Is suffering necessary for awakening?

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Question: When intense suffering is created, that usually wakes up people. But is it possible that one can wake up without suffering, living a very comfortable life?

Acharya Prashant (AP): You see, only the sleeping one can wake up.

To wake up, there is a precondition. And that is that you must be?

Listener (L): Sleeping.

AP: And if you are sleeping, then you would be suffering. So, to wake up, it is necessary, it is obvious that there would be suffering involved in the process of awakening. Otherwise, what are you awakening from?

If there is no sleep, where is the question of awakening? Then you are abiding in your Buddha Nature. Fine. There is no question of any further awakening.

And if there is slumber, and ignorance, and sleep, then it is always accompanied with suffering.

It is not possible to be living in illusions and yet not suffer. But it is possible, not to be conscious of the suffering.

L: To suffer happily.

AP: To suffer happily. Or, to not to know that you are suffering.

One has to be deeply in love with oneself, one has to be…