There seem to be two commonly held ideas about awakening that get in many people’s way: that awakening is something very rare and unusual, and secondly that it is probably an unreachable state of being. We tend to only hear about the great masters, or teachers with large followings, so it’s easy to imagine that this is always how enlightenment is expressed. In my own experience however, I have found that this is not the case. Many awakened people live ordinary lives and have no interest in becoming spiritual teachers. You would probably not even know that they were self-realized unless they chose to tell you.
Enlightenment can be a dramatic event, or it can be a simple growing awareness of one’s true nature which culminates in seeing through the personal ‘story’ and identity. This self-recognition, although uncommon is not as rare and unattainable as many people think. Enlightenment is just a return to a natural state, not the attainment of some-out-of-this world condition. I see many people who sincerely desire liberation, but are discouraged and frustrated because of these misunderstandings.