Enlightenment occurs when your mind merges with nirvana, with what Tibetans call the Dharmakaya, the clear light of reality, which is the highest plane of transcendental wisdom and perfect understanding.
In time, [a Martian] colony would grow to the point of being self- sustaining. When this stage was reached, humanity would have a precious insurance policy against catastrophe at home. During the next millennium there is a significant chance that civilization on Earth will be destroyed by an asteroid, a killer plague or a global war. A Martian colony could keep the flame of civilization and culture alive until Earth could be reverse-colonized from Mars.