Enlightenment is a secret that very few people know about and even fewer understand. Why is it a secret? Because Enlightenment does not exist in time. That's why it's a secret and that's why it will always be a secret. Enlightenment is a vision that cannot be held or grasped in any way. Beyond this world it's a mystery that is exploding. A fire that is burning. It's a fire that a person is either going to jump into or run away from. This fire burns beyond the mind. No-time is the place where this secret abides. Realize that and you realize the Self you are when there's no mind and no time. Realize that, and cling to that alone as your own Self.

Be Obedient to the Longing

Q: How can I deepen my longing for Liberation?

A. By being obedient to it. You must be obedient to that longing above all others. Always put that longing first -- then you will be successful. That longing will surely lead you home, but not necessarily in the way that you have in mind. That cannot be known beforehand. Most people accumulate too many ideas about what is going to happen and how it is going to happen. In this, they are following only their mind, lost in imagination.

Real longing for Liberation is something that burns. In that burning there is no mind, there is no age, there is no face and there is no history -- there is only that longing. Force yourself to be obedient to that longing. If you cannot, then you will surely start looking in other places, because you will want to find some security in this very miserable world. Be vigilant. Be obedient to that longing alone.

Is it Possible to Desire Freedom Too Much?

Q. Is it possible to desire Freedom too much? Couldn't the eagerness in me be an obstacle?

A. Wanting to be truly Free is the most demanding task a human being can ever undertake. Do you know why? Because anything else you could ever want and may decide to pursue can only be something that you are doing. In that there will always be some separation between what you are doing and who and what you are. In true Enlightenment, that separation cannot exist any longer. I am speaking about a condition that is a permanent endeavor, a permanent preoccupation. Nothing could be more demanding. It's not possible to want to be Free too much. Because if you want to be Free it will take everything that you have to give.

Since Andrew Cohen began teaching over fourteen years ago, his only passion has been to call others to the possibility of radical spiritual transformation. He is the founder of and guiding force behind What is Enlightenment? magazine and the author of several books. Andrew Cohen travels extensively to give public talks and intensive retreats worldwide. Spiritual communities dedicated to living his teachings are located in cities throughout the world. An international retreat center is situated in the Berkshire mountains of Lenox, Massachusetts. Andrew will be speaking in Chicago at the Whole Life Expo at the Rosemont Center on October 16th. For more information, please call 800-376-3210.