Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Wilderness (An Inner Journey)


The Wilderness is a Metaphor which describes an Inner Journey.

Ancient Teachings from all civilizations speak of Great Masters
who traveled into the Wilderness seeking a place of Solitude
where they could Meditate and Pray.

These Teachings go on to say that, while in the Wilderness, these
Great Masters would grapple with Demons that resided there.

We are also taught that this Journey of Solitude, and the conquering
of Demons, was a task (a trial) that the Master needed to face and
overcome alone.

Once the Master completed His time in the Wilderness, and
conquered His Demons, He left the Wilderness having achieved
a Higher Level of Consciousness.

But what is this Wilderness, and why do all the Great Masters
journey into it?

The Wilderness Symbolizes a Time and a Place in the Master's
life where his Journey "pauses" so that He can confront and
conquer an Inner-Conflict that is blocking His Spiritual Path.

The Physical Wilderness is a real place to where the Master
Travels in order to be alone. Once He is in the Physical Wilderness,
he is able to relax, meditate and explore the Secret Realm of His
Spiritual Wilderness. His Spiritual Wilderness is where His
innermost Thoughts, Feelings and Conflicts reside.

The Demons that the Master "grapples with" are His deepest
and darkest fears and doubts. They are the Specters of his
Subconscious; the Beasts that only He can Confront, Conquer
and Banish.

Once these Demons are defeated, and exorcised, the Master leaves
the physical wilderness Spiritually Cleansed. This Spiritual Cleansing
is His Rite of Passage. It is the process by which the Master
Initiates Himself into a Higher Realm of Consciousness.

Each one of us is capable of experiencing this same Inner Journey
undertaken by the Great Masters of Antiquity. We simply need
to follow their example: seek a place of Solitude...Meditate...
Banish our Inner Demons...and insure that the Road we are
traveling is in Harmony with our Divine Nature

(Note: I have used the masculine gender for literary simplicity.
However, Ancient Masters have been both men and women.
Therefore, both genders equally apply.)

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2008
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