” Pain is less needed as a spiritual teacher and as a tool for breaking down the ego, for those who voluntarily embrace the arising new consciousness. But those who don’t, they are like there is a shell around them and something within wants to grow, but cant. It’s pushing up against the shell, and that begins to be painful.

For many people there is the longing inside, but the egoic patterns are very strong. And then what life tends to do, it knocks you out, it breaks the shell through some kind of event. Whatever it may be, for some people it may be losing their job, lose their home, suddenly the wife leaves you, could be something physical. Whatever it is, it is a shock, then a crack appears and the light can come through. ”

— Eckhart Tolle. ” Is awakening a gradual process”.