Q. Every spiritual system seems to claim that it is the purest or highest path of spirituality. Is there such a thing as the “highest path”?
A. Yes, there is, and the simple response is that the highest path for any individual is the one that they are attracted to, drawn to follow, and choose to embrace. This is a spiritual principle that applies at every level of existence, both personal and universal, and reflects the natural evolution, and then spiritual evolution, of all life.
From the personal perspective, we see this in all life experiences. During the span of a baby’s growth, the toy with the noises and colors will completely engross its attention and encourage its maturing faculties. Before long, the baby will tire of that toy and will naturally reach for the one that helps it crawl, as that is the next step in its growth. This process continues, and the toys that once attracted are soon discarded, and new ones that encourage and challenge new faculties are embraced. Soon the bicycle is replaced by the car, high school by a job or college, and dating by marriage. The new toys and endeavors represent the highest path for the individual, for the highest path is the one that represents the next step in unfoldment. The highest path for an individual is not one that he or she has mastered, nor is it a path that is beyond one’s capacity and readiness – those are yet to come, in their perfect season of preparation.
As an individual begins to search for deeper meaning in life, the same principle is in operation. A person may explore paths that teach about the kundalini energy at the base of the spine and fully engage the sexual drive. There is a lot to learn in these pursuits, but ultimately the most beneficial lesson is that true and lasting happiness and fulfillment are not found in merely satisfying the sexual urges. The draw to these paths will naturally diminish and the individual may be attracted to an endeavor that promises nourishment of a higher type – perhaps the joys of a mate and family. As the individual realizes these dreams, perhaps a zeal to relieve the world’s suffering will next attract the attention. It’s easy to see the natural evolution from satisfying one’s own sexual desires to a broader focus that engenders great compassion for all life. Only after spending great energy focusing on others can the individual eventually see that one’s efforts have not truly changed the world, and that he or she is no closer to the elusive inner fulfillment. Next would come the attempts to refine the mind and discover the truth in the realms of philosophy, then the walk through the vast experiences of the psychic and metaphysical paths. Many lifetimes are spent in all of these pursuits, and every step along the way is vitally important and extremely valuable for the individual to experience. Each step can be called the highest path for the time and place, as each calls out greater and deeper faculties ready to awaken within the individual, and this defines the personal, or the relative, aspect to this principle.
The entire purpose of all life is to realize the true self, which is soul, and then to unite the soul with its Creator. This drive is innate within all souls and it is what drives the baby to crawl, then walk, and it is what drives the individual to seek deeper and deeper levels of fulfillment as each pursuit loses its allure. This yearning for soul to merge with its Creator defines the universal aspect of this principle, as it encompasses both natural and spiritual evolution.
When an individual has made one’s way through the endeavors that challenge and fortify the physical, emotional, mental, and psychic faculties, the next step is the realization of the soul, and now spiritual evolution begins, and the universal principle of the highest path takes on real meaning. The highest path at this juncture is the one that will awaken the soul. At this juncture the individual’s draw to the psychic and metaphysical, the mental and emotional, will naturally diminish, and one will be drawn only to the path that promises this grand discovery of the true self. This is when the Light and Sound Path will enter the seeker’s awareness, and this now becomes the highest path for this individual. Until this stage is reached, there is no need, thus no draw, to embrace a Path of Sound.
Upon initiation into a Light and Sound Path, such as the MasterPath, spiritual evolution begins in earnest. The student moves swiftly through the remaining layers and levels of awareness under the loving guidance and tutelage of a living Master, a true Master who has traversed the entire journey, realized the ultimate spiritual goal, and is here solely to assist souls who are ready for soul’s discovery. Sri Gary Olsen is the living Master of MasterPath, and the living Master provides the outer instruction of books and talks that describe the journey, but most importantly, introduces the student to the Inner Master, the true Master, which is the Sound Current, the Divine Spirit that resides within the spiritual heart of all life. This is the individual’s next step, and then the true inner Path begins, the outer Master’s job is done, and the student proceeds to discover then realize the soul within, then the true Spirit within, and ultimately the Divine Creator within.