Enlightenment can be defined as education that results in the spread of knowledge.

Education is the knowledge which results from instruction and learning.

Knowledge is the act of knowing, a very complex process involving the higher nervous activities. It is the psychological result of perception and learning. In a simple sense, when we know something it means a stimulus reaches the brain it is interpreted and a record (memory) is made of it. We therefore become aware. Based on the aforementioned; a very important point to note is that, we can see or hear anything but can recognise only what we know!

Enlightenment therefore can be understood as the very essence of acquiring knowledge. It is the process of revelation, what was hidden is now seen, as in the case of accessing new information.

An even more important aspect of enlightenment is understanding what was not previously understood as humankind through experience and experimentation acquire knowledge and rises to a higher level of consciousness.

Knowledge is power is one of those clichés which we hear all the time and see in print. But what is the value of knowledge without its use or application? It is not mere knowledge which is power, but the actual use of that knowledge which has the power to transform when we act upon our awareness.

We can only make use of that which we know because understanding simplifies everything!

Nearly twenty years ago I recall a most memorable and transforming moment for me. I was studying overseas, and had returned home for the summer vacations. I made a trip to one of our local universities to do some research and purchase books, relevant to my field of specialisation. On entering the university library I paused to read the inscription under a relatively small statue. These were the words which ignited a spark in my brain.

‘The mind which has opened up itself to accommodate a new idea never returns to its original dimensions!’

This statement is inspiring and underlines one of the most important aspects of the mind or brain power. It epitomises the true spirit of enlightenment and serves as a constant reminder that it is an open mind which will realise its true and unlimited potential.

In reference to enlightenment it must be pointed out that, although it is a most noble ideal it is not one which is always welcome by the majority. Human beings are creatures of habit. We are always more comfortable with the traditional and familiar, and that which we have always experienced and hence become resistant to change.

This is due to the fact that enlightenment, especially those causing radical shifts in our consciousness, can be compared to a glare. A glare is that sudden bright light, intensely focussed. It is always uncomfortable! People react to enlightenment in similar ways they do to a glare.

From our everyday experiences we observe that, the natural reaction to a glare is to close our eyes, turn away the face and try to remove the source of the glare.

It becomes abundantly clearly why throughout the ages people have always resisted enlightenment even though it is always to the advancement and betterment of societies.