Is it okay not to pursue the truth for some time?

[thehero]

I really dont have my life together. Im 20 y.o., never went to college and while some things Ive worked out, many things i still am having trouble with in my life to the point where it makes it difficult to function normally. Is it okay if i dont pursue enlightenment for 1-2 years? I see everyone here pursuing it and I feel bad for not pursuing it. Can someone validate me and tell me if it's okay to work on my mental health, finances and relationships first before enlightenment? 

[wavydude]

I'm coming to realization that all of this pursuing truth is mostly bs. Just go through your life work hard and do what you feel is right and you're good, you just develop naturally.

[BjarkeT]

mental health should be above anything else(and the other things you mentioned besides enlightenment). I don't pursue enlightenment at all but I do pursue personal growth.  

[Mitch]

@thehero

It's probably wise to build a stable foundation before working on this stuff. My understanding is that enlightenment is only direct, first-person realization of Truth, God, Nothingness, etc. By becoming enlightened, it does not mean that you have mastered every aspect of life. While it does seem that having enlightenment experiences would alleviate some emotional trauma, you can't force an enlightenment experience to happen. It could be some time before you have an enlightenment experience, even if you dedicate yourself to the work. What would you do in the meantime? That's a lot of time spent waiting.

Though I don't know your experiences or circumstances, I'd suggest that you think of learning and growth as not being all or nothing—rather a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Put most of your effort towards your biggest problems but don't neglect the little things. Practically, this could look like working predominately on your mental health, finances, and relationships, while at the same time beginning to learn a little about enlightenment. I trust you to know what's best for you.

[Nahm]

1 hour ago, thehero said:

I really dont have my life together. Im 20 y.o., never went to college and while some things Ive worked out, many things i still am having trouble with in my life to the point where it makes it difficult to function normally. Is it okay if i dont pursue enlightenment for 1-2 years? I see everyone here pursuing it and I feel bad for not pursuing it. Can someone validate me and tell me if it's okay to work on my mental health, finances and relationships first before enlightenment? 

Of course it’s ok. You’re already on the path. What you‘re creating is the foundation of self actualization. 

 

 

[Erlend K]

Of course it's okey. It's even a wise choise. As a 20 year old your main focus should be gaining life experiences, figuring out who you are and building a life style that suits your particular peculiarities.

Enlightenment is an extremly long term goal. Many spend decades in monestaries without attaining it. Definitely do some meditation/yoga but by all means avoid spiritual bypassing: using spiritual practices as a way to avoid the pain/hussle of having to deal with your shit. Enlightenment is not some magical cure to all problems. It is simply fully waking up to the life you are living already. In the words of Buddhist teatcher Daniel Ingram "first make sure you have a life you actually want to wake up to".

[NoSelfSelf]

I think that your mental problems can help you in enlightement you can use it to grow...if its something like anxiety fear problems

[thehero]

Thanks everyone for your opinions, I truly appreciate it. Much love

@NoSelfSelf How so? Which practices and what do I do?

 

[MarinM]

Even if you get enlightened your problems will still wait for you to fix them. Take your time, make your growth more organic and less moralizing