There is a common thread that runs through all our hearts, even if we’re unaware. This common thread will manifest differently across diverse cultures and religious traditions. We may feel it as a desire for God, the Self, the Highest Good, Enlightenment, Gnosis, Awareness, Theosis, Godhood, Truth, or Love.
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
I was studying the concept of sudden awakening, or enlightenment in our lifetime when I discovered the teacher Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. He is best known for the book, ‘I Am That’, which was a collection of his interactions with seekers who came to his humble abode in Khetwadi, Mumbai, India.
The brevity of this article is necessary, as the space this topic deserves would take a whole book. Speaking of book, the main source for this article is 
A time of setting oneself apart: a sanctification of body and mind. You are a vessel to the pure water, a container of holy oil. Be clean, be holy: set apart for the work.