THE UNIVERSAL QUEST

AND SHADOW CONFRONTATION

Somewhere within all of us dwells a deep yearning for something unknown. This yearning, though present in each of us, is often unrecognized, put away in a secret place where we avoid looking.

We avoid recognition of this need for many reasons. It feels as though if we look directly at that unknown need, we will be overwhelmed by it, that it is beyond our reach and could, if faced, undermine all we think we know and are.

What is this silent, invisible need that we so fear recognizing and exploring? It feels as though it must have great power, so much so we must never admit its presence; it surly will undo all we think we are if we should admit its presence.

Dare we even consider the nature of this need we so fear to face? Dare we not? We are driven to search and find that which we so fear.

We know the time will come when we are compelled to enter that dark cave that leads to a deep and dark underground lurking in the depths of our minds. That very thought causes us to look away, pretending the cave that calls us is not real.

We eventually discover that, if we are to live a real life, we have no choice but to summon all our courage, enter the cave of unknown reality, in fear and trembling, and begin our exploration.

As we enter our exploration, we are surprised to discover the prior fear is beginning to be replaced by our curious need to know all the truth available to us even though that truth may capture and control us, perhaps even destroy us.

We come to realize that discovered truth cannot destroy us, but undiscovered truth can and will.

Now that we have begun, there is no backing out. We are compelled to continue our perilous pursuit. It is surprising that although we know we face a potentially overwhelming and even destructive power, we must continue our exploration.

We feel alone in this quest. No one can accompany us. This is our personal cave. It must be explored in solitude. That which dwells deep within is a secret part of ourselves, and must be discovered if we are to live authentically.

We pause. What is this we seek? What is this compelling need ?

We discover we search for ourselves, fearing what we will find. We discover we have no choice, other than to give up and prepare to die.

We hear ourselves say, “No. I do not fear death as much as I fear not knowing who I really am.” And we continue to walk into the darkness.

“This cave is entirely dark. What is this dim light surrounding me? Where does it come from?” Sometimes the light is so dim we cannot even see where our next step will land.

We step in darkness, and sure enough, our foot lands on a comforting, solid surface. We continue our walk, which is occasionally a climb. Occasionally we must crawl in tight confinement, just able to squeeze through the narrow opening.

We are now in total, fearsome darkness. “Where is the dim light? Will I be able to back out? Will I get stuck, unable to move? Do I try to back out or go forward?” We seem to have no real choice. We must go forward.

Fear returns. “How did I come to be here, wherever I am? Makes no difference. I am here.”

This search is central to our being human. We recognize that we somehow, sometime before our birth, we agreed to become this limited human, and to search to extend and expand those limitations. “This is why I am here”.

“Damn. This is crazy, but it is real.” We feel a complex set of emotions. We feel fear, loneliness, with even occasional hints of being doomed, immediately realizing, “This is my life. It must continue. I must find the part of me lurking somewhere deep before me.”

Now, occasionally, we feel a strange sense, along with our lonely fears, of excitement, that this compelling exploration, in all its threat, is not by accident, and it is somehow good.

— — —

Once more, for what do we search? For our true selves, whatever that turns out to be.

“Wait. The dim light returns, and with it the great fear. I am near a shocking discovery. Fear. What do I fear? Death? Failure? The death of my very soul?”

Every imaginable fear surrounds us at once. We crawl around a corner. We are able to stand. We look. What is that before me? What is that standing before us? It is the symbolic embodiment of all we fear. It is an artificial, inhuman, Frankenstein-like monster.

“Wait — that monster is me?” A voice speaks from the source of the dim light, “Yes. This is the part of you from which you have run. Face it.” I strike out hitting the monster in its ugly head. It drops. I feel pain. I have struck myself. I feel remorse.

I (we) reach down to the creature we just struck. We feel pity and regret. Wait. This is crazy. The voice speaks again, “No, not crazy. You have struck a vital part of yourself.”

This “monster” has power. Cared for, accepted, nurtured, it can serve me well. Fear and anger, denial drives that disturbing part of me into darkness where it becomes the monster that threatens me, as I seek to hide it from me.

Empathy and acceptance transforms what was monstrous into a faithful friend who will stand at my side in all future battles. I have now accepted that part of me which I rejected, and it is redeemed.

Suddenly we are out of the dark cave. We stand together in bright sunlight. Wait. Where is my new friend? He has merged into me. We are one. We are enlightened, warmed, comforted, and strengthened now we are one.

We walk as one, confronting whatever unknown awaits us, with confidence and strength, and most importantly, with a peaceful knowing that we have, together as one, nothing to fear.

As one, we have discovered love for ourselves. Love requires understanding with empathy for that which seems to be inconsistent with who we think we are, or who we want to believe we are.

We shall complete this journey together. We see those whom formally we thought to be enemies, as part of us, in need of compassion, patience, understanding. If one of those perceived enemies attacks us, we defend ourselves with great, but not excessive, power.

We, together as one, shall prevail. The former powerful monster, retains his power, but now is human, with wise compassion. I, the human, have gained power and confidence, prepared for what life brings.

We are one. We have discovered ourself, we have discovered what love of self is. Love is now free to reach out to all the Universe, and all the creatures mode of this Universe, from rocks, ants, all living things. We discover that everything is alive and made of the Divine.

We now finally are ready to fully engage in our ability and power to create as the Divine within us designed us to do. Our Divine nature is set free to fulfill its duties.

We carry forward in the timeless Now with unending service and ability to create, in service of this unspeakably beautiful Being we are.

Our truth is beyond all words, yet we have an unquenchable need to know and then to share. We do so not by words, but through our actions. We cannot tell, but we can demonstrate who and what we are in our lives.

We find peace in the knowledge that, although our search for Self was apparently a lone quest, we, you and I, and all, are one in the infinite Here and Now all on the same journey toward our truth.

In fact, we have never been alone, but at times could not, for necessary reasons, perceive the presence of others on the same journey.

As Agnes Sanford said many years ago, “Creation Continues”, and Now never ends.

All that appears to have happened in “the past”, and all that seems yet to come in “the future”, exists Now in this creative reality, morphing, changing growing, and we are playing our part in this eternal Now, for Now is all there has ever been or will be.

The part of the All we now see as if it is all there is depends solely upon that direction toward which we currently look. When we change our perspective to look elsewhere, we see we are living in what appears to be a different “time”, but it is in truth merely a different place in the Now.

When we experience these infinite “different times”which appear to be past or future, we actually are living there, and influencing what occurs. Our creative power bestowed upon us by the Divine Source is without limitation.

Indeed, Creation Continues, and we are Creators. The one powerful suggestion is — have no fear — do your job, and enjoy the doing of it. We will not fail, because we cannot finally fail. We are Divine.

Never give up. Never, never, never give up. Regardless of temporary appearances of failure that will come, WE SHALL PREVAIL. Success is our destiny.