Authentic enlightenment is a completely selfish pursuit. There is absolutely nothing more selfish in human affairs than a person attaining enlightenment.

But life is a paradox. And what enlightened know, and most people don’t, is that the biggest paradoxes of life can only be truly understood in enlightenment:

You can give to others only as much love as you have for yourself, not more

For as long as you want others to change, you cannot love them

You cannot respect while you demand respect

You cannot love while you demand love

You cannot truly do anything for anyone before you accept that it’s not for them, it’s for you

If you expect gratitude, your giving is not genuine

The ugliness of others is your own ugliness and the beauty of others is your own beauty

No one can insult you, only you can

No one can bring you emotional pain and suffering, only you can

If other people can bring you pleasure, they can also bring you pain and you will hate them for it

You cannot truly live before you die

So, the absolute selfishness of enlightenment, paradoxically, leads to absolute selflessness in how you view, treat, and relate to other people.

But it will not be seen. It will not be seen or listened to, because from the outside it might look very selfish. People are confused, and truly enlightened ones are at peace with their confusion, and the fact that they will never be seen as wise by the people they know. Because they do not need it. If they did, it would not be true wisdom yet.

So they do go on with their lives, and they help in a variety of ways, effortlessly, joyfully, but they are invisible.