ESSAY | SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
On Seeking Guidance
With so much to learn, I may always be a seeker
When the student is ready
the teacher will appear.
~BuddhaWhen the student is ready
the teacher will appear;
When the student is truly ready
the teacher will disappear.
~Lao Tzu
When I read Diana’s transformational story this past Thursday, it took me back to my own spiritual journey. By the time I was in my early twenties, I had practically rejected Christianity as an institution and came to the realization that some Christians were hypocrites. I hadn’t rejected Jesus though, just some of his followers (but I will get back to that in a bit).
I wandered for about four years, completely lost. I guess you could say I was more of an agnostic during those years. Then I did a complete 180-degree turn and embraced Paganism. I became a solitary Wiccan and would remain a practicing one for about another decade (I do still hold some of the tenets of Wicca as sacred).
In 1995, I met a remarkable woman — Claire Born. We both attended the same college and I would stay with her during the week and return home on weekends. She later became my Reiki Master and mentor. It was through her that my spiritual journey truly began. She introduced me to Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Ascended Masters (I finally found the niche where my belief in Jesus fit as he is one of the Ascended Masters). I also discovered Buddha’s quote, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
For the past twenty-five years, I have had and still have numerous teachers — Claire, Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Thich Nhat Hahn, Pema Chödrön, The Dalai Lama, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass, Dr. Joe Vitale and so many others. I have bookshelves lined with books from all of these teachers as well as holy texts from all the major religions and philosophies.
I am in a perpetual state of seeking and learning. I watch spiritual Youtube videos, listen to auidobooks, and study and read everything I can get my hands on that helps me make sense of life, the Universe and the Divine. I also love listening or reading other people’s stories about their own spiritual journeys.
I don’t know if I will ever obtain the wisdom in Lao Tzu’s quote — to be fully ready. There is still way too much for me to learn. But perhaps, like the man in the story Diana posted, in another five years, I will recognize my ultimate teacher — and wouldn’t it be absolutely divine if that ultimate teacher turned out to be me?
©2020 Lori Carlson. All Rights Reserved.
This beautiful mess is the result of Diana C.’s post:
Lori Carlson writes poetry, fiction, articles and personal essays. Most of her topics are centered around Relationships, Spirituality, Life Lessons, Mental Health, and the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to writing for Know Thyself, Heal Thyself, Lori writes for nineteen other publications here on Medium. Check out her personal Medium blog — Ravyne’s Nest.
