22. THE REWARD OF ENLIGHTENMENT
What is the reward of winning the war within? Why should one struggle so much against the mind to be conscious? The reward is Enlightenment. What is Enlightenment? It is switching on the light of Truth. Before we experienced Chit - our Consciousness, Sat - the Truth, remained in darkness. Although we knew of the Truth, we did not realize it. Knowledge is not realization. Consciousness of the Truth makes the Truth real in our life. It becomes a part of our life. That is realization. It happens when Sat shines in Chit. Then we start living with the Consciousness of the Truth, and we reach this state of Enlightenment. The war is over. The mind is subdued. Although it is alive, it doesn't battle with the enlightened one. That is the reward of winning the war.
Because the world is ignorant about Consciousness, the subject remains a mystery. Since science cannot prove it in a laboratory, it is a rare gift experienced by the seekers of Enlightenment. It is strange that though the Truth stares at us in our face, we are not conscious of it and unless we become conscious of it, we will live and die in darkness of ignorance. The whole journey of Sat and Chit, Truth and the Consciousness of it, seems so easy. However, Enlightenment that comes from it, is so rare. If only we realize that Sat Chit, Consciousness of the Truth can lead us to being enlightened, we would work towards it. But sadly, we remain ignorant of this and live and die as puppets of the mind as we suffer through life.