What is enlightenment? Every single person will give you a different definition because enlightenment is a state of being unique to the individual, it cannot be defined.

It’s like trying to explain what is the taste of chocolate to a deaf person, or describing a beautiful natural scenery to a blind person who hasn’t seen a tree in their life.

Enlightenment is a state of being from where only you can describe the beautiful scenery, the sweet taste of that reality, and it’s unique to you.

However, gurus and mystics have tried their best to give you a glimpse of what enlightenment really is. Reading their quotes can give you a real sense of what it is.

Here are the 14 most enlightening quotes we found about enlightenment from various gurus, authors, mystics, that give the clearest sense of this favorable state of being.

The 14 Most Enlightening Quotes Ever:

1. “The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.” — Nikos Kazantzakis

2. “Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” — Adyashanti

3. “That’s the moment of enlightenment. That is the moment that you become for the first time an unconditioned, sane, really free human being.” — Osho

4. “Enlightenment is the unprogrammed state.” — Jed McKenna

5. “Enlightenment is any experience of expanding our consciousness beyond its present limits. We could also say that perfect enlightenment is realizing that we have no limits at all, and that the entire Universe is alive.” — Thaddeus Golas

6. “Enlightenment is ego’s ultimate disappointment.” — Chögyam Trungpa

7. “Enlightenment, joy, and peace can never be given to you by another. The well is inside you.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

8. “We had gotten over the feeling that one experience was going to make you enlightened forever. We saw that it wasn’t going to be that simple.” — Ram Dass

9. “If you think you’re enlightened go spend a week with your family.” — Ram Dass

10. “Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water.” — Zen Proverb

11. “Suffering just means you’re having a bad dream. Happiness means you’re having a good dream. Enlightenment means getting out of the dream altogether.” — Jed McKenna

12. “Enlightenment is the experience of intimacy with The Entire Universe. There is no separation whatsoever. You totally disappear in the process of uniting with the raw content of the present moment. And because you do, you have never been more alive.” — Larry Rosenburg

13. “Enlightenment means taking full responsibility for your life.” — William Blake

14. “There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” — Carl G. Jung