reluctance to tread the path, letting others do ones thinking, mis-understanding the law of cause and effect, 21st century denial of inseverable connection with all of life

Enlightenment in not a choice conceptually speaking...

It is not reserved for a chosen few either. It is available to anyone at anytime. Yet as already mentioned no one can make it happen.

There is not a plan of attack, procedure or a step by step process to enlightenment. There is no such plan. Using words, as limiting as they are to convey an experience which is anchored and understood, for the most part, via an identity and a biography in time is a cycle that can seem to run endlessly. The mind loves to keep it that way.

I will also say that behind the transparency of words or any tangible expression which seems to arise in front of what we already are, a potential may arise to recognized a natural emptiness within, and yes this can be triggered so that a potential for a shift may arrise. Within this recognition others insights can arise. Yet that is only a potential.

Awareness, or what most seekers know of awareness is not consciousness. This is a huge conceptual and collective belief among many seekers. They reason because they become the watcher and are the observing perspective watching "my thoughts" or process thereof, then that's consciousness or even enlightenment. Yet, that perspective still has his or her hand full in doing something. When we temporarily use the watcher or witness discipline for instance, the observing quality that is there witnessing or observing without judgment is not, for the most part, seeing or witnessing ITSELF long enough for something deeper to unfold. That is awareness does not endure long enough to expand and eventually break thru the last concrete ceiling of position...it yet too busy in being the witness (which seems to be something a perspective position is still doing) to truly see its own transcendence. That is, the witness is not WITNESSED. It seems that the witness gets stuck yet again in doing something we call being "aware."

There is still a fixation, a drive to maintain a subject and object relationship. We take this umbilical cord with us from no other than the mind. You don't get off the hook that easy, which is also why this awareness or gap is so fleeting. So awareness itself still has to evolve. Yet, it keeps itself busy in the business of being aware. It's way too preoccupied doing this and does not recognize itself as a primary quality of vigilance. Once this is seen, when awareness becomes aware of itself..then a shift can take place. But until that recognition arises, awareness, regardless of what we are told it is, remains in it's own form of duality. If this this shift truly unfolds, a widening, an unimaginable divide commences of its own accord between what you believed to be your entire existence and that which is the one primary source of consciousness. Following this is a collapse of that processed existence and identity. No more time, no more you

There are VERY few authors out there who really know what they are talking about. The rest speak of skydiving without ever jumping out of a plane

every one can reach enlightement through meditation if they can pass the veil of the mind! the only one stopping you is you!those veil of the mind are the limit stopping you!what stop you from doing that fear ego ignorance!what you need devotion focus calm pure hearth and mind and remove those veil! when you see no way out outside from you it is sign that you need to go in to find that way! can you pass that test? are you ready? do you have the faith? are you ready to do the works? can you go over duality and have a full understanding? if god would ask you to bear the cross and take on you people judgement and sin would you be ready to do that? experience and enjoy.

All philosophy aside, I personally would like to define "illuminated" ones as being those "self realized" who are able to mostly just enjoy life as it is. And that, I can guarantee, is not just "a few" and only depends on your own will.

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Michaela said it all. Most of us can't reach that "self realized" state probably because we are all genetically egoists beings made that way because early on we needed that behavior to survive. If so, then nowadays it would certainly be better if we were able to suppress our stiffness at will, as to live better in such a big community as we are today.

I think it is because of the choices made, for example this question could easily be turned around to say, "Why aren't all humans great scientist like Nicola Tesla?" Or, "Why aren't all humans great musical artist like Jimi Hendrix?"

I believe that we are all as human in an opportunity to be like anyone else it is the effort we put into what we want. The question is what do you desire the most that is so strong you are willing to make it your life?

These people that became what you see as extraordinary in their achievement didn't just fall into what they became, even the Dali Lama had to study, he had to train, he had to become what he is.

Edit added

Furthermore if we all everyone became illuminated we would be like clones. There would be no verity in the world. The internet wouldn't exist. Everyone would be like Jesus entirely with no needs or wants, just being in God entirely. There would be no music or art, nothing different because no one would feel a need to be or do something different. Work would stop. Everyone would live off of the good will and kindness of others. But there would be no others with money to provide that good will and kindness.

We need differences. Different people wanting different things. Different people doing different things. It is how the body of God functions. This is how your own body functions. All cells in your body can not be the antibodies. Even though yes the antibodies are the warrior cells that kill off virus. All cells of our bodies can not be the antibodies. We need bone cells, skin cells, blood cells, brain cells and organ cells. All of this verity is needed for the body to exist. Not only this all of this is needed for any of those cells to exist. If all were exactly the same there would be no body to host any of them.