Is enlightenment therefore an "accident?" Yes and no. Enlightenment is accidental insofar as the arc of one's life, including previous and future lives, is conditioned by karma. So it is more accurate to say that enlightenment is "conditioned" rather than "accidental." One's causes and conditions can play a crucial role in whether one can realize enlightenment in any given life cycle.

Enlightenment is not accidental in that we can influence causes and conditions that can lead to cessation of suffering for others and oneself through practice in the current life.

In this regard, a crucial element is the vows one makes to follow the path of the buddhas and the diligence and effort that one puts into fulfilling those vows. If one understands and sincerely acts accordingly, one is fulfilling the buddha path regardless of whether one practices Chan or any other form of Buddhism. Through diligent practice, one can lay down the causes and conditions for attaining enlightenment even in this lifetime. The proof of this is not only in the life of the Buddha, but the lives of the patriarchs and masters who followed the Buddha's model.

As a result of causes and conditions and diligent practice, it is possible to experience what has been called "enlightenment." But enlightenment itself transcends words and ideas, so describing it with words fall short of truly expressing it. What can be said is that enlightenment is a state of mind in which one's ordinary delusions have been swept away, and what remains is the realization that one's true nature is that of a buddha.