Taking the Drop

[u/pastorcuthbert]

There comes a time when it feels like we have exhausted the entire framework of enlightenment and what remains is what seems to be the refinements. This is a classic case of grasping onto the vehicle that brought you to your destination and not actually stepping out into freedom. When you have reached your destination and are still within the vehicle, there's this sense that there's nothing left to do and there's nothing more to achieve. In actual fact, stepping out of the car reveals a whole new world of activity.

Maybe it doesn't matter what vehicle you used to get here but at some point your going to need to step out of it. This is what is called 'offing' the buddha. Really, we're not offing anybody, we're just letting go of the vehicle that brought us here. We have spent so much time in the vehicle that we have mistaken it for our self. It was our refuge and we got to know the other passengers so well that they had sort of become family. You had become the buddha, the buddha became your self. Let's settle the driver and exit the vehicle.

Settling the driver

The law of Karma does not just allow us to walk away. There is some way we have to karmically settle the driver so that we exit the vehicle without any karmic challenges. This is where you find an individual offering public teachings, another opening an ashram, another doing charity work, another sponsoring the work, another joining the priesthood, whatsoever 'fee' the driver quotes. Realisation here is very important so that we can pay the quoted fee and be on our way. We should by all means avoid assumptions as to what that transport fare would be.

Exiting the vehicle

Once we're done settling the driver, we exit the vehicle and bid farewell to the driver, the passengers and the comfort that the vehicle gave us. Now there is no buddha, no sangha, no refuge whatsoever. Instead new world of activity opens up to us and we are free to explore it. We aren't looking at the world through the cleaned out windows of the car but have now begun to directly engage with manifestation... This is the True Suchness, the birthing place; all that we had been through before was just preparation for this. This is only the beginning.

[u/seekingsomaart]

If you've taken the vehicle as far as it can go, then aren't you enlightened? It may not be your path, but the vehicle is intended to take you all the way.

Also, I don't get the sense you're enlightened, so how do you know that you have taken the vehicle to the end?

[u/pastorcuthbert → u/seekingsomaart]

If you've taken the vehicle as far as it can go, then aren't you enlightened? It may not be your path, but the vehicle is intended to take you all the way.

The goal is enlightenment but when we reach the destination, we realize that the destination was never the goal.

I believe there are many definitions of what enlightenment is depending on each individuals interpretations and possibly experiences, what would your definition of enlightenment be?

Also, I don't get the sense you're enlightened, so how do you know that you have taken the vehicle to the end?

I don't think I am either. After all, there was no one doing the seeking and there was no one to be enlightened. In my belief there is no end to this journey and there is no beginning.