The Logos: The Meletic Testament (40 Enlightenment)
đź“ś Chapter 40: Enlightenment
1. I awoke before the city stirred, not to offer incense, but to observe the quiet geometry of morning light on stone. I was drawn to the yearning of my soul.
2. The gods of my youth have grown silent, not because they were offended, but because they were never speaking to me in words that I understood, nor did the god of the Christians evoke such stir in me, as the philosophy of Meleticism.
3. I walked the agora not in search of divine revelation, but in search of signs—how philosophers spoke with wisdom, how they described life, how they hoped with inspiration. To be enlightened then.
4. The olive tree outside my home bent with the wind, not with divine will. It survived by yielding to the Logos, not by believing in faith.
5. I have seen men profess miracles and philosophers profess virtues. Only nature remains unmoved, unbothered and unbroken in its essence.
6. My thoughts were not sacred. They were shaped by dust, by hunger, by the light that reflected in the sun my Meletic path.
7. I did not fear the wrath of gods. I feared the blindness of men who claimed to speak for them or accepted them out of blind faith.
8. The river near Piraeus flowed without doctrine. Its truth was in its movement, not in metaphor.
9. I once sought meaning in the stars above. Then, I sought it in the soil I stepped, where roots spoke to me a quieter language that was heard outside of Athens.
10. The philosophers argued in marble halls. I learnt more from the silence between their words than from the words themselves expressed.
11. A child asked me if the gods live in the sky. I told him the sky is made of air, and air does not listen to the plea for any gods.
12. I have loved, and I have lost. Neither experience required divine permission from a god. It was enlightenment that has guided me ever since I was first astray.
13. The rise of Rome has taught me that power is not proof of the truth. It was only proof of ambition and ego.
14. I did not kneel to no man or god. My spine was a column of reason, not submission. To achieve enlightenment, one must first embark on a journey of relinquishment, shedding the lingering burdens that hinder the mind, soul and body from attaining true awareness.
15. The fig tree bore fruit without prayer. So had to bear thought without the supernatural.
16. I watched a man die yesterday. His breath left him like a whisper. No heavenly angels came. Only silence like a thief in the night.
17. I did not seek immortality. I sought lucidity of my mortality—moments where the world made sense, even briefly.
18. The sea did not care who ruled Athens. It crashed against the shore with the same indifference.
19. I found more wisdom in the flight of birds than in the Pagan scrolls of priests or the scriptures of Christians.
20. My life was not a mere test. It was a sequence of choices, shaped by time and my fate. Enlightenment was not a static state but a flowing, changing stream of consciousness.
21. I did not believe in sacred texts. I believed in the texture of experience, in the weight of a moment, and in the wisdom of Meleticism.
22. The sun rose without sacred blessing. It owed nothing to me, yet it warmed me all the same.
23. I have watched manifold men build altars that are high to their fears and call them gods.
24. The wind carried no truth of prophecy. It moved because it had to, and that was enough.
25. I once stood before a cross and felt nothing. Outside, under the open sky, I felt everything, from the stir of the wind to the breath of nature.
26. The body was not a vessel for the divine to bless. It was more the canvas of our becoming.
27. I did not ask the heavens for answers. I asked the earth, and it replied with roots and stone.
28. The stars were not symbols. They were fire and distance. Beautiful, yes—but indifferent.
29. I have seen miracles claimed by Christians where the Logos would suffice with the truth.
30. The bird that watched me from the rooftop knew nothing of gods, yet it survived and continued its flight.
31. I did not seek religious purity in the sacred sense. I sought honesty, even when it was flawed in my nature.
32. The rain did not cleanse the notion of original sin. It nourished the soil. That was its undeniable truth.
33. I heard prayers whispered in desperation and longing. I saw reason bring peace instead. Like water that moves effortlessly through its course, wisdom too must flow unhindered by the obstacles we impose upon ourselves.
34. The chants of the monasteries I heard, but they did not awaken me. A single question about the Logos did.
35. I did not fear punishment after my death. I sought a meaningful live as a mere mortal.
36. The flame burnt because of fuel and spark, not because of divine will that imposed.
37. I have watched the seasons change without divine intervention. Nature is its own rhythm.
38. I did not seek eternal salvation. I sought understanding, even if it led me into discomfort. I knew that in the end that ultimate fate awaited me.
39. The mountain did not bow to Rome, to a god, nor to Athens. It simply stood as a testament of the Logos.
40. I found more clarity in solitude than in the sermons heard in sacred places where people gathered.
41. I did not envy the faithful ones. Their certainty was a cage that imprisoned them. Mine was a clear path ahead.
42. The cicadas sung without any mention of scriptures. Their music was born of instinct, not reverence.
43. I saw men kneel before idols carved from stone, whilst ignoring the wisdom carved into their own lives.
44. The moon did not judge the stars. It simply reflected what light it was given from it.
45. I did not believe in divine justice. I believed in consequence, in the echo of our choices.
46. The vine climbed because it had to in its existence. Its purpose was not sacred—it is survival.
47. I have watched numerous storms tear through temples and leave the trees untouched.
48. The silence of the forest taught more than the chants of priests or the righteousness of scriptures.
49. I did not seek to be remembered by who I was. I sought to be present from who I was as a man.
50. The flame flickered not because it was holy in its fire, but because the wind was restless.
51. I have seen the truth buried beneath senseless rituals, waiting to be unearthed by thought.
52. The eagle did not pray before it hunted its prey. It trusted its wings to guide it forth.
53. I did not ask what the gods wanted from in return. I asked what the world needed today and tomorrow.
54. The stone path beneath my feet was laid by hands, not by divine intervention or will.
55. I heard men speak of divine plans, whilst ignoring the suffering around them, because they did not share their faith.
56. The sky was not a scroll to be read. It was a vast indifference, and I found peace in that.
57. I did not fear the unknown of the world. I explored what my eyes could perceive and what my soul embraced.
58. The wheat grew not because it was blest by a god, but because the soil was generous.
59. I have seen more wisdom in the eyes of a dying man than in the pages of holy texts.
60. The world did not revolve around belief. It revolved around motion, gravity, and time.
61. I did not find enlightenment in mere temples or scrolls. I found it in the quiet rebellion of my own thoughts reflected.
62. The moment I stopped seeking approval from the tales of gods, I began to hear myself. Enlightenment transcended the limitations of my body and raught into the profound depths of my mind.
63. It did not arrive like thunder. It crept in like morning light—soft, persistent and undeniable. Enlightenment was not perfection.
64. I realised I had spent years asking questions to the sky, when the answers were buried in the earth.
65. I no longer needed myth or mysticism to feel wonder. A single leaf in autumn was enough to remind me of my existence.
66. The truth was never hidden from me. It was simply drowned out by repeated ritual of which was useless in the end.
67. I stopped fearing death when I understood that life itself was the greatest wonder a man could ever espouse.
68. My enlightenment was not a sacred revelation. It was a slow erosion of the image of illusion. It was the acceptance of imperfection, the ability to see beyond the superficial and embrace the deeper truths of existence.
69. I began to see the world not as a test, but as a canvas—unfinished, imperfect and mine. I no longer needed to be saved from the thought of my flaws. I needed only to save the self through virtues and good deeds, to save my soul.
70. The mind was the stream and my thoughts were the currents. Just as a stream flowed in multiple directions, so too did my thoughts; some inwards, towards introspection and others outwards, towards expression.
71. The gods did not fall away. They faded, like the mist burnt off by the sun of reason, and a new god emerged, but no different than the other gods. This new god required worship too.
72. I found within me my inner peace not in answers, but in the courage to ask better questions.
73. Enlightenment was not a destination. It was a posture—upright, alert and unafraid that transformed into wisdom.
74. I stopped measuring my worth by divine standards. I began to measure it by my capacity to think, to feel and to change.
75. I saw that nature did not judge me. It simply existed. And I, too, could simply be myself.
76. The chains I wore were made of lingering doubt. I broke them with my firm conviction.
77. I no longer needed the longing for eternity. I needed presence in my life that was revealing.
78. Enlightenment taught me that truth was not given. It was earned—through awareness, through humility.
79. I did not discover the Holy Spirit. I discovered something much more essential, the Ousia, my true essence.
80. And in that unique discovery, I found myself—not sacred, not chosen, but awakened.
81. I began to speak less and listen more—not to voices from above, but to the quiet truths around me.
82. I once thought that I was distant to my inner self, but I was not distant—I was deep within myself, excavating.
83. I no longer argued with the faithful ones of religion. I simply lived differently, and let that be my reply.
84. Enlightenment made me gentler in my character. Not softer, but more contemplative in my actions.
85. I saw that most men feared the thought of silence, because it revealed too much of their truth.
86. I stopped chasing the legacy of myths. I began cultivating presence within me instead.
87. The city then grew louder with sermons and conquest. I grew quieter, and more free.
88. I watched Rome expand its empire, and I felt no awe. Power without wisdom is noise.
89. I no longer needed to be understood for who I represented. I needed only to be heard.
90. Enlightenment taught me that the truth is not loud. It is patient and patience brings wisdom.
91. I saw Christians cling to each other out of fear. I chose to accept my fate out of understanding.
92. I stopped fearing the end of my life, because I accepted my ultimate fate that was awaiting me.
93. I walked through the marketplace and saw every transaction as a metaphor—desire, exchange and illusion.
94. I no longer sought devotion. I sought integration—the weaving of thought and flesh.
95. Enlightenment did not merely make me a better man, because I discovered myself. It made me whole as a man.
96. I saw that death was not the enemy. It was what followed in the natural order of the Logos.
97. I began to see others not as believers or sceptics, but as wanderers—each on their own path.
98. I stopped asking what life truly meant in comparison to others. I asked what I could make of it.
99. Enlightenment stripped me of certainty, and gave me curiosity in return to utilise my mind.
100. And with that curiosity, I stepped into each day not as an apostle, but as a living witness.
101. I began to see that reality was not what we were told—it was what remained when belief was stripped away.
102. Enlightenment was not the acquisition of the truth, but the abandonment of illusion.
103. I questioned whether knowledge was found or formed. I then believed it was cultivated—like a garden, not a treasure.
104. The soul existed, not as divine. It was the sum of our choices, our thoughts, our contradictions.
105. I no longer asked what was good in the eyes of gods. I asked what was good in the context of my life.
106. Ethics, I learnt then, was not obedience—it was awareness of impact and actions.
107. I did not believe in the practice of faith. I believed in momentum, shaped by intention and error that transformed my wisdom.
108. Enlightenment taught me that freedom was not the absence of chains, but the presence of discernment.
109. I once thought truth was singular. Then, I saw it as layered—revealed through perspective, not decree.
110. The mind was not a vessel to be filled, but a flame to be tended—fragile, flickering, alive.
111. I did not seek merely to conquer ignorance in men. I sought to coexist with uncertainty.
112. The world was not a puzzle to be solved so easily. Instead, it was a paradox to be engaged.
113. I came to believe that wisdom was not knowing more—it was needing less in life.
114. Enlightenment was not a light that blinded men like a dark shadow. It was a light that clarified.
115. I did not believe in divine justice imposed upon me. I believed in the moral weight of choice.
116. The self was not fixed or determined without virtues. It was a process—an unfolding, a revision.
117. I once feared the result of contradiction. Then, I saw it as the birthplace of thought.
118. Enlightenment did not give me all answers that I sought. It gave me better questions to ask myself.
119. I did not seek to be right with others. I sought to be aligned—with reason, with nature, with integrity.
120. And in that alignment that I sought, I found not certainty, but the peace that dwelt in my soul.
121. Time, I learnt was not a river—it was a mirror. It reflected what we chose to see in life.
122. I no longer measure life in the years that have passed, but in awakenings I experience.
123. The past does not bind me to the present. It informed me, like a shadow cast by the morning light.
124. Enlightenment taught me that memory was not the truth that men invented—it was the truth that virtues revealed.
125. I did not care about being forgotten. I knew that my memory would linger in the mind of others.
126. The future was not promised to me as the present. It was imagined, and then would be shaped.
127. I have seen innumerable men worship the yearning of permanence. I followed adaptation.
128. Enlightenment was not a shield that protected one from the world. It was a mirror to the self and soul.
129. I did not merely seek to transcend the body with my enlightenment. I sought to understand it as well.
130. The body was not a prison that shackled me. It was a library of sensation, of instinct and of history.
131. I once believed thought was superior to feeling. Then, I saw they were partners in perception.
132. Enlightenment taught me that the truth was not abstract in its essence—it was embodied by our virtues and deeds.
133. I did not seek to escape the suffering in my life. I sought to learn from it the best I could.
134. Suffering, when observed, became a teacher. When denied, it became a tyrant that was unbearable.
135. I learnt that joy was not the absence of sorrow—it was the presence of awareness that was forgotten.
136. Enlightenment was not an unattainable thing. It was a discipline that taught me to follow the course of my life.
137. I did not merely seek to be wiser than others. I sought to be enlightened with the wisdom of philosophy.
138. The world did not owe me meaning. I had to carve it myself, with the knowledge that I obtained.
139. I once feared being alone, but then I was grateful for being surrounded with the truth.
140. Enlightenment taught me that solitude was not emptiness—it was space for becoming.
141. I did not seek to be followed in life because of who I professed to know. I sought to be understood, even briefly.
142. The rise of dogma around me did not shake me. It reminded me why I chose this singular path.
143. I have seen men trade reason for comfort. I chose discomfort, and found clarity in life.
144. Enlightenment was not a rebellion that ignited a burning flame. It was refusal to be lulled into ignorance.
145. I did not seek to dismantle belief with enlightenment. I sought to illuminate its edges.
146. The mind, when free, did not destroy—it created the path towards enlightenment.
147. I learnt that the genuine truth was not an illusion conjured by men. It was a lasting presence.
148. Enlightenment taught me that humility was not weakness—it was strength without arrogance.
149. I did not seek to be revered by men. I sought only to be known, and to be understood.
150. The world was not sacred or was it sinful. It was sufficient for me to know what it represented behind the veil of reality.
151. I once sought perfection as man. Then, I sought coherence in the presence of enlightenment.
152. Enlightenment was not the end of all questions. It was the beginning of better ones asked.
153. I did not seek to be above others who challenged me. I sought to be beside them, with open eyes.
154. The rise of Christianity brought new accounts. I observed them, but I did not absorb them; for they spoke more of reverence of a god than the acknowledgement of To Ena.
155. I learnt that belief was not the enemy that I should fear—unquestioned belief was.
156. Enlightenment taught me that doubt was not instant failure—it was the face that sought the truth.
157. I did not seek to be praised for what I knew in philosophy. I sought to be understood as a man.
158. The city changed with its movement. The empire expanded, but the questions remained.
159. I feared being wrong. Then, I realised that I had found my lasting path in life.
160. Enlightenment was not comfort. It was comprehension, even when it seemed unattainable or misunderstood.
161. I did not seek the fruits of immortality to taste. I sought the fruition of wisdom to learn.
162. The breath I took was not sacred in its nature. It was sufficient and natural to be felt. For it was a sign of nature's presence.
163. I learnt that silence was not absence—it was awareness that often was ignored by men.
164. Enlightenment taught me that nature did not speak as men do—it revealed itself instead.
165. I did not care to be glorified like a honourable statue. I sought to be respected as a philosopher.
166. The stars did not merely guide me. They reminded me how small I was, and how vast thought could be.
167. I sought to be saved from the burdens of my past. Then, I sought to be enlightened from the wisdom of my present.
168. Enlightenment was not the light of the sun that appeared in the morning—it was its reflection.
169. I did not seek to be pure in the religious sense. I sought to be whole in the philosophical sense.
170. The world did not act in accordance to any man's faith. It acted in accordance to actions.
171. I learnt that the way of the truth was not given—it was earned with acceptance and commitment.
172. Enlightenment taught me that the mind was not limited to a single god—it was vast and beyond that god.
173. I did not seek to be elevated into the realm of glory. I sought to be grounded with the truth.
174. The rise of religion around me was not a threat—it was a contrast only to philosophy.
175. I pondered the unknown. Then, I walked towards it with the knowledge that I was enlightened.
176. Enlightenment was not a ritual that one performed—it was a daily practice between the mind, body and soul.
177. It was the realisation that we were not enslaved to the body, and that the mind like the soul could be one with the Logos. To Ena, was the mountain of enlightenment.
178. The body gradually ages. The mind expands, the soul listens. That is enough to understand enlightenment.
179. I no longer chase the whims of illusion in this world. I walked beside it until I reached my reality.
180. The horizon did not promise me the answers to all my questions. It offered perspective instead.
181. I did not resist the probabilities of change. I studied their occurrences and their processes.
182. My silence was not found in the emptiness of my soul. It was found in the depth of my soul.
183. I ceased to argue about things of which I could not control in life. I then enquired about their relevance.
184. The world did not owe me any form of clarity. I had to find it through my wisdom.
185. I did not fear the shadows of obscurity. I ignored distraction and concentrated on the pursuit of enlightenment.
186. My thoughts were not weapons to be utilise against people. They were instruments of philosophy.
187. I did not need divine help to be awakened. I had enlightenment to awaken me in life.
188. The truth did not solely comfort me. It strengthened me with the resolve to continue my journey.
189. I did not dwell only in the uncertainty of life. I confessed with certainty that which were my aspirations.
190. My life was not a thing of the past to be forgotten. It was a thing of the present that reminded me of the past. I did not measure wisdom in the words uttered by men. I measured it in restraint.
191. A flower grows from a seed with the nourishment of nature. Similarly, our thoughts, when cultivated with wisdom, blossom into enlightenment. Nothing about this process is mystical or beyond reach; it is simply the recognition of its natural occurrence.
192. The future does not beckon. It waits afterwards for me to know about its presence. I do not escape the present with enlightenment. I simply inhabit it with temperance and wisdom. It waits afterwards for me to know it about its presence.
193. Enlightenment is the realisation that all existence is interconnected, and that wisdom is not separate from us, but is woven into the essential fabric of our being. The journey to enlightenment is not about detachment from life. Instead, it is a deeper engagement with its truths.
194. My legacy will be not carved in mere stone. It is scattered in thought and in the soul.
195. I do not teach to convince others of philosophy. I reveal that which I philosophise in my life.
196. The world is not mine to correct nor corrupt. It is mine to witness and to share my enlightenment.
197. I do not seek the temptation of wealth. I endure as a modest man, as so did once my teacher and mentor.
198. Enlightenment is not a gift to be taken for granted. It is a discipline of the mind, body and soul. Just as water from a fountain creates harmony when it merges with its true source, so too does the mind achieve harmony when it connects with consciousness. The mind is the fountain, and consciousness is the water.
199. I do not plead to a god to be thus enlightened in the world. I learn to do for myself. I alone start and end this journey of mine.
200. And so, I remain in life—not elevated, not diminished—but enlightened by Meleticism and To Ena, the One. Asterion would say about enlightenment—It is the fulfilment of the mind, and a guiding light that reveals the understanding of life.
201. Meleticism delineates three states of enlightenment, each corresponding to a fundamental aspect of our being. Each have an important part in the process of enlightenment.
202. These are: Ipsilos (The Highest State) This is the enlightenment of the mind. It is the realm of higher reasoning, intellectual transcendence and the ability to perceive beyond the material and into the abstract nature of reality.
203. Mesis (The Middle State) -This is the enlightenment of the soul, where one attains harmony between emotion and reason, understanding the interconnection of existence without being swayed by extremes.
204. Hamilos (The Lowest State) -This is the enlightenment of the body. Though it is the most tangible of the three, it is also the most difficult to master, as physical desires and attachments often impede one’s journey towards a balanced state.
205. Enlightenment in its purest form, follows the natural order of the nous or the intellect. The mind is the foundation upon which our thoughts and principles are built, and through it, the soul and body align with the greater purpose of existence.
206. The Eight Relinquishments: To progress towards enlightenment, one must first abandon the distractions and burdens that confuse the mind and soul. These eight relinquishments serve as guiding principles in purging the unnecessary from our lives.
207. Relinquish the Ego. The ego is not inherently evil, but when it dominates our thoughts and actions, it becomes a prison that confines us to self-centred illusions. To relinquish the ego does not mean to destroy the self, but to free ourselves from its control. We must no longer be unwilling hostages to its power and influence.
208. Relinquish Excessive Materialism. Material possessions serve a purpose, but when we become consumed by them, they blind us with greed. To relinquish excessive materialism is to understand that wealth and possessions do not define our worth. True fulfilment is found in wisdom, not in accumulation.
209. Relinquish Unnecessary Desires. Not all desires are harmful, but those that distract us from our purpose can lead us astray. To relinquish unnecessary desires means to distinguish between what is essential and what is fleeting, to avoid being ruled by pleasures that provide only momentary gratification.
210. Relinquish Obsessive Vices. Vices are not merely habits; they are manifestations of deeper weaknesses within us. Whether it be excess, addiction or indulgence, such vices corrupt our virtues. By relinquishing obsessive vices, we regain mastery over our willpower and choices.
211. Relinquish Impassioned Envy. Envy is a poison that erodes our contentment. To covet what others have is to diminish the value of our own journey. Relinquishing envy allows us to appreciate our own path without resentment, creating a mindset of gratitude and self-sufficiency.
212. Relinquish Impulsive Anger. Anger is a natural emotion, but when it is uncontrolled, it disrupts our equanimity. Impulsive anger confuses our judgement, leading to reckless actions and it distances us from enlightenment. To relinquish anger is to cultivate patience and inner peace.
213. Relinquish Burdened Guilt. Guilt, when carried unnecessarily, becomes a heavy burden. Whilst reflection and accountability are important, prolonged guilt hinders personal growth. To relinquish guilt is to acknowledge our past mistakes, learn from them and move forth without self-imposed suffering.
214. Relinquish the Past. The past shapes who we are, but clinging to it prevents us from evolving. Old wounds, regrets and attachments can tether us to what no longer serves us. To relinquish the past is to free ourselves from stagnation and embrace the present as the true moment of transformation.
215. These relinquishments are not acts of deprivation, but acts of liberation. By letting go, we make space for wisdom, clarity, and ultimately, enlightenment.
216. Enlightenment cultivates a mind that flows with wisdom, a soul that resonates with harmony and a body that aligns with balance.
217. This is the real essence of enlightenment, which is the awareness of oneself, the universe and the boundless wisdom that connects all existential things with To Ena, the One.
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