Spiritual growth vs Enlightenment

Thanks to a beautiful being, I've just discovered an article written by Christopher Wallis, on the difference between spiritual growth and enlightenment.
I find it so clear and so accurate, that I want to share it here with you:

'Why Spiritual Growth Does Not Lead to Enlightenment.'


It makes a long time I haven't read such a clear explanation on the process of awakening, and integration of the awakening. I write here down a few sentences that caught my attention:

• 'Waking up is actually the easy part compared to integration.'
• '[...] you have to grow up enough to get out of your own way and make room for the awakening process to unfold.'
• '[...] you cannot heal the ‘broken self’ as long as you believe that you are it. Or you can, but it’s ridiculously difficult.'
• '[...] integration is the real spiritual growth, but it has nothing to do with trying to recondition oneself to conform more closely to an ideal found in books on spirituality or in the mouth of a teacher.'
• '[..] some people can be ‘enlightened’ but unintegrated.'
• 'There’s a difference between having access to the Light of Awareness [...] and doing the work of seeing what does and doesn’t reflect that light in its fullness.'

The integration of awakening can be a long and sometimes painful one. That's my case... Therefore it helps to be guided by fellow 'travelers' who can show us the traps and remind us that it is worthy to move on, whatever it takes. This is part of the apprenticeship. As for most of us the world has become the Monastery, I personnally appreciate to benefit from such guidance, freely and in an unexpected way. This is what I call Grace :)


In the Love of Silence
In the Silence of Love

Shan