy · Personal Growth · Social Commentary Reflection 2m
  18. Energy, Compassion and Healing I went last night to the Oklahoma City Reiki Energy Circle Meetup . Very nice group of people there. The woman who runs the Meetup has been practicing for 4 or ... Compassion · Cultural Exchange · Energy Healing Reflection 3m
  19. Dharma Talk So much is happening right now that I am writing this one to get it all out so that I can see it. First : I had a wonderful talk with Loppön Barbara Du Bois yes... Compassion · Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 3m
  20. White Tara comes to Oklahoma City Lama Dudjom Dorjee came back to Oklahoma City this past weekend for another Dharma Talk at Windsong Dojo . He mainly spoke about the Bardo , compassion and unde... Compassion · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  21. Dreams May Tell Us For the last two nights I have had interesting dreams. Two nights ago: I was on the rocky beach of a fast moving, dark water river. The water was that lush, dee... Consciousness · Personal Growth Reflection 6m
  22. The 4 Reminders and Buddhist Books A while back I read some articles on the Four Reminders and they made a lot of sense to me. They are the a way to think about ourselves and our place in the uni... Buddhist Philosophy · Personal Growth Reflection 3m
  23. Ideas That Drive Us I recently wrote that ideas can change us at the very core of who we are. I was on TED last night and I watched the below presentation by Dan Dennett which rein... Compassion · Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  24. The Trial of Jyoti: Part 1 He sat there, watching the judge for what seemed like an eternity. He could feel the minutes slipping away, minutes that would never come back again. The defend... Nature · Personal Growth Reflection 5m
  25. 113 Thoughts from the Buddha 1. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. 2. He is able who thinks he is able. 3. Believe nothing, no matter ... Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 16m

2010

  1. Eternally Old, Shared Among To look into the blue diamond to wander through the fields of gold to smile at the moon and see her smile back To listen to the birds of paradise to speak with ... Nature · Personal Growth · Spirituality Reflection 1m
  2. Looking for Treasure I passed a man on the street this morning. He was walking on the sidewalk, looking down, looking for a bit of money, or maybe a cigarette but that could still h... Family · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  3. Midnight Moksha The crescendo, a calamity of sound and light, deafening and silent as it rose into the air above his head.  Rays of azure light shot out of the mist a... Consciousness · Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  4. 2012 Movie I am watching this now, and I decided to post it and hopefully begin some conversations in the comments on this post about the movie, the teachings and the idea... Nonconformity Reflection 1m
  5. To Breathe A Tree I sat against the trunk of the ages old tree and closed my eyes. I was tired of walking in this forest of melody and mist, I needed a rest, I needed food, I nee... Human Connection · Inner Peace · Nature Reflection 4m
  6. Esoteric Agenda and Kymatica While I might not agree with every statement in these two movies, there is a lot of truth here. Watch these movies and post your comments below: Esoteric Agenda... Nonconformity Reflection 1m
  7. Into Into the darkness Candle lit, incense filled rooms Chant Into the light Wind dances in the trees Tall grass waves as pretty    as any ocean Into ... Inner Peace · Nature Reflection 1m
  8. Hanuman and Reality Hanuman tells Rama: ‘when I think of myself as a body, I am your servant; when I think of myself as an individual soul, I am part of you; but when I realize I a... Buddhist Philosophy · Consciousness · Personal Growth Reflection 1m

2013

  1. Your Advocate The trees are singing to you, listen. A blooming flower is more worthy of our gaze than all the stars in the sky. Dig your bare feet into the earth. Feel the gr... Compassion · Inner Peace · Nature Reflection 1m
  2. In Adoration The gods are as real as you or me, I assure you of this fact*. They deserve your adoration and acknowledgement, your practice and meditation, but they cannot gr... Compassion · Human Connection · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  3. What (Who) is Chenrezig to me? Last night a friend asked me to describe Chenrezig to him. So I tried like this: To me, Chenrezig represents the open path to Buddha Nature. He said, 'say more'... Compassion · Consciousness · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  4. Living Forever [caption id="attachment_781" align="alignright" width="300"] Who Wants To Live Forever[/caption] A friend of mine said this to me: Lets do it. Lets live forever... Personal Growth · Spirituality Reflection 1m
  5. Maa Durga My wife recently read a very nice article in Yoga Journal about meditating upon Durga, the Hindu goddess. This brought me to a meditation sitting before the div... Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  6. Hanuman Ji [caption id="attachment_792" align="alignright" width="300"] Sri Hanuman[/caption] How do I express this in words when words fail me? Sanātana Dharma,The Eterna... Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  7. A book review of The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness by Alan Watts, oh man, where do I begin? I found the words of Alan Watts a decade ago when I ... Consciousness · Personal Growth Reflection 3m
  8. Nirakara Tattva "When you come to rest on Kali's lap, all your wrong ideas about Her are removed. You see Her as she really is. You can't see Her with the physical eye. In Sans... Consciousness Reflection 1m
  9. Rainbow Bodies and Catholic Study I recently found an article about a Roman Catholic priest who is also an expert in Tibetan Buddhism. He has read and traveled extensively in Tibet, Nepal and In... Human Connection Reflection 2m
  10. Are Dzodgchen, Mahamudra, and Moksha Essentially the Same? Namaste. I recently posed this question to someone who I know and love in the Dharma community. He has been a devotee and practitioner since before I was puttin... Buddhist Philosophy Reflection 3m
  11. Dreams of Church, Revelations, and Bhagavan Das My wife and I woke this morning and while laying in bed we started to talk about our dreams, nothing unusual there. I told her about my dream of being back at O... Buddhist Philosophy · Consciousness · Personal Growth Reflection 3m

2014

  1. Bear, Owl, Panther, Stag Last night I dreamed that posted at the four corners of my property were four warrior spirits. A bear, an owl, a panther, and a stag. The four beings were in co... Consciousness · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  2. Magic Words I think about this often. Magic. Words have power. When you consciously will there to be power or connection in these words then they become magical by shear wi... Spirituality Reflection 3m
  3. Direct Message from Padmasambhava? For the last few days, well, for the last four days now, I have been hearing Padmasambhava's mantra in my dreams and saying it as I woke. I guess it isn't anyth... Buddhist Philosophy · Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 2m
  4. Lord Shiva and Lord Padmasambhava I spent a long time studying Lord Shiva and I feel as though I have become close to him, and his holy family. His wife, the mother goddess, Parvati, and his two... Buddhist Philosophy · Human Connection Reflection 4m
  5. The Master (A Twitter Story) The old master sat deep inside of the crystal cave before a low fire. He chanted his mantra, absentmindedly flipping the beads of his mala. The cave began to hu... Consciousness · Inner Peace · Nature Reflection 1m
  6. A Poem to Yeshe Tsogyal She is the raging storm, I am the dew on the grass. She is the sun itself, I am the reflection from the prayer bowl. She is the ocean and I am lost on her waves... Nature · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  7. Om Mani Padme Hum Benefits and Explanation [caption id="attachment_761" align="alignright" width="258"] Chenrezig[/caption] Significance of OM, MA, NI, PAD, ME, HUM OM Go for refuge to the Buddha Produce... Buddhist Philosophy Reflection 7m
  8. Green Tara [caption id="attachment_903" align="alignright" width="239"] Green Tara[/caption] She is the skies and I am the bird, She is the seas, and I the fish, She is th... Consciousness · Nature · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  9. Prayer to Yeshe Tsogyal [caption id="attachment_908" align="alignright" width="234"] Yeshe Tsogyal[/caption] Prayer to Yeshe Tsogyal ༈ དབྱིངས་ཕྱུག་ཌཱ་ཀིའི་གཙོ་མོ་མཁར་ཆེན་གཟའ། ། yingchu... Buddhist Philosophy · Female Empowerment Reflection 1m
  10. Prayer of Refuge and Bodhicitta, The Four Immeasurables Prayer of Refuge and Bodhicitta I take refuge until I am enlightened In the Buddhas, the Dharma and the Sangha. Through the merit I create by practicing giving ... Compassion · Consciousness · Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  11. Questions. How do I call out to divinity? How do I call it by name? How do I limit the wholeness to a word? How do I know the ocean by a wave, the tree by the leaf, the to... Human Connection · Spirituality Reflection 1m
  12. The Universe Tree Last night I dreamed that I was sitting on a high branch in the Universe Tree. The branches span galaxies. Nebula float in and around leaves, suns glisten like ... Human Connection · Spirituality Reflection 2m
  13. Prostrations to the Guru Upon a throne of gold and jewels the guru sits, his eyes closed in effortless, illuminated meditation. A serene smile spreads across his face and then he opens ... Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 2m

2015

  1. A bit of The Sky Dancer Listen, faithful Tibetans! I am merging with the fundamental, the ground of all that is—physical pain and suffering are disappearing…. The son, the inner elemen... Consciousness · Inner Peace Reflection 3m
  2. My Morning Meditation I have been asked a few times if I have a morning meditation, and if so, would I share it. I do, and I will. Imagine that you are standing alone on a warm mount... Inner Peace · Nature Reflection 1m
  3. Nisargadatta Maharaj Explains I found this on a Facebook page devoted to Nisargadatta Maharaj. It isn't easy to understand, and I am not claiming that I understand it all, either, but I want... Consciousness · Personal Growth Reflection 10m
  4. The Calling Call the good ancestors whom have wished us well down throughout the eons. Call the Mother spirit of the earth upon whom we stand and from whom all nourishment ... Compassion · Nature Worship Reflection 1m
  5. Mahakala Vision and Information My friend Robert sent me a message this morning, offering me a vision of Mahakala for my family. This moved me to tears. [caption id="attachment_1028" align="al... Reflection 4m
  6. Supplication to Guru Rinpoche The Prayer That Appearances Be Liberated As the Deity That Sounds Be Liberated As Mantra That Thoughts Be Liberated Into Pure Being All these forms that appear ... Reflection 2m
  7. Karmapa's Wisdom on Visualization His Holiness The 17th Karmapa spoke of how when we express devotion to a visualization or painting of a deity, that deity is not external to us; we are honoring... Buddhist Philosophy · Compassion · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  8. Mahakala: The Great Black One The legendary history of Mahakala was written by Khedrup Khyungpopa, founder of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition, in the eleventh century. He says that the reason fo... Buddhist Philosophy · Tibetan Culture Reflection 3m
  9. Keep Going - Advice from the Karmapa "You keep going. That is the bodhisattva’s way. As long as it benefits even one being you have to, without any sense of discouragement, go on." ~ His Holiness t... Buddhist Philosophy · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  10. Tara - Mother of Liberation Post from my friend Ganga Nath on Facebook . Tara, or Ārya Tārā, also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan Buddhism, is a female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism wh... Buddhist Philosophy · Female Empowerment Reflection 4m
  11. Dzogchen Meditation Tips [caption id="" align="alignright" width="430"] Sogyal Rinpoche[/caption] Meditation tips from a modern teacher, Sogyal Rinpoche. "In my tradition of meditation,... Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  12. The Birth Of Tara The story of Tara's origin, according to the Tara Tantra, recounts that eons ago she was born as a king's daughter, and as a compassionate princess, she regular... Buddhist Philosophy · Compassion · Female Empowerment Reflection 2m
  13. Are you ready to meet God? [caption id="attachment_1098" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mooji[/caption] Are you ready to meet God? Then, right now, don't touch anything, not any idea—ne... Inner Peace · Personal Growth · Spirituality Reflection 2m
  14. Journey To The Temple You are walking up a gently sloping trail, the trail is covered with dirt, soft green grass, and small smooth stones. The grade is easy, and your feet fall ligh... Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 6m
  15. Stages of Mahamudra [caption id="attachment_1143" align="alignright" width="200"] Tilopa[/caption] At first a yogi feels his mind Is tumbling like a waterfall; In mid-course, like ... Inner Peace · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  16. The Tiger's Nest Paro Taktsang is the popular name of Taktsang Palphug Monastery (also known as Tiger's Nest), a prominent Himalayan Buddhist sacred site and temple complex, loc... Reflection 1m
  17. Buddha Amitayus Buddha Amitayus ཚེ་དཔག་མེད་ 'The Buddha of Boundless Life' — a sambhogakaya aspect of Amitabha, particularly associated with longevity. He is mostly depicted si... Buddhist Philosophy Reflection 1m
  18. Eight Auspicious Symbols In Buddhism these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. Desig... Reflection 2m
  19. The Magician's Quandary I am more than a magician. Well, more than what the commoner would call a magician. I am not wearing a pointed hat with stars and the moon adorning it. There is... Nature · Nonconformity · Personal Growth Reflection 1m
  20. Manjusri Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhi! Buddhist Philosophy · Mantra Recitation Reflection 1m
  21. Precious Master "My father is the pure awareness of rigpa, Samantabhadra, My mother, the space of all things, Samantabhadri, My line, the indivisibility of awareness and space,... Buddhist Philosophy Reflection 1m
  22. Vajravidarana Mantra Learn this, the short: om namaścaṇḍavajrakrodhāya | om hulu hulu tiṣṭha tiṣṭha bandha bandha hana hana amṛte hūṃ phaṭ and after you have samadhi with it, this s... Buddhist Philosophy Reflection 1m