The parami of patience not only enables endurance of great suffering but allows compassion to flower. A Tibetan monk imprisoned for 33 years explains his strength as "the fruit of taking the teachings seriously: resist anger, be patient, and do good to others".
The source of our awakening is right inside us. As we learn to listen deeply to the wisdom and purity of heart that is connected to the truth we are following the Buddha's instructions to be "be a lamp unto yourself."
As we embody our experience fully, the idea of what we think will bring relief from our unhappiness drops away, and allows us to drop into the true source of our happiness.
When does an experience start and finish? The story of a Jewish friend, Erica, who hid from the nazis, as a metaphor. Do we really need a story experience for our liberation?