Enlightenment Is Not for the Buddha Alone

Abstract

The second law of thermodynamics provides the universe with an arrow of time. Living organisms are metastable states which, through the process of aging, are also subject to the second law. At the top of the living chain is humanity, with the human mind and the creative thought process possessing a tremendous ability to alter its environment. However, the mind is also an inefficient storehouse of redundant, repetitive and unproductive thinking. Combined with the mind’s acute ability to remember the past, and think about the future, such unproductive thinking can become a source of harmful negative emotions such as anger, hatred, worry, anxiety and fear, amongst others. It is possible to overcome such unpleasant consequences resulting from the ever-thinking mind, by realizing that there is a underlying thoughtless state—Consciousness. An individual who operates from the state of a conscious I, then lives in the Here and Now, and is happier, and at peace with oneself, and more likely to contribute constructively and compassionately to the task at hand. It is this state that humanity should collectively strive to steer towards. If this can be achieved, even to a partial degree, it will become easier for humankind to address and resolve the practical threats and challenges we face on our planet today.