Is it necessary to master the external world in order to be enlightened?

[Clarky000]

So I read this book (in Portuguese, "Sem medo de vencer" by Roberto Shinyashiki) and he discuss about spiritual enlightenment at the very last chapter of the book. He claims that in order to really appreciate the beauty of God and infiniteness you should first experience and master the external events (such as career, relationships, money, sex etc) until you realize that there's something else in life: "So what am I supposed to do now? It cannot be just this."

At this point, you should look for a master to start your enlightenment process.

So, my question is: There are a lot of pathes out there, a lot of masters and enlightened people will give totally different and contradictory answers to the same question, so how am I supposed to find my path? Choosing one and ignoring the rest? Building it through my own deductions? Through years of experience on trial and error? 

This is really interesting, some teachers even say that meditation and enlightment should be at the schools for kids, while others says this should be the last thing in your life. I guess when I become one, I'm going to find the answer.

[LfcCharlie4]

Both, no 1 best path, just depends on you as a person and what your heart wants to do. 
 

In the western world the search for awakening usually begins with some kind of what else is there/ suffering. 
 

In the east, spirituality is much more common, and a foundation of life.

Dont undertake the search because you have to,

do it because there’s nothing youd rather do. 

[traveler]

There is no path for you to choose. A path assumes a beginning that you can choose and an end goal which is enlightenment. That is total bullshit, it is a story. It is a dream of fullfilment in a future event, a dream of an insight that will destroy you forever. You will never find this. It is too close to find, it is already everything. Look at anything in your surroundings, just use the phone screen or computer screen. You're expecting something else, you are subtlely looking for something else than the obviousness of what is. You expect enlightenement to be a big event for "you", a real shift where you can finally say "I am enlightened." that is a dream. You want to know what this is but you can't, it is unsatisfactory so you look closer, you expect something to suddenly click and then you'll get it, but that click will never come because you are looking for "something" in "nothing." This is totally empty and unknowable, it already is what it is. When "you" fall away nothing actually changes, because "you" were a total illusion. This is the opposite of what the person wants.

[WaveInTheOcean]

absolute-wise you're already mastering the external world cos the external world is you. it's all your doing

relative-wise, yes I believe you have to get to the top of Maslows pyramid before you can get actual enlightenment. you need a healthy ego before you it will let go and transcend. In other words, you need lots of Self-Love before you can get a permanent awakening. 

[SoonHei]

@Clarky000 internal/external is just ONE

Mastering internal = automatic mastering external

 

Like if goal is to make the reflection in the mirror smile, you do it by smiling yourself.

When you smile, the mirror smiles.

 

Gotta understand that it all starts from you/internal and then the reflection/external follows because it's a mirror.