My reasoning about enlightenment is based on the very clear Buddhist concept that everything is "Buddha Nature." Essentially there's no conceivable ESCAPE from Buddha Nature--except by a "falsely" manufactured veil of ignorance and delusion (which, of course, is even itself Buddha Nature). You're ALREADY enlightened--but you mistake it for suffering.

So sure, there could be degrees--and most of the ancients who described their experiences described a process. But that too is understandable as just degrees of release of ignorance--you can be rid of significant quantities of it, so a lot of "light" shines through, etc. Degrees of enlightenment are nicely exemplified by the Zen Ox herding drawings.

I'm just saying, for me, it has been useful to think in those terms. It has been useful to have a clear idea that I'm not trying to ACHIEVE anything, because that puts me in the mindset of ambition.

If everything is Buddha Nature, then it's "impossible" to concentrate on it or seek it. Instead (as I see it) it's psychologically most efficient to better perceive one's DELUSION, so one can break it's spell.