Enlightenment comes in silently, like snow. It comes for some early, as with my daughter. For others, like me, only after a lifetime. It came to me this way.
To walk without footprints
To breath without breath
To die and leave without trace
To leave the world a better place
For many, those words may suggest one should make no effort to change things or help others. I do not see it that way. What I understand is that if we take care of the world, or worlds, we have been given by God or by chance, depending on what you believe, we do the right thing. I have practiced this for decades in the wilds, not only ensuring that I leave no trace but cleaning up the traces left by others. But taking care of the wilds is not the end.
Taking care of others is implicit in that one cannot care for the planet without caring for its inhabitants, so the poor, the needy (whether poor or not), and in danger must be served to the best of one’s abilities. One cannot be a good practitioner of any religion without this as a fundamental. It is not religion, but philosophy which is, by nature, more fundamental than faith. The religion of my tribe is Christianity and nothing in His teachings suggests any of the above is not the foundation of His teachings and necessary to them. In fact, I see His teachings as implementation of these things.
I am not in sudden bliss from this understanding. As I said, it came silently and with no fanfare. But I am at peace, and in context of my tribal faith, it is the peace that passes all understanding.
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