Strange parallels in religion...

[Buddha]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

Buddha: What is it like to be enlightened? Do you experience overwhelming joy in every moment? Have you known suffering? Do you ever sit under trees?

What is it like to be enlightened? How would you explain colors to a child who has been blind from birth? To be enlightened is to be AWAKE! All illusions finally fall away and one sees things as they actually are. I do not experience overwhelming joy every momemt, but a profound sense of serenity and peace even when watching the antics of God (you here on earth don't know the half of the stuff he pulls, the rest of us are forever trying to clean up after His mistakes!). I knew suffering very well in the lifetimes leading up to my enlightenment and the life in which I finally attained enlightenment. The whole reason I ran away from Dad's palace back in India was that I saw suffering, old age, and death for the first time at 18 (Mom and Dad were extremely over-protective parents). I attained enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi tree for 3 days. I've been known to sit under trees since, but I'm equally serene sitting on park benches, buses, the front steps of tenement buildings or just strolling around.