They come in the fullness of time

I spoke about some Zen master who was being approached by Western pilgrims who were eager and impatient to get enlightened quickly, wanted him to give them the secret or give them the pill for enlightenment. He reflected later on why some people do have these moments of enlightenment. He described it as karmic – probably true in a psychological sense. It’s not random. These moments are not predictable, but they are not unprepared for either. They come in the fullness of time, when the time is ripe.

(Enlightenment  by Laurence Freeman OSB )