According to some teachers, there is no such thing as Enlightenment. If by that they mean that there is no separate person who becomes Enlightened, then I agree. But I do not think that is what they mean. If they truly believe there is no such thing, then all I can say is they just have not awakened yet. It is fairly easy for someone to listen to all that has been said by some teachers on the subject and have no direct experience themselves, to come to a conclusion that it does not exist. They are Conclusionists. They are still just in the thinking mind and have not seen beyond it, or prior to it.
Many people who have spent many years of frustration looking for Enlightenment become so disillusioned that they just need something to satisfy their lack of direct seeing. The mind can see intellectually how there can be an understanding that Enlightenment is a dream. However, for those who have seen directly what it is and deeply understood it beyond the limited thinking surface mind, it is real.
Now, when I say it is real that needs to be clarified. True, no one awakens but there is an awakening. It is a direct living experience of what is real beyond the dream of a 'Me' who experiences it. It is the most direct insight of what we truly are. Those who have been fortunate enough to have this state of insight Know it is the only real experience they have had.
When one awakens, it is seen that the whole process of ego mind has blinded them from seeing what has always been before us, as us. All the words drop away, the “me” is seen through, and it is not a matter of "I am one with reality", there is just This. It cannot be named because it is seen beyond the abstraction of language, concepts, such as something or nothing, living or dying, being or not being, which are all just ideas. No idea is real.
Enlightenment is never a conclusion. To come to a conclusion one must see it in regard to the past as ideas about how all this works and comes together. Enlightenment has no past. Nor does it have a future. It is what Is, the Suchness of Life Itself. Now, for one to conclude this is true, it is not worth the empty thoughts we have about anything.
I was so fortunate that my first awakening came before I 'knew' anything about Enlightenment. I never had to question its reality. I just wanted to go deeper to understand what happened. The idea of turning to a teacher to tell me where it was at rarely came up at all. It was clear that only by direct seeing could it be of any use to anyone or me. Of course, Enlightenment is useless to the ego mind. Why would one want to knowingly end their existence? Suffering is why. The deep-seated need to know the truth is why. The feeling of being empty and hollow is why.
Most people will not come to a profound awakening. Few even look for or care about becoming awake. Or, of course, even know there is such a thing. But, even if one does not become deeply Enlightened they can benefit greatly by understanding what is wrong with humans, why Enlightenment is of such profound value.
If you come to understand the ego process and see how it functions in you and all of those around you, you will be far closer to awakening than by merely going to some teacher who may or may not know what is true. Not only that, you will become far freer in your day to day living. All your relationships will be understood more clearly. You will understand when things fall apart what the basic cause is. Every day becomes many lessons on what is not real, what causes you to suffer, what keeps you from letting go and truly loving the people, animals, and all of life.
Do not get lost in feeling hopeless because you think Enlightenment is so far beyond you. Right this very moment you are truly awake, you just do not realize it. And do not let those who have not awakened tell you there is no such thing. Enlightenment is real; it is the ego process that is not.
