A description Oneness, or Being, although indivisible, could be said to have two aspects: awareness, and the presently appearing content of awareness. The content of awareness is all of the various images that appear: visual images, sensations, sounds, thoughts, feelings, etc. All these images appear presently in awareness, but the thought images appear to offer an added dimension, the capacity for seeming distraction away from or out of presence into the story of 'me' as an individual, a distinct entity located in time and space. This story of 'me' is based in thought, and as thought is only part of the whole picture, when the story appears as reality there's an accompanying sense of lack. Seeking for wholeness is the story of the attempt to fill this sense of lack. The search for wholeness arises in myriad ways, one of which is the search for enlightenment. Here too it is inevitably focused within the personal story, the partial, psychological view of reality, and consequently it cannot result in a lasting sense of fulfilment. Whenever the play of life is not seen from the psychological viewpoint - from the point of view of 'my' story - there is a non-personalised, unfragmented picture free of any sense of lack. Everything is likely to appear just as it did before, but without the distorted view that makes it 'mine'. So what can be done to disengage attention from the personal story? Nothing can be done, because there isn't actually any entity present that could do anything. The personal story is what gives the impression of a someone that's doing things, making choices, taking decisions, etc, whereas in actuality this someone, or 'me', is simply a commentary arising along with whatever else is appearing. In the absence of the commentary, or where the commentary is seen as such, it's quite obvious that everything is happening or appearing entirely of its own accord. No one is doing anything. But who sees it as a commentary? All of the images are appearing, or being registered, in awareness. There's no one, no entity, to see it. All of this is simply happening in Being. The commentary has the effect of personalising the awareness aspect of Being, giving the impression of a someone where in fact there's no one. This can be very frustrating, to hear that there's nothing to be done when there's still a sense of a someone that can do something. Yes, whenever there's identification as a someone, there will be a corresponding feeling of agitation or frustration, the need to fill the sense of lack. Maybe seeking to fill that sense of lack takes the form of performing various practices such as enquiry or meditation, or maybe simply hearing a description about all of this is enough for seeking to be seen in its true light. At those times when there's an understanding of that, there comes a real feeling of relief. Understanding can certainly give rise to a profound sense of relief. But understanding (in the sense that I use the word) is still something integral to the story of 'me'. But can't understanding also lead outside of the story, to enlightenment? If the story is seen as a story then no understanding or anything else is needed to 'lead outside' of it. So seeing through the story, or the disappearance of the story - is that enlightenment then? 'Enlightenment' only appears significant from the viewpoint of 'me'. Only the story of 'me' requires enlightenment. Your true nature is Being, and Being is already all that is (even when there is seeming ignorance of that) with no requirements whatsoever. So even apparent ignorance of Your true nature is still the expression of Your true nature? All ignorance and all stories about overcoming ignorance are the perfect expression of Being. It's impossible to avoid Being. How hard is it to be? It's always the case, regardless of what appears. Various teachers prescribe methods and techniques that seem to produce results. Yes, and just as often they don't produce results. It's an interesting story, isn't it? So it all just happens as it happens? The teacher prescribing a technique, and the student practising the technique, and some result happening or not - that couldn't be otherwise? Exactly so. Everything is happening entirely of its own accord because there actually isn't anyone to make anything happen. 'I' is part of what's happening, not the cause of any of it. Everything may be happening of its own accord, and yet it often seems as though there's a 'me' making plans, taking decisions, doing things. It's the commentary in thought that seemingly divides what appears into something being done by someone. But there's nothing wrong with that; it's not something that's got to go so that something else called enlightenment can take over. If there's identification, then that's what's happening, that's what appears as reality. If that identification is seen through, then that's what's happening. Being is already the case, whatever the configuration of appearances. A sudden total dropping of identification of any kind could also happen of course. Yes, that could happen mid-story. But the identification could return? Maybe, but any coming and going is merely the play of life. As far as Your nature as Being is concerned, the absence or presence of a personal self is inconsequential. Being simply is, and all of these appearances and happenings may simply be described as the cosmic entertainment. In actuality, nothing has ever happened.