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What is awakening?

Awakening is the ultimate result of a Buddhist spiritual path, namely, freeing oneself from all psychological suffering.

This simply corresponds to transcending the two main characteristics of our human nature: social ambition and cognitive dissonance:

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Freeing oneself from theegomeans freeing oneself from social ambition.

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Getting out of dualitymeans ceasing to oppose what ought to be with what is, thus no longer giving rise to cognitive dissonance. This requires getting rid of all one's beliefs.

Limitations of awakening

First, there is a marketing dimension to awakening aimed at Westerners who are struggling with life. In seeking liberation from their dissatisfactions, they provide the funding that keeps the spiritual development ecosystem running. The awakened sage represents a mythical figure people aspire to resemble, like a rock star or a sports champion.

Secondly, while awakening ensures one behaves well in terms of the question 'What should one do to be a good person?', it does not guarantee the capacity to feel indignant and act accordingly. See the question 'What is an adult?' for a critique of the irresponsibility of certain iconic figures in Buddhism.

Finally, as in the case of coaching, the promise of complete awakening cultivates the myth of an all-powerful individual, who would only need to free themselves from the constraints they impose on themselves, thereby minimizing the constraints related to the social environment and personal predispositions. See the questions 'Why is coaching a dangerous illusion?' and 'If they want to succeed, people just need to work. We are in a democracy!'.

Deepening

Refer to the following questions:
What is a human being?
Why must one master one's ego?
What is Buddhist non-duality?
Not judging
Should one listen to one's emotions?
What is an adult?

Text mentioning the risks associated with the quest for awakening at all costs:

Warning about the Path of Nonduality

PS: This article 'Warning Regarding the Path of Non-Duality' does not appear to be available online anymore, which I venture to interpret as an illustration of the difficulty mentioned in the question 'What is an adult?'

 

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