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The Path
2... And maybe I
should have started by saying that, essentially, this
path is a path of self-purification for the sake of self-purification
and not in order to get rid of certain unpleasant
manifestations in our lives. It is our spiritual self
that seeks this purification, that seeks the union with
the creative life force, with God. That our life become
more fulfilled, that we find ourselves in fewer negative
situations, is a by-product of this endeavor. This is,
maybe, why this path never ends. We go deeper and deeper,
and also higher and higher. The path winds downwards, or
upwards, or both, in the form of a spiral. As we go
deeper into ourselves, we recognize the same faults, the
same destructive attitudes, the same misconceptions
affecting deeper and deeper layers of our consciousness,
and sometimes it seems we are moving around in circles.
But the movement is spiral, and as we raise our
consciousness, we liberate more and more energy to flow
from the negative into the positive. Also, as we see how
we cause what we experience, a new hope comes into our
life.
Most people believe themselves to be the victims of
circumstances. They wallow in self-pity and think life is
hopeless. They are subject to chance. But the minute you
see how you create your life, you know that as you
change, your creation will change. The experience of this
truth comes from working on yourself. The connections
become very clear. One of the ways we do this is by
looking at our life at present, and analyzing it. In
which area am I unfulfilled and frustrated? In the areas
where there is unfulfillment, there must be a
corresponding negative inner attitude, which, in turn, is
caused by an underlying misconception. Often people ask,
"Why can't I ever have a beautiful relationship? I
so much want to be loved and to love and I feel I am
ready." You can be sure, that he, or she, is not
really ready, that even if consciously he thinks so, the
unconscious undermines the conscious desire. This is why
we have to find those unconscious distortions. This is
also an answer to those people who object to our path on
the grounds that we dwell too much on the negativities.
Alas, the negative attitudes are there, and they do a lot
of harm to us. Unrecognized, unexposed, they continue
doing their destructive work.
Many people believe that true spirituality consists in
the denial of what is negative in us and the cultivation
of union with the universal self, with the One. It is
indeed possible to cultivate this side, to practice
transcendental meditation, to refrain from committing
violent actions, etc., and we can get into temporarily
blissful experiences. However, where we are unpurified,
where we still do hate, we remain the same. We can
indulge in cultivating in ourselves that part which is
already purified, which is, let's say, creative in art,
spiritual in outlook, with which we have no conflict. But
the areas that we disregard will still be there, in
abeyance, waiting to play out their dirty tricks at the
first opportunity. Therefore, this focusing on the
negative is also a very practical method toward
establishing a more harmonious and fulfilled way of life
for ourselves. Believe me, if you come across a negative
aspect in you that you have never seen before, the "'pathwork"
didn't put it there. The true sign that we are on the way
out from a particular problem is always a liberating
experience. One feels a door has opened towards a new
life. If a recognition does not carry this feeling with
it, it means it is only a partial recognition that points
the way towards further exploration.
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