"We cannot solve our problems with the same mindset that created them."
Albert Einstein
Introduction
I have been on a spiritual path since I was 18. As an adolescent I came to the conclusion that the most vital question regarding how I would live my life was whether or not "God" was a reality or an illusion.
If it is not already crystal clear, I want to begin by saying that I am far from being an enlightened soul who has transcended the separate ego. I would describe myself as a seeker (and to some degree a finder).
A note: it would be foolish to expect the current piece to do anything but scratch a tiny bit of the surface of such a huge topic. Beyond this, there are countless, varied experiences of Divinity and a multitude of ways these have been expressed. As human beings, it seems reasonable for us to use the term mystery to refer to something that is infinitely deep.
In a sense every religion is the product of the conceptual mind attempting to describe the mystery. While scriptures have attempted to guide us in aligning with God, they commonly become rigidified, and too often reflect the millennium-long dominator era during which they were founded.
I have had the experience of - but do not yet permanently reside in - a sense of the profound oneness of all things and beings; an intensely alive and expanded consciousness; an awareness of the spark of the Infinite at the center of every person; many astoundingly Grace-full synchronicities; and the presence of other dimensions of being.
In the course of my search, I have come to the following conclusions:
1) Each wisdom tradition (almost all of them thousands of years old) is, at its best, like one facet of the jewel of spiritual awakening;
2) Every path has both an esoteric and exoteric component. The folk religion practiced by the majority of human beings constitutes the exoteric way, while the esoteric dimension is the path practiced by mystics, those on the way to becoming authentic saints, and deep meditators;
3) Because human beings have come to a critical point in our evolution, we are living in a time when the previously esoteric (or secret) teachings are being shared with the world.
My journey began with the use of entheons (psychedelics), which in turn led me to practice meditation and study with spiritual teachers. My wish was to find teachers who came from wisdom traditions with a time-tested and ancient lineage. Due to my experience with entheons, I was drawn to "non-dual" paths of spiritual awakening.
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