Like Psychedelicbuddah said there are many schools of Buddhism.  The Chan or Zen Buddhist core philosophy doesn't deify the Buddha.  There are good books like "Buddhism without Beliefs" that show Buddhism to be more a psychology for dealing with the often horrible aspects of life and appreciating the beauty.  I believe that the Buddha himself would roll over in his grave at the thought of people making a deity out of him which millions of people have.  I think that enlightenment is the realization of the gift of self awareness and this fleeting time that we have been given of being alive.  Most Zen Buddhists use meditation to become "Aware of the moment" to wake up and savor your short time of having personal awareness of being alive.  It is easy to get distracted living in the future or the past or being on auto pilot and not savoring this fleeting period of being alive and that is what they are practicing in their meditation.  Enlightenment is the realization that you are the "Crown of Creation" and when you understand it well enough to stop looking for enlightenment elsewhere you can savor the gift of being alive and not let it slip away while your are distracted elsewhere.