Enlightenment is a state reached in life when human beings (serious travelers of spiritual path) indulging in teachings of spirituality contained in Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads (independent spiritual treatises) finally liberated themselves from cycle of birth and death forever. This liberation from cycle of birth and death is not meant for the physical body but spirit, consciousness residing in our heart. Enlightenment is becoming a free bird, soul atman forever.
A liberated soul atman does not re-enter cycle of birth and death spiritually termed reincarnation, rebirth.
For human beings to become enlightened, undertaking spiritual journey as mandated in teachings of Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita is necessitated. Following any other literature in this world would not help. The path to Enlightenment is explicitly detailed only in Bhagavad Gita, prime reason why the teachings contained in sacred Bhagavad Gita are the foremost of all spiritual teachings existing in this world.
Even more important than indulging in teachings of Bhagavad Gita, our mastering contemplation (chintan) is necessitated. Spirituality was all about contemplating on hidden abstract values of life the gist of which existed in Bhagavad Gita and also Upanishads. As nothing in Bhagavad Gita or Upanishads could be assimilated literally, we have to indulge in contemplation (chintan) to reach the hidden underlying meaning.
For human beings to realize their hidden spiritual potential, it was necessary that we established total control over five senses and mind. In a world overpowered by greed for materialistic riches, control over desires and wishes comes with time. It is not days, months or years but a journey of many lifetimes before one reaches the state of enlightenment forever. Reducing our desires and wishes gradually was the first step towards gaining enlightenment.
Spiritual journey was an inner journey towards consciousness existing in our heart. Indulging in scriptural texts all the time we have to reduce dross impurities within our soul atman. This becomes possible when we start working for welfare of entire mankind most of time. We have to become a trustee, a caretaker in hands of God Almighty doing his bidding all the time.
A spiritual traveler could not work for welfare of individuals self. This was just prohibited by god. The state of enlightenment is achieved only by those individuals who succeed in cutting all bondages of earthly life forever. This includes all physical, emotional and mental bondages. A spiritual traveler always becomes an introvert of the highest order. There was no escape from that. To dwell within, to eradicate all traces of dross within our indulgence in requisite karma is necessitated. So much so that finally we have to negate karma to zero forever.
No desires and wishes, no bondages of earthly life one finally becomes a free soul atman in the cosmic journey of life. As one gradually starts control over five senses and mind, our kundalini awakening in stages. Awakening of kundalini results in opening of dormant lying portions of brain! Normal human beings used their brain 1 to 2% and the rest always lying dormant. Indulging in requisite yoga meditation a seeker finally activates the remaining 98% portion of the brain. No sooner our brain activates fully one becomes an enlightened one that very moment.
Importance of practicing Absolute Celibacy
For full awakening of kundalini shakti, the coiled Serpentine energy lying dormant in base of spine; for full activation of seven chakras existing in our spine… our practicing absolute celibacy gets necessitated! The physical aspect of celibacy (abstention from sexual indulgence) hardly constituted 10% of total job, 90% celibacy always being practiced mentally. Eradicating flow of negative thoughts to our brain in totality is what absolute celibacy all about.
A truly enlightened person all the time invoked only positive thoughts and that too at will. Not a single wayward thought could enter the brain of an enlightened one of its own. An enlightened one practically practices infinite mental power.
To travel path of spirituality as detailed in Bhagavad Gita we could follow path taken by Maharshi Ramana and also Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. These two noble enlightened souls do not exist now physically but were all the time available through their teachings. In my search for god, I practically duplicated path taken by Maharshi Ramana. In present times Mahavira, Gautama Buddha Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed do not exist but we could always duplicate their path. Indulgence in teachings of all these enlightened souls must be done only through contemplation (chintan) as literary reading would never help.
Mastering delicate art of contemplation (chintan) is the most important requisite of spiritual journey, something most seekers world over did not want to realize. We have to practically become a Swami Vivekananda in real life to travel path towards enlightenment successfully.
Why we should not follow a so-called Spiritual Teacher Master
As spiritual journey of life demands our indulgence in contemplation (chintan), no spiritual master teacher available world over could help in the matter. This inner journey towards the spirit existing in our heart is always travelled all alone. In times of need the teachings of enlightened ones like Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana come to our rescue!
The original teachings of Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita with English transliteration containing meanings of all 700 shlokas verses was available with Gita press, Gorakhpur, India for as little as $1. Taking the path of contemplation we could easily deduce the meanings of all the 700 verses shlokas contained in Bhagavad Gita. Initially it would seem impossible but if we develop the willpower exhibited by Swami Vivekananda, we could easily do it in our lifetime.
Summing it all up, how could we expect to follow a teacher who had yet to gain enlightenment?