Each of us has to find awakening for ourselves and experience it for ourselves—Buddhadharma’s term for this is ‘paccattam’. This is also why no one, even with the most compassionate intentions, can gain awakening for anyone else. The best any buddha can do is to point the way, in hopes that we’ll be willing to listen to their advice and act on it.

Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (1949-), Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu is an American Buddhist monk. Belonging to the Thai Forest Tradition.