Spiritual Development

So keep that in mind that there really is no race to some finish line. We are all divine beings, or rather all part of the same divine being. Knowing that might change your perspective.

What do you think enlightenment is then? There's a good story about this told by the Sufis, I believe:

Once there was a dervish seeking enlightenment, and he found a very spiritual man walking on the road. The walking man was carrying a big sack on his back and he was hunched over from the weight.

The dervish said to the man, "What does enlightenment feel like?"

Without saying a word, the man took the sack off his back and set it on the ground. He stood up straight and tall and stretched out his back and smiled happily.

Understanding the message, the dervish smiled back and said, "What comes after that?"

The old man picked up the sack, hunched over, and started walking on once more.

In other words, after enlightenment, you get right back to your life and do whatever needs to be done in that moment, and every moment thereafter. In fact, you might experience some feeling of enlightenment many times in your life, and you might notice that it always wears off. That's ok! It's normal. You might also never experience it. That's ok too, so long as you are doing what needs to be done in your life.

I once had a teacher who always had people coming to him with stories about dreams they have had, and things they have felt. They would describe these wonderful experiences of altered consciousness and other things, and I always used to crack up at his answer, which was, "Don't worry. It will go away."

The vast majority of your life will be spent in some state other than a feeling of enlightenment. So which do you think you should concentrate on more: feeling enlightened, or making the rest of your daily experiences more bearable and pleasant?