Thich Nhat Hanh writes, The practice of mindfulness is the key to enlightenment. When you become aware of something, you begin to have enlightenment. When you drink a cup of water and are aware that you are drinking a cup of water deeply with your whole being, enlightenment in its initial form is there. To be enlightened is to be enlightened on something. I am enlightened on the fact that I am drinking a cup of water. (For a Future to Be Possible: Commentaries on the Five Mindfulness Trainings, p. 176.

Fully aware, not just peripherally aware that you're drinking a cup of water. It's important that he wrote that this is an 'initial form' of enlightenment. The higher, abstract manifestations of enlightenment that I've ruminated about before is for thinkers. Intellectual exercises that without a sound foundation in practice ultimately manifest in superficial, tenuous ways.

I don't mean that as a put-down, it's a good starting point and theoretical foundation. You start up with high-falutin' concepts of enlightenment, but once you really start engaging it, you drop down to the most simplest, basic practice that Thich Nhat Hanh describes.

I'm pretty comfortable stating that all of the monastics here are enlightened. They have attained that 'initial form' of enlightenment. That enlightenment is just the lifestyle here, and it's not merely form. Living this lifestyle has given them a deep look into life and profound insights into being. You don't need to be a monastic to attain this level of enlightenment, but it's much harder maintainging something like this lifestyle in secular life.

None of this is to ignore the belief or suggestion that we all already are enlightened.

I think that there are enlightenment seekers who upon seeing what enlightenment is would decide that they'd rather not have it. When it comes right down to it, many people would decide that strong desires and attachments are a good thing, that's what life's about, that's why we have so many things to enjoy and take pleasure in and tempt us. And that's true, it's just not enlightenment.