The Truth Is The Truth

There are not different kinds of enlightenment. There is not one kind of enlightenment experience that you get on Enlightenment Intensives, another kind that you get in Zen, another that you get from Yoga, another kind that Buddha had, and another kind that Jesus had. There is only one kind of enlightenment. The enlightenment that people have on an Enlightenment Intensive is the same kind of enlightenment that Buddha had. Perhaps Buddha was more deeply enlightened but that is the only difference. There are different magnitudes of enlightenment, but there is only one kind of enlightenment and that is conscious, direct knowledge of oneself If you have had it, you have had it; that is all there is to it. You might use different words than someone else to try to describe it, although ultimately, enlightenment is actually indescribable. However, even if you cannot describe it, you can still do a good job of communicating it.
By Charles Berner and Mono Sosna

During a master’s training course we were discussing whether or not there were different kinds of enlightenment. An analogy in the form of this story came to mind that helped me.

A person books a one week trip to Japan with a tour company. All of their accommodations and site seeing destinations are planned for them. When their flight arrives in Japan a driver greets them at the airport and drives them to their 5 star hotel. That evening they dine in the hotel restaurant for dinner. The next morning, after breakfast in the hotel, a tour bus picks them up for their first outing with a tour guide who speaks their native language. Each day they are taken out for several half day excursions to visit historic Japanese sites. They view the famous Great Buddha, the majestic Mt. Fuji along with various other sites. They also dine out at several Japanese style restaurants. The rest of their time is spent relaxing at the hotel.

After a week they return home. They have visited Japan. Their passport is stamped and they have photos that document their trip. But although their visit to Japan was certainly real and quite lovely, their experiences there did not go very deep.

Once home, their memories of Japan fill them with a yearning to go back, but this time for several months. On this trip, they immerse themselves in the culture and start learning the language. They live with a Japanese family and help in their pottery shop. They also work in the kitchen helping to prepare the families meals. They visit several bustling cities, the coastline and mountains. They soak in hot springs, visit Japanese gardens, and shrines.
This second visit to Japan, provides experiences that penetrate much deeper.

This is not to stay that someone will not have have an incredibly deep enlightenment the first time they break through into a direct experience of the truth. It's just an example of different possibilities, the different magnitudes of enlightenment. But enlightenment is enlightenment. The truth is the truth.