A new topic, hopefully bias- and argumentation-free. Because the topic has come up on several different forums of which I am a member lately, with edifying answers, I pass the question along to Fairfield Life:
What criteria would convince you that someone you met was enlightened? Because I'm posting the question, I might as well provide my answer. First, I would never assume that anyone I had *not* met physically was enlightened. For that matter, I would never assume *for sure* that anyone I *had* met was enlightened, although I might develop what Judy calls a "working hypothesis" that they might be enlightened. The *only* criterion I can think of that would lead me to develop such a hypothesis involves meditating in the same room with the person as *they* meditate. Not just once, but many times over a period of (hopefully) some months, or even years. If, in each of those meditations, I had the clear, subjective experience of sustained samadhi -- not just a few isolated moments of it, but long, extended periods of pure, no-thought samadhi, for 20-30 minutes at a time -- I might begin to develop a working hypothesis that this person could be enlightened. *No other criteria* would influence me in any way. The ability to perform siddhis or "miracles" means diddleysquat in my opinion. Psychic abilities or the ability to heal people means diddleysquat. The ability to "see" the future, again diddleysquat. How the person speaks and acts and expresses his or her subjective experience with enlightenment is a minor factor, one that might mitigate *against* enlightenment if, say, the person meditates well but expresses a lot of anger and lower emotions, or has a habit of kicking dogs and small children :-) but again it's not a major factor. So what would *your* criteria be, if you've formulated them? I'm honestly curious, because so many here and on other forums seem completely convinced that people they've met or people who are no longer alive but whom they've read about or heard about *are* enlightened. So I'd like to know on what basis you feel that way. Thanks in advance. Unc
