We all like to think we're in control of our lives, don't we? We make plans, organise our days, think ahead, prepare for what might happen and try to make sure things turn out the way we'd like. Planning is useful, of course. If you're going on holiday, it's probably a good idea to know where you're going and whether you've packed your passport. But alongside all this practical activity, there's often a persistent feeling that we're supposed to be in charge of everything.

Many people who become interested in spirituality eventually find themselves searching for what is often called awakening or enlightenment. It can be imagined in different ways: a profound realisation, the end of suffering, a state of peace, the disappearance of the separate self, or finally understanding what life is really about. Whatever form it takes, there's usually something compelling about the possibility.