On the path to enlightenment, we often struggle to integrate numerous ideas and truths. Many feel disconnected. Some appear contradictory. Yet all are valid. Confusion and frustration are inevitable - for a time.
If we consistently seek the truth of enlightenment, it will come to us. When it comes it feels like an epiphany. While true enlightenment appear to be sudden, it is, in reality, a process of assimilating life experiences.
Amidst the uncertainty during the process, it can be difficult to trust in the outcome. How and why then, should anyone trust in this process?
Consider the child learning arithmetic. How do they learn to divide? The child must first learn to multiply. Before understanding multiplication, the child must learn the principles of addition. To check addition problems, the child must understand how subtraction works. Before any of this is possible, the value of each number needs to be recognized. When we then teach the child to divide, we will often see confusion and frustration on the child’s face as he grapples with putting all these ideas together. Then suddenly, the child will cry out, "I understand, now."
We are open to enlightenment if we allow these ideas learned from life experience to stay present and pay attention to what we experience and while keeping our mind open to their eventual integration.
What we choose to learn from our experiences and what we do with that information allows for transformation and the discovery of enlightenment.
