How Did Buddhism Fail To Achieve Enlightenment?

Introduction:

Enlightenment occurs when one becomes awake when they eliminate desire or attachment. Achieving enlightenment allows individuals to become Buddha. Furthermore, principle of dependent origination and karma states that every cause has its’ effect and the effects can be passed down to next life. Failing to eliminate desire will result in one suffering throughout their lives, and possibly their future life. Also, failing to eliminate desire prevents one from achieving enlightenment. In Chan Buddhism, enlightenment is viewed to be gradual or sudden. Many agreed with sudden enlightenment. Sudden enlightenment is consistent with other Buddhism principles such as dependent origination and karma.

Explication:

Chinese Chan Buddhism started

This cycle of birth and rebirth continues until an individual breaks the cycle and achieve Nirvana, “…he attains to Nirvana in his own person; and he knows that rebirth is exhausted” (Anonymous 1896 pp.138). And “…Nirvana is identical with the original substance of the Buddha-mind, which is same as Buddha-nature.” (Chan 1963 pp.427). By Nirvana, one becomes enlightened. When one breaks the cycle of karma, they immediately achieve the state of Nirvana. Thus, if by Nirvana one becomes enlighten and Nirvana is achieve suddenly after breaking the cycle of karma, then one becomes enlighten

One of the Chan master Kuei-feng Tsung-mi stated the process of gradual cultivation, which is followed by sudden enlightenment. He went on to illustrate the process using an example of chopping down a tree. An individual cuts the tree many time until it suddenly falls down. Thus, gradual cultivation is the process by which an individual “moves towards the ultimate goal of enlightment” while sudden enlightenment is “moment of experience where that goal is realized” (Gregory 1991 pp.282). In this way, gradual cultivation is Nirvana, which involves many steps and thus is gradual. But as soon as Nirvana is reached, sudden enlightenment will occur, where one realizes the goal, which is enlightenment itself. Therefore, enlightenment still occurs