On this special day we celebrate the enlightenment of Buddha Shakyamuni as well develop the special aspiration to follow in his footsteps. In The New Eight Steps To Happiness, Venerable Geshe-la explains why we ourself should strive to attain enlightenment, what enlightenment is, and how we attain it.

Why attain enlightenment?

The only thing that will never deceive us is the attainment of full enlightenment. It is only by attaining enlightenment that we can fulfil our deepest wish for pure and lasting happiness, for nothing in this impure world has the power to fulfil this wish. Only when we become a fully enlightened Buddha will we experience the profound and lasting peace that comes from a permanent cessation of all delusions and their imprints. We will be free from all faults and mental obscurations, and will possess the qualities needed to help all living beings directly. We will then be an object of refuge for all living beings. Through this understanding we can clearly see that the attainment of enlightenment is the ultimate, supreme goal and real meaning of our precious human life.

What is enlightenment?

Enlightenment is the inner light of wisdom that is completely free from mistaken appearance and whose function is to bestow mental peace upon each and every living being every day. It is the source of all living beings’ happiness.

How do we attain enlightenment?

The main cause of enlightenment is bodhichitta, and the root of bodhichitta is compassion. Since the development of compassion depends upon cherishing others, the first step to the sublime happiness of enlightenment is learning to cherish others.

The mind that cherishes others is the supreme good heart. Keeping such a good heart will result only in happiness for ourself and all those around us. This good heart is the very essence of the Mahayana path and the main cause of great compassion, the wish to protect all living beings from fear and suffering. Through improving our great compassion we will eventually achieve the universal compassion of a Buddha, which actually has the power to protect all living beings from suffering. In this way cherishing others leads us to Buddhahood.

On this day, we can reflect on Buddha's extraordinary kindness as well as the kindness and example of our precious Spiritual Guide, Venerable Geshe-la, who not only revealed the path to enlightenment but who constantly guides us and cares for us. We renew our commitment to putting his teachings into practice — especially our practice of cherishing others, the first step to enlightenment.