The Pathless Path...

I find the older I get the more I want to experience Truth directly, and leave the many trodden “spiritual paths” that I’ve been on all my life behind – gasp. Even as a child I wanted to *know* “God” – a child’s understanding of God. Then my search evolved and expanded to include finding “myself” – whoever that was :), then Truth, Wisdom, peace of mind, and last, but not least, the search for “Enlightenment.” They are all the same “path” under different disguises. And now, through all these many paths, I am feeling the need to settle in, deepen, and re-discover a sense of inner Truth for myself; not by following a particular external path – but by intuitively listening to the voice of Life in my Heart; observing this inner Life directly, by spending time in Silence (which I avoid so easily). Now if Life would only cooperate and give me the right environment. :) (Just kidding:).

Being on a “spiritual path” implies that one is going somewhere, seeking “Some-thing” at the end of the journey – like retirement after a life of working; or the magical pot of gold at the end of the mythical rainbow; or even the mystical “Holy Grail.” Or maybe one is even seeking an *end* to something, like suffering, pain, ignorance, their humanness, or the end of seeking. But what if there was no need for “a path”, no need for seeking the illusive big “Some-thing” that spiritual seekers are seeking? I find myself in this place of questioning – again… I have been down the "seeking road" – many times…

The path of “Enlightenment”/”Awakening”/”Self-Realization”, particularly the path of what is popularly known as “Non-Duality”, has lost its luster, its pull, its certainty for me – much like the other paths I have taken throughout my life. It’s just another construct. I found out that the Emperor has no clothes! And I’d rather not describe Truth by a negative – with no-me, no-self, no other, no-world - as Truth is all inclusive – including duality, me, self, other, and the world.

Even if one follows “a path” (which can be any path) there is no guarantee that we will discover what we are looking for, and life will not suddenly become easy or flowing with bliss. We won’t necessarily lose our personality with its quirks, our conditioning, or our neuroses. Our thoughts will not stop, neither will our surface struggles, or our pain, or our stories. Walking “a path” doesn’t even guarantee that we will actually *see* life differently from either the mountain top, or with nose to the ground; or suddenly find our “purpose” – as if there’s only one. But no one tells us this about “the path.” It has to be a Self-discovery - for ourselves – even if we have a “Teacher” or use a “Teaching” to point the way…

Years of seeking, realization, recognition, and then forgetting, and then remembering, and then forgetting again – brought me to the realization that discovering (or rediscovering) this Being-Self/Truth that we are, is through awareness of and deep intimacy with the Silence within; through continually coming back to the Heart of Awareness – the space of Silent, Still, innate Wisdom – which of course is wherever we are at the moment, not off in the distance somewhere. It’s not a place. “The path” doesn’t *go* anywhere. There is no reward at the end. It’s an inner pathless path… And that’s my “path” at the moment :) - rediscovering this inner Silent, Aware Wisdom for myself. It’s an inner pathless path of remembering; remembering the underlying Rhythm of Life ItSelf – humming through… Ommmmmmm…..

“A mystic is content with nothing less than
to touch the Truth in its most universal purity.”

Ivan Granger
Poetry Chaikhana

~

“Wanderer, your footsteps are the road,
and nothing more;
Wanderer, there is no road.
The road is made by walking…

By walking one makes the road,
and upon glancing behind
one sees the path that will
never be trod again…

Wanderer, there is no road –
only wakes upon the sea…”

Antonio Machado

~

“Empty yourself of everything.
Let the mind rest in peace.
The ten thousand things rise and fall
while the Self watches their return.
They grow and flourish and then
return to the source.
Returning to the source is stillness,
which is the way of nature….”

“Returning is the motion of the Tao.”

Lao Tzu

~~

Photo – taken by my father
1952/53