“New age” groups, religions and gurus may offer “enlightenment” as part of their sales package.
In Tantra, we have the enticing offer: “enlightenment through sex.”

Simply put, enlightenment is not a package to buy or an objective to pursue. There is no human being that can offer “enlightenment” to another man.

Enlightenment happens when we have gone through the journey of the range of experiences. It is not just a one life-time process. It comes through the accumulation of many life times. That is why the term ”old soul” is used, to denote someone who “has been around.” His time to become “enlightened” is to lose the armors accumulated through the experience of being the “I.” To flush those conditionings out. That experience is never easy, however; the process, the timing, the experience could be completely different for every human being as every human has a different set of experiences.

“Enlightenment” is about Destiny. As long as our conditioning does not allow us to observe and experience, that we are one with Life; we will not be able to acknowledge Destiny as the journey of Life.

The journey is Destiny itself. We walk the path, but the path is ready made for us.

Whether we agree or disagree with the above, it does not make a difference.
Whether we buy a “money back guaranteed,” enlightenment package or not; that has no consequence.
That is why, “spiritual salesmen” are alright as they offer a particular experience to a buyer (seeker) necessary for that person’s growth, as part of his journey.
As a matter of fact, ANY experience that we have gone through in our path, was necessary for our growth.

Therefore, why look for the “right” experience? There is nothing to search for.
Why being caught up with “spiritual objectives,” if any other thing in our Life path, (which we may call “non-spiritual”) has the same value?

Life experiences have the same value, whether we label them as “good/ spiritual or bad/mundane.”
What truly matters is the change of consciousness happening by going through the experiences, in our personal journey.

Consciousness will change in our journey, no matter what we DO.
The direction of it (what we call “good” or “bad”) in one Life time, does not depend on us; however, rest assured that there is no saint who hasn’t been a sinner, nor sinner who hasn’t been a saint. For in Life, the experience of both is the full experience.

When we hop on the train of Life, the rails are already there made for our destiny. No matter what we DO inside the train and during the trip, we will get there.
Thus, what is the sensible thing to DO?
To search for “enlightenment” inside the train? To search for God inside the train? To make a profitable business deal with the rest of the passengers? To deeply study the rules for playing cards/ dice/ successfully, as to win recognition during the short trip?

DO whatever you like. However, be AWARE, CONSCIOUS of the TRIP. Know that every action has a consequence… We could say that those actions will take you to your destination, or that your destination called for certain actions made during the trip. Either way it does not matter.
ENJOY the trip!

Yes… Life is a journey. Enlightenment could happen at any train station… If it is in your destiny, but if it is not, enjoy the experience for whatever it is “now,” it is only a step closer to it, or “your money back.”  🙂