Enlightenment in Buddhism - Western Understanding of Enlightenment

Western Understanding of Enlightenment

See also: Buddhist modernism, Transcendentalism, and Perennial philosophy

In the western world the concept of enlightenment has begotten a romantic meaning. It has become synonymous with self-realization and the true self, being regarded as a substantial essence being covered over by social conditioning.

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Famous quotes containing the word western:

    In the woods in a winter afternoon one will see as readily the origin of the stained glass window, with which Gothic cathedrals are adorned, in the colors of the western sky seen through the bare and crossing branches of the forest.
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