The Evolution of Will 5

From I to All

Becoming our I opens new possibilities for evolution and for inner, spiritual service. Our I can be described as our centerless center. Clearly, it is our center and integrates the whole of us into it. The centerless aspect refers to the openness and non-separateness of our I. It is our I, but at the same time connected with others, so that the distinctions between us lose their meaning. We can rightfully consider our I as a spark, a shard, or a particle of the Divine Will. Through our I we can open to the Sacred, to our connection, our unity with the benevolent, loving Force that surrounds and embraces us outside and in, the Force in which we live and move and have our being.[1]

None of that is merely a figure of speech. The Sacred is a vivid, robust reality, though non-physical. We cannot touch it or see it, like we can a rock or a ladder or a human body. It transcends materiality in the same way that our I does: we cannot touch or see our I either. This is the realm of pure will and very high spiritual energies.

A higher will can subsume a lower, to the extent the lower so chooses. Each part of our body works together as one human. Our organs are utterly dependent on each other and do not have the freedom to choose otherwise, unless severely diseased. Could every human work together as one humanity, given our freedom to choose? Are we similarly dependent on each other? Are we similarly each part of one great body, the body of humanity?

We start where we are. Some aspire to act and live for the whole. They care for themselves, their family, and their neighbors, but do so with a view toward the welfare of humanity as a whole, a view toward the health of our planet, a view of their intimate connection with every person, known or unknown, relative, friend, or stranger.

Spiritual inner work is ultimately about bridging the gap between heaven and Earth, between the Creator and the creation, between self and the Divine. We move toward the Divine Oneness. In the depth of inner stillness, we are not separate from that unity. The Divine is in all of us, and we are all in the Divine. In the prayer of silence, no walls remain. We go beyond our separate selves, beyond our assumed identity, and into the Oneness that we have always been. This return to the Divine may be rare among us at our current stage of evolution, but it is another major part of our potential contribution to the spiritual ecosystem. It is the spiritualization of matter. It is reestablishing the bond between the Creator and the creation.

This is not something remote from us. Indeed, it is within us all. To be more accurate, the Great Spirit is not exactly within us, nor is It outside of us. Rather the Sacred transcends the categories of inside and outside; we are immersed in It, both inwardly and outwardly, and It is immersed in us. There is no separation between us and the Sacred. That is where our personal and collective evolution is leading. Through the centerless center of our I, we are connected by our will all the way up. If we look deeply into ourselves, into our I, we find our center and we find it to be empty and open. In the quiet emptiness, who is there that could be separate? Our will and the Great Will are not separate. Unity lies in the purified will that is no longer wedded to the illusion of separateness.

For this week, please assess where you are on this great chain of evolution. What level of energies do you transform for the benefit of all? Where are you with respect to the integration and purification of your will? Imagine where you are going and what your destiny might be in terms of the spiritual ecosystem. What concrete steps can you take, inwardly or outwardly, toward your own spiritual destiny?

Developing a vision of your spiritual direction is enormously helpful. That vision supports your engagement in spiritual practices, which is the only way to make your path a reality and bring it to life. It is not enough to think about higher realities. Grace may descend from Above and transform us, but our persistent inner work gives Grace a place to land. So please reinvigorate your engagement with spiritual inner work, such as through regular meditation and heartfelt prayer, body awareness and presence during the day, and kindness toward all, both inwardly and outwardly.

[1] King James Bible, Acts 17:28, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being…"

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