Enlightenment !

 When we can accept that what we are is beyond name and form, when we can accept that what we are is isness itself, then we can see that no matter what is happening, the essence of what we are cannot possibly be affected by these things of name and form.

            Only the mind can be affected.

            Only the body can be affected.

            But our essence cannot be affected.

            This understanding,

            is what is known as enlightenment.

            Enlightenment isn’t any complex kind of a thing. Contrary to what we may believe, it’s not cannons firing into the sky and all of a sudden we know something that happens only to a select few and not to others. It isn’t that suddenly we are above it all and everything is perfectly smooth in our lives or that we no longer have to face the daily situations of life.

            We tend to say to ourselves—“How could I be enlightened? How can I think of myself as knowing, when I have done these terrible things or I have had these terrible thoughts during my life? It can’t be. That title has to be given to somebody that we revere and put on a pedestal.” But all these things we are saying to ourselves are just conceptions of a mind. Every being is enlightened. The only difference is that some people may not want to believe it.

            The mind believes that a holy person is supposed to do certain things and an unholy person does other things. The mind says that only holy people are enlightened and for me to be enlightened and to understand the truth, I must do certain things. I have to follow the footsteps of a great teacher. I have to read 55,000 books on the subject. I have to spend 10 years as a monk in some monastery. I have to go to Tibet—and on and on and on. And we do these things. But eventually there comes a time when we have to become courageous enough to say—

            I’ve had enough of all these various teachings.

            I know who I am.

            I’ve had enough of being a follower of this or that. I know who I am. If I know that I am consciousness, if I know that I am That that can’t be identified, if I know that I am beingness, who can possibly teach me anything of more importance on that subject?

            We call these meetings we do satsang— meaning association with truth. In association with truth, a true teacher is really not a teacher because in these things that I am discussing there is no teacher, no teaching, and no students. But we have all become accustomed to either being a teacher or a student. We feel comfortable in being one or the other. It requires bravery to listen to someone like me say that there is nothing further to do, nothing further to hear.

            We have to trust in our own intuitive Essence.

            We have to trust in this very, very tiny voice that once in a while tries to talk to us. But so often we slap it in the face and put it down. We say, “I couldn’t possibly be That. I’m not worthy of It.” But we are! It is already what we are.

            So if there is any practice to be done it is just being alert when this intuitive voice comes. Be with it. Spend time with the best friend that you will ever have. Spend time with who you are. Spend time with Consciousness.

            This little voice gets louder as time passes. It gets a little louder and you become better friends with that little voice. That voice becomes bigger and soon you fall in love with it.

            Your physical form, your mind, and who you are

            become a beautiful circle—

            all of you loving each other

            without being enemies to each other.