Living an enlightened life is to live one of balance. Knowledge must become wisdom, strength must become gentleness, discipline must become instinct… The ultimate goal is to form a harmonious bridge between one’s perceptions and behaviors. The knowledge that all substance in the universe is the same and that you are not an insular entity, fundamentally no different from the rest of your species and other lifeforms, is also an important milestone in understanding. To recognize your own nature, and act according to it. It is the art of living—to become like an animated self-portrait.

Additionally, people should strive to attain a state of flow throughout as many areas as they can. By “flow” I mean that ecstatic state that musicians, for one example, can feel when they are thoroughly involved with their work. The chatter of your thoughts subsides, and you become an observer of yourself, no longer the deliberate puppet master tugging at the strings of your body. Centering your life around this experience can bring about true happiness.