In the first chapter of my "spiritual journey", from when I was 16 to 29, I was moved, with growing determination and urgency, to break out of the jail of my conditioning, to "wake up", reach enlightenment, know directly Reality or God. I wanted to reach the ultimate goal "beyond the horizon", about which I mainly heard from spiritual masters, and nothing else mattered that much.
Following a fateful meeting and an event of "unitive consciousness" at the age of 29, my next chapter opened up. In that chapter I dedicated 20+ years to intensive and challenging inquiry of my/our human psycho-spiritual condition and potentials, and a process of development or maturation, as part of a collective - a "spiritual community".
At the age of 50 I left that community and gradually entered the third chapter of my spiritual journey. This chapter, which combines the previous two, is where I'm currently at. On the one hand, I am moved by the impulse to go "beyond the horizon", and am in close contact with people (spiritual exemplars) who exemplify that possibility for me. On the other hand, it's clear to me that I can only be exactly where I'm at and that the best thing I can do is deepen my understanding of where I'm at. Not try to reach anyplace else, and definitely not someplace imaginary "beyond the horizon".
With some friends I share the impulse to reach "beyond the horizon". With others I share the inqiry into my and our current human condition.
The former are few and mostly not part of any group or community. The latter are many and mostly part of a group or community.
Many of the former feel that the latter approach is pretty much a distraction. Many of the latter feel that the former approach is pretty much a distraction.
These seem to be two very different approaches to spirit. And I find myself, somehow, with one foot in each.