You are about to embark upon a journey from which there is no return. For once you have heard and recognized the inner “calling”...the voice of silent knowingness that comes from the depths of one’s own being ...and once you have chosen to honor that recognition of Divine truth and direct your life to follow it, your life will never be the same. This is an oftentimes frightening prospect for many who have heard “the calling.” For they weigh within their minds a myriad of mundane considerations. Whether they have really heard what they think they have heard; the implications inherent in following the life direction those inclinations imply; how much of the stake in the material world will have to be relinquished in order to follow a life path that is decidedly spiritual in focus; what others will think if they do ...and what they themselves will think, in retrospect, if they do not.
For those who have heard “the calling,” the initial dilemma of how to proceed constitutes what has been termed a major “crisis in faith.” For it presents to its recipient a crossroads of monumental proportions that requires, essentially, the relinquishing of all that is ego-based for the promise of the realization of the intangible. Coming from a material plane orientation, the prospect is fraught with risk. And, when colored by the limitation of judgment based on material values, sets off a chain reaction of self-confrontation. Confrontation with the very issues that would serve as impediments and stumbling blocks should “the calling” be taken up.
It is crucial that these issues be dealt with early in the process of ‘becoming,’ for if this aspect is not sufficiently explored within one’s heart, the conflicts that will surface during the ever-intensifying process to come could render the individual incapable of functioning in any meaningful way on any level. For once the journey is embarked upon, there truly is no turning back ...not completely. For having once tasted of Divine truth, it will remain alive in your consciousness. And although you may certainly choose to turn your back upon your knowingness, and proceed with your earthly activities in pursuit of material rewards and mundane pleasures, you will not forget. You will never forget.
Many who have heard “the calling” choose to ignore its invitation out of fear. Others know that, in truth, it cannot be ignored. And though many proceed with great trepidation, they step bravely out upon the spiritual path, knowing that they have done so ...out of love. It is a choice that relatively few are given in these times. For, most are not sufficiently developed as spiritual beings to undertake the challenges that such a step would require.
For these ones, who constitute the masses now incarnate upon the earth plane, “the calling,” which is ever-present, is inaudible. Yet, it re-echoes clearly in the hearts of others, who have responded to its cry instantly, in joyous, undeniable recognition of the elusive “something that was missing” all their lives. For most, however, the experience is neither black nor white. But hovers somewhere between the heart and the mind, between instinct and intellect, between the certainty of life as it is now known and a great, bright trail-without-end that is conspicuously devoid of signposts. And great battles ensue within these ones, as the agonizing process of “becoming” one who has recognized “the calling” begins.
It is somewhere within this nether world, which lies between accepted consensus reality and the true spiritual reality, that most who read these words now find themselves. For although many consider themselves to be truly on the Spiritual Path ...at least sometimes ...there are aspects of self that are still bound, by fear of the unknown, to the known, the familiar, the so-called “acceptable” codes of behavior and modes of belief. It is hoped that these teachings will help to bridge the gap for those who truly want to follow the Divine Spiritual Path and have prayed for the wisdom, the understanding, and the courage to let go of the restraints that they know are holding them back ...and to step onto the path with both feet.
There will be no guarantees. For those intent upon weighing the relative merits ...the potential ‘risks’ versus the ‘rewards’...of such a choice, no clear-cut answers will be forthcoming. For the risks are too numerous to be counted, and the rewards are immeasurable. When placed in juxtaposition with what one knows beyond a doubt that he has experienced within his heart, and what one knows he has felt emanating from his very own hands, it soon becomes clear that such considerations are irrelevant.
It takes more time for some than for others. But, without exception, “the calling,” once heard, is unforgettable. For within it is a remembrance of things past. Not on a conscious level, but from an indefinable place of recognition that comes from within. And it forms a connection with who one truly is. A connection with countless lifetimes where “the calling” was heard. A connection with a deeper knowledge of why, perhaps, one chose to come into this particular lifetime, in this particular time frame. A connection with a vast, new line of inner questions that, at last, appear to lead in a direction where real answers may be found.
The question arises frequently as to why, suddenly, life seems to have taken a radical turn in a direction that is, quite often, unexpected. Individuals leading what could be considered to be quite ‘normal’ lives suddenly encounter a teacher, a book, or a life-altering event of an experiential nature wherein a thought is re-awakened that had been waiting patiently, dormantly, for its appointed moment. Weeks, months, and even years transpire as the concept is assimilated and the full scope of the ramifications of that concept begins to truly formulate within one’s consciousness. Ultimately, it is not possible to continue living as one had been, and relegate such a transformational realization to the passive role of a ‘philosophy.’ For the full realization of “the calling” calls for a radical turnabout in one’s total approach to life and living. And requires that the awakening individual integrate spiritual awareness into action.
It is no longer possible to turn a blind eye to the limited, myopic parameters within which most of the present-day civilization operates. One becomes aware ...often painfully aware ...that the focus has shifted. And that the world and one's role in it are viewed very differently than it is by most with whom one still has day-to-day interaction. One begins to seek out like-minded individuals and to avoid confrontation with the closed-mindedness with which one’s newfound awareness is met on more traditional fronts. One learns discretion in determining with whom one shares new, intimate revelations. And with whom one, advisedly, does not. And in the recognition of the emerging family of like-minded individuals simultaneously undergoing this life-altering transformation is the comforting realization that you are not alone
Know that when your heart has opened in earnest to the acceptance of Divine Truth as your own truth, it is not possible, in any conscience, to continue enacting and embodying cultural conditioning. The conflicts and doubts that arise in the realization of this fact are an expected part of the process. Know that there will be bouts of confusion, depression, and denial. There will be intellectualization and rationalization of rudimentary understandings that precede their deeper integration within. It is a gradual, ongoing process that takes many stages of development to achieve.
One does not simply flip a switch, when “the Light goes on,” and experience instant enlightenment. Expect that there will be setbacks ...and quantum leaps. There will be moments of ecstatic elation and utter despair, as the full realization of “the calling” and all it implies takes root. For this understanding is the culmination of countless lifetimes of preparation for the perfect moment for the manifestation of that understanding in your physical reality.
There is a sense that the lens of limitation through which one had been accustomed to viewing the world has altered. And that a clearer focus is now possible. One’s perceptions and sensings are suddenly more acute. And there is an impeccable logic to all of it, where once only chaos reigned. And amidst the joy and the sadness that one often experiences simultaneously when “the calling” hits home; amidst the sense of a beginning and an ending; amidst the feeling of having died and having suddenly been born; there is, at last, an answer. A rationale for all of it. And an undeniable sense of a perfection in it that could only be Divine.
Listen carefully to “the calling” of your heart. For within it is the voice of God, telling you, at last, it’s time. Time to become who you really are. Time to rise above the masses of festering humanity and attain a rarefied perspective. Time to relinquish the limitations fostered by fear, and embrace the truth that is conceived in love.
“The calling” has summoned you to these pages. And to the series of progressive, developmental stages that preceded this moment and paved the way for your assimilation of that higher octave of understanding. It is with a focus upon the dynamics of that process of initial spiritual breakthrough ...the refinement of the understandings underlying the process of “becoming” ...that we embark upon this journey of exploration, together.
