maintaining enlightenment?

I'm some-times asked how to maintain the state of enlightenment.

There is nothing to maintain. Either it has happened, or it has not - there is nothing to maintain, nothing to do - it is a complete understanding. It's like riding a bike - do you have to constantly remember how to balance, or to breath or how to digest your food? No, enlightenment is an end in itself, it's complete, - the (apparent) journey is over. There is completion. No more seeking or achieving, no more trying, no more wanting.

The end brings rest, peace and understanding. It is seen that there is nothing to do. For the questioner, it is invariably that they have had a very nice experience, perhaps a glimpse, and they want to stay that way - but that would be stagnation, never changing. The pleasant experience only has meaning because of it's opposite experience. They think that the experience they had might have been enlightenment and want to having it constantly - to be always happy, clear or satisfied. But these things are all part of the world of duality and as such they are all bound to bring with them their opposites. This world is made up of opposites; nothing exists without it's contrasting opposite. There wouldn't be a word for day, if there wasn't a night, the word cold wouldn't be in our vocabulary if there wasn't also hot.

Riding a bike doesn't have to be remembered and neither does enlightenment; it simply is... When you are not riding your bike you are simply getting on with your life - it's the same. If, however, the question comes up then knowing focuses in the required direction, the required subject, your work or hobby, your search. Life goes on, there is nothing to do - there never was; it's all happening spontaineously, and it always was. We only got duped into believing we have choice, that we are the do'er.

There is no journey, no seeking, no seeker and nothing to achieve although there does appears to be - while caught in the illusion of 'me'.

Enlightenment brings perspective.

Enlightenment brings an end to seeking, to the idea that there was a seeker, to the idea there was or is anything to do, that there is something that can be done, even - although , of course, things do get done, but by no-one.

There is nothing to be achieved. Achievement is the task of the mnd - to do, to achieve, to solve problems, to accomplish and to own. The world of concepts.

This is a completely different paradigm.

As it was once said to me 'you are not the clouds, you are the sky in which the clouds appear'.