There is no separate self. We are being lived like the ocean lives the waves. Our life is a complete miraculous mystery. True enlightenment is seeing the non-reality of something that doesn’t exist- our separate self. Something just stops. It is like realizing that there is no actual Santa Claus. You may still see Santa in stores and other places. You may still get presents from him. You may talk about him with other people. You may watch movies about him. You may still enjoy the whole Santa shtick. But it is known, without thinking about it, that Santa doesn’t really exist. Once it is seen, there is no going back. You can’t unring the bell.
The Heart of Conscious Living 