Today I am responding to the question that I am so often asked, which is along the lines of: 'does there need to be a 'trigger' or a precipitous event in order for me to 'see' who I truly AM? Or to become enlightened or Liberated or whatever?
The only answer to this is that it is completely the wrong question.
The reason that everything ever spoken or written about Nonduality is so frustrating to the human mind, is that it is unique, in that there are no answers.
We are talking about the ultimate mystery here: the Source - Divine Mind - God - perfect, pure Being. And because it is not 'within us' but it is us`- who we are and of what we are comprised, then to try and find it by active looking or philosophising is always going to be like a dog chasing it's tail. How can a dog find it's own 'dogginess' if it is already a dog?
The very nature of One's self is Selfhood or 'Being'. The key to seeing it is just the simple realisation that you can't find yourself because you already are yourself.That's all the realisation is, and then the seeking for life to be any different from that which it is presently, just comes to an end. It can simply happen in an instant. It doesn't have to take years of struggle, although for some people it might seem to do.For instance, if you are a person who believes that you don't get anywhere without a struggle, then that might be the way you dream it up. There doesn't have to be a 'trigger' or a definite moment - or there could be - yet it certainly isn't neccessary.
In my book 'The Joy of No Self' and also in my interview on Conscious.tv, I have referred to a time when I had a crash on my motorbike followed by a rising upwards and suddenly seeing through people, solid objects and everything - seeing beyond the dream,if you like.
However, although that gave me a glimpse of the Truth, and I lost all fear of death, it was all largely irrelevant. It was years later that Truth began to dawn and darkness gave way to Light and gradually there was less and less of 'me' (and if you saw me, that's no mean feat! lol!) Then one morning I woke up and 'Being' had totally taken over and all sense of personal identity - of myself as a separate person dissolved. Now that doesn't mean the human experience disappears - of course not. Life goes on the same but the stories of 'me' and 'my life' are just seen beyond and no longer believed in, that's all. But there is no state of 'constant bliss' for Mandi or for ANYONE no matter how good a story of enlightenment they tell! Because there is no 'constant'. And this is where we get to the core of all seeking:
Fairy stories of enlightened beings that wear fancy-dress, have fancy names and live in a constant blissed-out stste - are in the realms of Myth and magic - like the idea of a 'happy ever afer' in fairytales. How can there be an 'after' or a 'before' when there is only ever this present moment? If this present moment is filled with back-ache, front-ache or head-ache, then that's all that's going on right now. Yet if this moment is filled with a delicious curry - then this moment is nothing but stimulating, delicous flavours! It's all the same moment that's why there can be no 'path' or 'progression' - or di-gression,for that matter.
So then what is a 'trigger?' - the very word 'trigger' sounds like something is expected to happen next! But how can there be a 'next' when there is only a NOW?????
So the answer to the question of 'does there have to be a trigger?' or 'how do I get enlightened?'or whatever, is STOP ASKING THE QUESTION - you probably won't be able to, but at least realise that you will never get an answer! And If you do, BEWARE!!!!