A

 JM QRA

I think you might be mixing up two strands of thought.

One strand is Buddhism, from which the concept of enlightenment derives.

Enlightenment is a state of perfect wisdom, combined with infinite compassion.
- Matthieu Ricard

The Buddha also defined enlightenment as “the end of suffering.”

Perfect wisdom and compassion eliminate suffering, and there are effective techniques to increase wisdom and compassion.

In this context, not using them would be like not using multiplication and opting to count on your fingers.

The other strand of thought is Advaita Vedanta.

This philosophy starts with what is ultimately real.

What do I know is real, beyond a shadow of a doubt?

Only my own awareness.

That I am aware means I exist to be aware.

The fundamental reality is “I am.”

Advaitans call it Being, Consciousness, or Bliss.

This reality is always present - it would be impossible for it to be absent.

I am is the one thing that’s always available, so in a sense there is nothing to realize.

The problem is, we concoct all kinds of nonsense on top of it.

We can experience pure awareness even now.

It exists in the gap between our waking and sleeping dreams, and in the gap between thoughts.

Pure awareness is bliss, because all other emotions are manufactured reactions to manufactured experiences.

Bliss is what we are, prior to mental modifications.

In Advaita, we don’t discover reality by making further modifications.

If you seem to experience anything in addition to awareness, practice is essential.

But the practice is simply to surrender this artificial experience, and return to pure awareness, or simple existence.