Why can’t I get enlightened even though I have been working on it for decades?

There are people who are spending almost their whole life to attain enlightenment and I’m not even close to it. While there are people who just got through the teaching and get enlightened. What are the difference between those two sets of people? The difference is one is qualified, and one is not. Most of the gurus don’t talk about qualifications they’ll just take any person who walks in because they are interested in collecting followers to boost their egos.

To become a doctor, you have to be qualified. You must study and then do your residency and after about eight years you’re qualified to become a doctor. Likewise, if you want to become an engineer you have to study engineering for about four years and then you will become qualified to be an engineer. And in the same way if you want to attend enlightenment you need to be qualified. And if you are working on it for decades and haven’t even come close to it, it means that you are not qualified, you have been wasting your time.

So, what are those qualifications? The biggest qualification is. You need to have an existential crisis. Because when you have an existential crisis that would be the most dominating thought you have. And it is very easy to get rid of the thought. But if you don’t have an existential crisis. Following are the qualifications you need to start your Journey on Enlightenment.

1. Discrimination. You should be able to discriminate what you are looking for with a high degree of focus.
2. Dispassion. Indifferent to results of your action.
3. Control of mind. You should be able to control your mind and not allow it to wander.
4. Control of senses. you should be able to focus on the teaching for a long period of time and hence you should be in control of your senses.
5. Follow your own nature. You should be able to follow your own nature and not follow someone else because he or she is your hero or idol. Stop trying to live up to an ideal.
6. Burning desire for freedom. you need to have a burning desire for freedom and Enlightenment.
7. Focus. Ability to focus on a particular idea for an extended period.
8. Suffering. The willingness to gladly suffer the little pinpricks of life to attain your goal.

You and your guru should be able to determine whether you have the qualifications. If you don’t have these qualifications, then your guru should help you to gain those qualifications. Only then should you’re teaching commence. Otherwise, it is just a waste of time.