Make
the Path
“We make
the path by walking.”
Robert Bly
If you've spent any time
in the woods, you know that there are paths cut through the trees
that are visible to the eye. These paths are not man-made. They are
animal paths. Deer, and other animals, create paths to their feeding
grounds and watering holes. They walk these paths every day, and so
the undergrowth gets tamped down and, eventually, the ground is bare.
My own dogs, have a path across the back yard. Nothing grows there,
and even though the yard is not big, and they can easily see their
way back to the door, they go to the path and follow it in. That path
was created by dogs who are no more; dogs we had twenty-five years
ago, but today's dogs follow it just as though they had blazed it
themselves.
Following a blazed trail
is a secure means of travel. It has a known beginning and end. In
state and national parks, the trails have signs along the way
admonishing us to stay on them, to not track off into the unknown and
get lost, and possibly eaten. The wise person adheres to such
instructions. Walking a known path increases the probability that we
will arrive safely at our destination.
Just as woodland paths
are made by walking, spiritual paths are made by practice. Many of us
say, “Oh, well, I've tried meditation; it doesn't work for me. I
can't sit still and control my thoughts for that long.” So, maybe
sitting meditation is not your thing. Maybe yoga would work better
for you, or writing in a journal, or centering prayer, or reading and
contemplation. There are many paths tramped by others that can
provide a starting point. The important thing is to find the trail
head, so to speak, and then be unwavering about walking that path.
For me, it requires setting a time each day devoted specifically to
that, and not allowing myself to veer off course.
Having a spiritual
discipline makes the rest of life far more manageable. It takes us
deeply into ourselves, and connects body/mind and soul together so
that all our parts are available to us. “The door to the soul is
unlocked; you do not need to please the doorkeeper, the door in front
of you is yours, intended for you, and the doorkeeper obeys when
spoken to.” (Robert Bly)
In the Spirit,
Jane
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