Introduction to the Inner Path Number 3 For most people,
The inner journey is completely different from what they have experienced in their day-to-day life,
The outer path,
So to speak.
And it entails realizations and experiences that are far beyond what the outer path has taught them and prepared them for.
For one thing,
The inner path is full of paradoxes.
Let me explain what I mean by a paradox.
A paradox is a seeming contradiction.
A statement or a situation may seem puzzling at the first sight,
Or even contradicting basic logic or common sense.
However,
Upon further reflection or contemplation,
A viable explanation emerges,
And one arrives at a deeper understanding that reconciles the two opposing positions,
Which seemed contradictory at first.
So,
Here is the first paradox on the inner path that I would like to discuss in this introductory series.
Here we go.
Our intellect,
Our trained logical mind,
Is our greatest asset in directing us toward the inner path.
But it can be,
On the other hand,
Our greatest barrier once we embark on this path,
Once we begin the actual journey and take steps towards exploring and discovering who we really are.
So,
Helping and then not helping.
So,
The paradox,
The contradiction is,
What is the ultimate function of the intellect on the inner path?
The spiritual awakening of each individual.
What is this function?
Is it good or is it bad in simpler terms?
Is the intellect a friend or a foe?
And the explanation of the paradox is that it is both,
Depending on what stage of the inner path we are focused on.
So,
Very briefly,
Here are the two stages I am referring to.
The first stage is the realization.
Maybe at first just suspecting that there is a deeper meaning in life.
We haven't realized that yet.
We are just suspecting that life,
That existence,
Is not all physical.
That growth,
Success,
And happiness are not entirely material-based.
And that the material acquisition and sense gratification are not the ultimate ends in themselves.
So,
That's the first stage.
We kind of suspect that what we have been educated toward,
That have been trained to do our job,
Everything that we think is going to make us happy,
Is not the ultimate way to happiness.
And in the end,
It is not,
You know,
Going us,
Getting us to perfect happiness.
So,
To first suspect that there is more to life that eyes can see,
And begin exploring a deeper meaning in life,
Is a human growth stage that depends at least in part on each person's intellectual development.
In other words,
The trained intellect can lead us to the door,
So to speak,
The gateway to further exploration and understanding.
It is helpful at this stage.
Okay?
The next stage is the inner journey,
The inner journey itself,
Which is an individualized inner exploration beyond all the mental patterns that the intellect has registered in this lifetime,
And can utilize to assess one's current situation and future possibilities.
The inner path,
When you really reflect on it,
And when you really embark on it,
The real path is one of humility to surrender to the unknown,
While abandoning logical analysis and intellectual reasoning,
Both of which are limited by a person's past experiences,
And are therefore poor indicators of available potentialities in each situation.
That is why on the actual inner journey,
The exclusive reliance on the intellect can become an impediment.
This phenomenon can become much clearer as we explore the stages of the inner path,
Once we keep talking about what is involved in the inner path itself in future discussions.
I would like to conclude this discussion with a Sufi saying that summarizes the main points that I've tried to make here.
Here is the Sufi saying.
It goes like this.
The way to God is finite,
But the way in God is infinite.
