What is enlightenment? This is often the first question people ask when they begin to explore Buddhism, because enlightenment is the culmination of the entire Buddhist path. Of his own enlightenment, the Buddha said, “Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose—as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, and resolute.”
The Buddha often described enlightenment (bodhi in both Pali and Sanskrit) as the end of suffering through the release of all craving, aversion, and clinging. He also said that all beings can become enlightened and liberated from suffering. In our current nomenclature, “awakening” has often replaced “enlightenment” as the preferred description of bodhi. “Awakening” may feel more accessible; most of us understand that our personal awakenings are not permanent states but valuable insights into enlightenment, or nirvana, the final release of all fetters that hold humans in bondage and suffering.
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