Inner Knowing
In an Inner Room of the Self, in that deep and sacred Place of Knowing, the wonderful spiritual entity, known as you, resides. It exists within us all. It is who we are; it is our Truth; it is where we learn to know ourselves to be ourselves, worthy and one with All. Yet, when we are in Human form – incarnate, a Veil is placed between this world and that. And so, our journey begins.
As children, the Veil is a shimmering waterfall of Light, easily passed through and back. By school-age, however, the constraints of Human expectations, social interactions, and academic demands, gradually solidify the Veil and draw its presence into obscurity. As we become sojourners on the Path to Knowing, we look for those who seem to know the Way – who appear to remember what we have forgotten.
For the seeker, there are essentially three avenues toward this Knowing.
1. To discover how to perceive Truth within the parameters extant and separate from any idea of a Veil… separate from anything other than empirical observation;
2. To discover how to perceive Truth, here and beyond the Veil, although it remains a Truth projected from known empirical observations onto the “mystery” beyond the Veil;
3. To discover how to perceive Truth through journeying beyond the Veil, seeing it once again as a shimmering of Light, easily accessed by a shift of intent, and thus learning one’s own Truth.
Many people present themselves as Guides and Experts – each professing that their truth is the One, or allowing supporters to develop “doctrines” based on their “teacher’s” expression of truth. These “teachers” come from the first two perspectives. They can include scientists, priests, New Age “gurus”, magi, paranormal “experts”, and the leaders of many spiritual groups. This is not to say that all those connected with such people or groups are “wrong” or “misdirected”, but rather that their Knowing comes from perceived understanding of the Veil and its Truth – it comes from an acceptance of someone else’s belief, not their own.
Those people who journey beyond the Veil – who learn the Truth – do not propose to teach but share; do not propose to know other than themselves and but offer what insight encouraged and enlightened them; do not propose to direct but guide; understand that intent sets the course, and that the sojourner must travel harming none, respecting all, amending what may have unintentionally disrupted such harmony, as much as possible.
Having said this, it is now up to the sojourner to decide not only which domain of these three to travel but also in what way they will present themselves in that journey. It is not easy. The Self, by its very Human nature, is filled with doubts and uncertainty. There is a basic fear of loss of safety, security, belonging and acceptance. Many pilgrims on the road to self-discovery depend on the wisdom of those who appear to be farther along on the Path than they. There is no “wrong” in this. Indeed, there is much to learn from those who have journeyed these Paths. The misapplication occurs when the individual glues absolutely to all the words and actions of their perceived “leader”.
But no one is truly more enlightened than any other. There may be more knowledge acquired through learning; more wisdom acquired through experience, but enlightenment is a personal awareness of interconnectedness to All else: the Truth beyond the Veil. It lies within that sacred Room in the center of each Soul. There are no pre-requisites, no parameters, no “chosen few”. And truly there is no other person who can know you better than you know yourself. Disenchantment, disillusion, discouragement, and dismay come from attempting to walk another’s Path, adopt another’s mannerisms and philosophy, wear another’s cloak.
There is a misperception that somehow the “teacher” is better than, more than, higher than the sojourner. The Truth is that you are no less and no more than any bit of Creation. No less. Equal in worth to what you hold above, beyond, and unreachable in your world-view. Equal to that which you hold in contempt. Equal. All is One.
So what does this mean? It means you hold your own Truth in the palm of your hand. It means that you are not separate from any Creation. It means you are unique. However, this does not mean you should then isolate yourself from all guidance or teaching. It means you are not dependent on that. All persons hold a reflection, a projection, of Truth… a flame within the Flame. There are, within these manifestations of Truth, trail-markers, knowledge, wisdom and support. All encounters provide such.
There are, on your Path, many companions of similar nature as you, who embrace and encourage sharing joys, sorrows and discoveries. We are not islands. We are not alone. But neither can our unique Truth be dictated to us, nor our Path drawn before us, nor our first steps made by someone else.
Our Paths must be manifested from our hearts, and no one can know our hearts better than we. All Paths are valid. If a Path does not resonate with your heart, find one that does. The single most important Knowing that we need remember is to listen to teachers who speak of humbleness, of harming none, of asking permission to act – out of respect for each entity’s dignity and right to exist. And, especially, to listen, with our hearts, to teachers who affirm the validity of our own Quest: to find our own Truth in our own Way.