Awakening to the Way

The inner search begins in complete darkness. To enter the path is to take a risk on the level of our very existence, for initially we have no real way of knowing what we lack or what we seek — we are enter­ing the unknown. No matter how much knowledge we gather, how much reassurance we receive from others, how much we are inspired by the teachings of great masters — until we awaken to the way we simply cannot know if there is any substantial reality behind the search for spiritual enlightenment.

Awakening to the spiritual path is not an expression of a conclu­sion reached by the linear mind, for the intellect is unable to fathom the truth of the inner dimension. It is an existential opening to the beyond, a major breakthrough in our evolution as a human being. We make the decision to enter the path from a place of higher wis­dom — the intuitive realm of the soul, the timeless intelligence of our inner self.

the inner call

From a superficial standpoint, entering the inner path is a choice, a positive exercise of free will. But seen from a higher perspective, we actually have no choice. The spiritual path is the only antidote to the fragmented, unconscious and painfully ignorant state of human existence. To be imprisoned in the human mind in complete iden­tification with the collective psyche defines spiritual amnesia and existential death. The mind may think that entry onto the path is elec­tive, but the soul knows that the inner search is the only intelligent response to the indignity of unconsciousness.

The unconsciousness of each individual reflects the unconscious condition of humanity as a whole, and can be transcended only through the initiative of one who becomes conscious of his capacity to evolve beyond the collective mind. This shift in the perception of our purpose on earth emerges from the core of our primordial consciousness. We cannot enter the spiritual path unless we are sum­moned by our soul, called by a remembrance of our destiny arising from the innermost recesses of our being. I am concerned because

Although eternally present, the inner call is remembered and actualized in our conscious mind only when our spiritual intelligence is awakened. Spiritual intelligence — the highest kind of intelligence — is not mind-based, but rooted in our sensitivity to the realm of pure subjectivity. It is this silent wisdom of the self that allows us to recognize the call of the soul. Only our essence can hear the inner call and reveal the innate knowing of our evolutionary purpose.

the role of suffering

The experience of suffering can serve as a major stimulus in our search for transformation and freedom. While it is true that in the hierarchy of truth, suffering is inferior to the inner call as an incentive to awaken, it nonetheless can serve as a powerful motivational force.

Suffering is a fundamental characteristic of the earthly dimen­sion. It does not occur exclusively during times of misfortune — it is the permanent shadow of the unawakened self. We may disagree, citing the example of those who appear to be content within the con­fines of their human existence. However, like most humans, these people just do not recognize their suffering. It is an existential condi­tion so chronic in nature that their unawakened minds simply cannot detect it. The deep and pervasive anguish of true suffering can only be viewed from a conscious perspective. From this standpoint, it is obvious that most people who seem ‘normal’, or even ‘happy’, are only satisfied on the surface, and that humanity as a whole actually lives in a collective state of suffering due to its complete ignorance.

Existential suffering only becomes an issue when consciousness has matured enough to experience its condition as painful and dis­satisfying. Awakening to the true root of this suffering represents a crisis of ego through which our mind begins to doubt the precon­ceived vision of reality it has absorbed from the collective uncon­scious. It is this shocking recognition of our suffering that gives rise to a sense of evolutionary emergency and compels us to seek a way out of it. Seen in this way, suffering is in fact a passage between our past bondage and future freedom. If not for suffering, in most cases there would be no real incentive to break through the spiritual inertia of the collective mind.

Suffering is also an important tool in the development of spiri­tual sensitivity. Existence uses suffering to awaken the recognition of the gap between our present state and our potential. The existential sense of discontent that comes from feeling our own incompleteness awakens in us the need to realize our future self. The end of suffering cannot be reached by abolishing the causes of our anguish, since they are infinite; it can only be achieved through expansion into spiritual light and transcendence of the realm of illusion.

longing for light

When the inner call is recognized, it naturally gives rise to spiritual longing. To evolve to the point where we can identify our longing for the self is itself a sign of awakening, because it indicates that we have matured enough to rebel against our fundamental unconscious­ness. A profound thirst for spiritual fulfillment has been activated — a thirst not of the earth-plane, but of the beyond.

This dimension has been designed to veil the true reality and seduce the soul into a state of forgetfulness. All our thoughts, con­cerns, disturbed emotions and infinite desires are actually the tenta­cles of lower intelligence holding us captive in the plane of ignorance. We begin our spiritual journey in this darkness and gradually move towards light. Even though our inner longing initially lacks clarity, it sets in motion our future split from the realm of forgetfulness.

The light of the self has a magnetic force that naturally pulls all souls to its source; however, it is our yearning and our yielding to that light that make the miracle of illumination possible. In its nascent stages, our inner yearning is vague and fragile, and can eas­ily be disturbed, if not obliterated, by the forces of ignorance. Only with practice, guidance and the passage of time, can this spark of spiritual intuition be transformed into the light of clarity, true under­standing and unbroken certainty.

conscious seeking

There is often a significant gap between the awakening of inner long­ing and the conscious commencement of the spiritual journey. Even after longing arises, most seekers grope around in darkness for pro­longed periods of time, with no clarity whatsoever about the nature of their search. Such is the sad truth revealed by a careful examina­tion of today’s spiritual environment. Spiritual seeking seems to have become just one more expression of the collective unconscious.

Most seekers are inauthentic and fragmented, lost in pursuit of an idea of enlightenment that lacks any connection to the reality of I am. Locked in the unconscious mind, they seek in a fantasy world, totally unable to relate their quest to the truth of the self. Unconscious seeking is one of many ways that the real meaning of the spiritual path is distorted by the collective mind. Seeking that is not anchored in a connection to our essential nature is simply another expression of ignorance, and has no relevance to the soul’s purpose.

What does it mean to begin the inner search in a truly conscious way? The heart of conscious seeking is the deep recollection of the fundamental truth that enlightenment signifies our return to the state of pure subjectivity. Conscious seeking by its very nature must point directly to the essence of consciousness, the light of I am.

meeting a spiritual guide

For many seekers, the spiritual search is equivalent to finding a master. The true purpose of the inner search, however, is not to seek a master to surrender oneself to, but to seek oneself. To seek an outer master without being in touch with the essence of the path is no more than an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for one’s own awakening. It is the self that is the supreme master — and this master is within, not without.

While it is true that the spiritual search essentially takes place in our aloneness, we very often do need the support of a spiritual friend. Our progress rests on our ability to intelligently balance receptivity with self-reliance, vigilantly avoiding overdependence on a teacher at one extreme, and willful independence at the other. An intelligent seeker is never closed to receiving help and guidance, because he clearly recognizes what a great blessing it is to meet a true teacher in human form. Those who believe that they do not need a guide are most often caught in idealistic or naïve notions of enlight­enment, or have an overblown sense of self-importance.

A spiritual friend is an experienced guide who has already tra­versed the inner territory of the unknown and embodies self-realization. Because he holds the secrets of the path and the key to the inner realm in the very molecules of his being and consciousness, he not only has the power to transmit conceptual understanding of the path, but also the ability to energetically initiate the soul of a seeker with the seeds of awakening.

A student should not relate to his teacher through energies of unconscious devotion or imbalanced surrender, for they distort the reality of the inner work with spiritual projections. It is important to bear in mind that such a relationship is not personal, but takes place on the inner plane of truth and light. Still, a sense of sacredness, respect and gratitude should pervade the connection to a spiritual guide. What matters most is that one possess a natural openness to learn from someone who has completed the path, or a large portion of it.

Most seekers find it extremely difficult to discern whether a par­ticular teacher is genuine and offers the necessary tools of awaken­ing. Although open-mindedness is essential in the search for a guide, we must also be judicious. The clearest indicator of whether or not we are receiving the proper guidance is our progress, or lack of it. It is through our own awakening that we gradually develop trust and confidence in a teacher.

The manifestation of a spiritual guide on our path is the natural response of existence to our passion for truth and our dedication to the inner work. Our depth of aspiration, intensity of longing, capac­ity of intelligence and purity of intention are the factors that deter­mine the quality of the spiritual guide who comes our way.