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When
we learn to attune ourselves to our inner compass, we follow a map that only
we can see, our own path.
All the major spiritual traditions serve the purpose of offering us a roadmap
to guide us on our individual journeys to enlightenment. These roadmaps are
made up of moral codes, parables, and, in some cases, detailed descriptions
of mystical states. We often study the fine points of a particular ascended
master's narrative in order to better understand our own and to seek
inspiration and guidance on our path. In the same way, when we plan a road
trip, we carry maps and guidebooks in an effort to understand where we are
going. In both cases, though, the journey has a life of its own and maps,
while helpful, can only take us so far. There is just no comparison between
looking at a line on a piece of paper and driving your own car down the road
that line represents.
Some people seem well-suited to following maps, while others are always
looking for new ways to get where they're going. In the end, the only
reliable compass is within, as every great spiritual guide will tell you. The
maps and travelogues left behind by others are great blessings, full of
useful information and inspiration, but they cannot take the journey for us.
When it is time to merge onto the highway or pull up anchor, we are
ostensibly on our own. Strange weather patterns, closed roads, and traffic
jams arise in the moment, out of nowhere, and our maps cannot tell us what to
do. Whether we take refuge in a motel by the side of the road, persevere and
continue forward, or turn back altogether is entirely up to us.
Maps are based on observations from the past and we are living in the
present, so we are the only true experts on our journey to enlightenment. We
may find that the road traveled by our predecessors is now closed. We may
feel called to change direction entirely so that the maps we have been
carrying really no longer apply. These are the moments when we learn to
attune ourselves to our inner compass, following a map that only we can see,
as we make our way into the unknown territory of our own enlightenment.
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