Enlightenment-A grace or an output?

Most of the times it has been seen that only those who work hard, who are devoted totally without their mind being fluctuating attain the enlightenment.It is a well proven truth that those who do not work hard, rarely get enlightened.So, almost all of the times, enlightenment is connected with this hard-work.

In the true sense, enlightenment is a state when there is not conflict within.When there is no duality or when only  unification exists, it is called as the enlightenment.There is no difference between divine will and individual will; or in other words, no individual exists.So the question is that is this state an output of hard work or a certain type of grace?

There are many examples when people are enlightened without any efforts;just by grace.Meher Baba can be pointed out as an example.He was enlightened by just divine grace of a lady saint.On the other hands, there are many seekers, who worked much much harder but went mad or remained unenlightened.This means that the question of a person being enlightened does not depend on hard work.

The question can be solved by a very simple parable of a pit and the rain.The pit can not decide nor has any control over the rains;but only pit has the ability of containing the rains.So, the hard work can be termed as the work of digging the hole.On the path of enlightenment,the hard work has only this much purpose-to make you able to contain.To fill the pit is not in our hands.It totally depends on divine will.When the divine will shower that we can not decide.

So, enlightenment is a grace….but to get it a lot of hard work is needed