The critical question is: Does anyone ever reach Enlightenment?
We may suppose that the greatest Masters like Buddha did, so the probability remains that this Enlightenment is available for everyone also as a component of the Realm of Formations, neither existing nor non-existing as reality.
But what is it? If the Awakening has no fruit, what can Enlightenment bring?
We saw that the fruit of Awakening was accrued while travelling the Path, but we do not hear of any Path to Enlightenment.
Why then does this Enlightenment appear?
It is not sought for and is known to be within the Realm of Formations.
The answer is that Enlightenment arises when all habits have been conquered and there is the continued resultant dwelling in the Illusion of Tension of the Spine with the calm and tranquility of well-being that gradually transforms into Awe.
We can say then that this Spine, known clearly to be the Ultimate Illusion, appears to exist outside the Realm of Formations as an Experience of Awe to the Awakened. That Awe arises from the incredible knowledge that all is, after all, reduced to this.
Finally the concept of No-significance is understood beyond all possible conceptualization and Chaos beyond all possible conceptualization slips into place where it belongs.
Non-Existence, Impermanence, and Eternal Conflict experienced long before upon the Path to Awakening meld with them. Nothing more can ever be accomplished in the World of Formations.
At this point all teachings are concluded and no more teachings are given although since the habit strength of helping all sentient creatures remains, questions are accepted from the advanced disciples.
For those that doubt that Buddha had completed all the teachings available, we find in the Nirvana Sutra the following lines:
"What more does the community of bhikkhus expect from me, Ananda? I have set forth the Dhamma without making any distinction of esoteric and exoteric doctrine; there is nothing, Ananda, with regard to the teachings that the Tathagata holds to the last with the closed fist of a teacher who keeps some things back."
There is nothing more to teach that was held back.
Without teachings his students were advised in the Sutra to follow only the Dharma and nothing more:
"Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge."
So what happens to the Awakened one at that point when there is no more teaching to be dispersed?
One really becomes then Dao's ordinary man, encountering a simple work that provides survival, being available but not walking in Samsara as a Bodhisattva. One can imagine Huineng in that state: his task not teaching but helping all and any person in need, having reached the transcendental level, but applying that in the ordinary world.
THE END OF CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE
One might conclude that a person illuminated might then be prepared to end conscious existence. Not, of course, through suicide, but by simply renouncing Life, which is an act that appears contrary to the Life Force survival paradigm.
Buddha, at eighty years of age, was deathly ill and we find that in the Nirvana Sutra it is declared:
"The Blessed One suppressed the illness by strength of will, resolved to maintain the life process, and lived on. So it came about that the Blessed One's illness was allayed."
So, nevertheless, despite his illness Buddha announced his will to live on.
But later, we find that at the Capala shrine Buddha mindfully and clearly comprehending renounced his will to live on, renouncing his own life cause:
"What causes life, unbounded or confined
His process of becoming -- this the Sage
Renounces. With inward calm and joy he breaks,
As though a coat of mail, his own life's cause."
LIVING AS AN ORDINARY MAN
Now, when terming the Enlightened person "an ordinary man" may seem absurd, but when all is done, becoming an ordinary man in the sense that he attains and holds unto the state of Uncarved Wood but walks in Samsara fulfilling all the natural demands of the Life Force, then becoming an "ordinary man," is the most noble accomplishment possible.
Originally forty years ago I considered that perhaps the Enlightenment after Awakening was experienced close to death, but I see now that that was an over-simplification.
Being ready to let go one's consciousness one lives as an ordinary man, until one, apart from the physical toll of the body, decides to let go of consciousness.
One when awakened can push forward despite illness until it is impossible for the physical body to continue, but when there is nothing more to be done then one can voluntarily let go.
Buddha said:
"Whosoever, Ananda, has developed, practiced, employed, strengthened, maintained, scrutinized, and brought to perfection the four constituents of psychic power could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it. The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it."
The Venerable Ananda could then have pressed Buddha to continue but he did not. If he had presented just cause then the suggestion is that Buddha could have remained until it was impossible to do more.
So when is the now ordinary man, not teaching but practicing correct Dharma of the Life Force, ready to let go of consciouness?
In the Sutra, Mara recounts that the Buddha had spoken of this in the past.
"For the Blessed One, O Lord, spoke these words to me: 'I shall not come to my final passing away, Evil One, until my bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, laymen and laywomen, have come to be true disciples -- wise, well disciplined, apt and learned, preservers of the Dhamma, living according to the Dhamma, abiding by the appropriate conduct, and having learned the Master's word, are able to expound it, preach it, proclaim it, establish it, reveal it, explain it in detail, and make it clear; until, when adverse opinions arise, they shall be able to refute them thoroughly and well, and to preach this convincing and liberating Dhamma.'
It is said also that Buddha insisted also that he required that his teachings were successful, prosperous, far-renowned, popular, and widespread, until they are well-proclaimed among gods and men, a condition that appears to have gone well astray in these times.
RENOUNCING CONSCIOUSNESS
There is another interesting point made in the Sutra.
The Enlightened One without habits nor spine, having utterly transcended the perceptions of matter, by the disappearance of the perceptions of sense-reaction, and by giving no attention to diversity-perceptions, he becomes aware of, attains to, and abides in the sphere of infinite space.
"By utterly transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness, one becomes aware of, attains to, and abides in the sphere of nothingness; this is the sixth liberation.
"By utterly transcending the sphere of infinite space, one becomes aware of, attains to, and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness;
"By utterly transcending the sphere of nothingness, one attains to and abides in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception;
"By utterly transcending the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one attains to and abides in the cessation of perception and sensation."
Then having reached the point of renouncing all consciousness he cannot cancel that event.
"Yet, Ananda, have I not taught from the very beginning that with all that is dear and beloved there must be change, separation, and severance? Of that which is born, come into being, is compounded and subject to decay, how can one say: 'May it not come to dissolution!'
"There can be no such state of things. And of that, Ananda, which the Tathagata has finished with, that which he has relinquished, given up, abandoned, and rejected --his will to live on-- the Tathagata's word has been spoken once for all: 'Before long the Parinibbana of the Tathagata will come about. Three months hence the Tathagata will utterly pass away.' And that the Tathagata should withdraw his words for the sake of living on --this is an impossibility."
As a scenario, we may well conclude that when there is a ceasing of all sensation and perception and the spine has been removed and all teaching completed there being nothing more to teach, then trusting in the students' capacity to expound, preach, proclaim, establish, reveal, explain in detail and make clear the Dharma, being able to defend it convincingly, then if there is no further demand or reason to remain, consciousness can be let go.
Buddha died three months after renouncing consciousness.