Now I do understand it. I will tell you what it is: Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traveled long, long paths, but I am not anywhere. My benefactor’s question has meaning now. Does this path have a heart? If it does, this path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn’t. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens your life. -Don Carlos*
Look just up ahead there is a shady place to rest. Green grass carpet beneath a full, spreading maple; the ground looks and smells dry: comfortable and invitingly free of crawling friends. Yes this is as good a place as any to put down my head for the night.
So far the journey has been long; filled with surprises, celebrations, tears and sorrow. Yet always I was moving forward trying to accomplish; going, seeing and doing: all in the Name of God and spiritual adventure; striving to unite with my Beloved.
Well I know I am at journey’s end; for the desire to go forward has left me. Now I am exhausted and the Path finders before me have indicated the same thing. Follow a Path; it is essential to follow your path. But make sure you pick one that has a heart: not all paths have a heart. And know after you have traveled, boated across rivers and climbed mountains: you will be nowhere. For spiritual paths always lead nowhere; always they bring us back to ourselves. They are a means of exploration, a way to separate out the different layers of self and know our Lord. All these experiences take us no place but right back to our Primal Self; which is the energy of the spheres. Fellow traveler, this is our Divine Self.
Yes this is a good place to rest and put aside my endless searching. My body has taken me far but tonight there is only time and energy to travel inward. For today, the body has done its job; taken me to the realization that a Path always leads back to self; for you see we are both the searching and finding.
Is this too complicated? We are both the Seeker and the Goal; the question and the answer; the student and teacher. If so then I fear this is not the Path for you.
Perhaps you need to travel along a different Path? But remember pick one that has a heart; keep moving until you are ready to rest and meet yourself at journey’s end.
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*From “The Teachings of Don Carlos: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge” by Carlos Castaneda.
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Check-out my two books: Sufism for Western Seekers: Path of the Spiritual Traveler in Everyday Life and The Ferryman’s Dream. Both books are also in Kindle format and available on Amazon.com or local bookstore.
If you are interested in learning more about universal mysticism and Sufism contact: drbitkoff@yahoo.com.
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