When a Seeker on the path discovers the Divine Within, truly discovers it in the very core of their being, truly loves that purity and Divinity Within with all their heart, a profound change begins to take place in their life. All things that the person once looked for from others are now satisfied by turning to the Inner Self, the God Within.

What is it that we all look for and seek from other people?

And how can attunement with the Inner Self, the God Within, provide a continuous response to our every need without fail?

We usually want four major things from other people:

recognition;

love;

acceptance, and

respect.

By recognition we mean a recognising of our talents, abilities, and personalities at their best or most positive—the best qualities of our Inner Selves.

Next, we all desire love and acceptance, just as we are, right now—not for what we might be in the future.

This is the desire for unconditional love—the kind a mother gives her child. We want to be told that we are “OK,” just as we are.

Of course, we realise that we all have our problems, and maybe even a lot of growing up to do. Yet, we want to be reassured with a hug, or a verbal expression of appreciation, that “Mother” not only loves us deeply but treasures us as her own special, beautiful, much beloved child.

We all want respect, which entails a deep awareness from others that we are more than what we appear to be on the surface.

Respect involves looking beyond the physical appearance that is “Mary” or “John, ” in order to see and appreciate the soul within.

“Look beneath the surface of what you see with your physical eyes,” we silently implore, “and see and appreciate not only what I am now, but also my potential future growth.

See the best in me, and help me by your friendship, to become that which you see in me. Know that it is my own goals and standards that I must live up to, and not yours.

Respect my individuality as I respect yours.

Believe in me.

Love me.”

Love and respect are close cousins, and one cannot really exist without the other.

Respect for the different manifestations of personality is essential. It is not difficult if we remember that the same Vital Life Force creates and unites us all.

All humans seek these things—love, acceptance, respect, and recognition. Some will deny that they seek these things, while others will try to ignore these things.

Nevertheless, the desire is there in all people, whether they choose to recognise it or not. The four desires are an inherent part of the condition of being human.

To recognise our humanness, and therefore our vulnerability, can be a frightening experience.

To realise that we need love, acceptance, respect, and recognition, and to also realise that others have it within their power to give, or withhold, that which we need, can trigger a variety of emotions within each of us.

Some individuals, angry that others have withheld love and acceptance, deny their own need for love from other people. They have been disappointed, or let down, by others.

Responsibility

Such a disillusioned individual may withdraw further into Self, becoming more angry, selfish, and self-centred, eventually making the conscious decision to neither give love nor to receive love.

In this way they feel they will not be put into a position of vulnerability, and will therefore have “control.”

Such a person will experience much unhappiness and loneliness in their life, until they wake up one day to fully realise that they themselves are the cause of these misfortunes through their lack of willingness to risk opening up to another.

At this point, the person stops blaming others for their misfortunes, and begins to take responsibility for their own life.

They realise  for the first time that they, and they alone, are responsible for the creation of everything that comes into their life, be it happy or unhappy.

The Student on the Path realises that thought is creative, and positive thought precedes positive action.

They realise that feelings of happiness, joy, and peace come from constructive, harmonious thoughts and actions, and that these in turn put them in attunement with the highest, most constructive vibrations of the universe.

They discover that to be in harmony with the universe is to be in attunement with the highest manifestation of their own Inner Self—-not just occasionally, but all the time.

Everyone has had moments in his life when sadness, grief, and sorrow force their way into their consciousness.

Not to be ignored, these emotions should be closely examined, dealt with, and be regarded as valuable learning experiences.

From every sad or unhappy condition in life, the student should be able to say as time unfolds, “What have I learned from this experience?”

To make progress on the spiritual path, you must learn something positive from each experience—something that will enhance your ability to love others, by first enhancing your ability to love yourself.

At this point, a decision is made to listen to your Inner Voice, realising its vital importance as your most intimate companion and lifelong friend.

A strong desire to move forward, and an equally strong desire for harmony in one’s life, is necessary to bring this condition into being.

You can only give to others what you, yourself, have planted and grown in your inner garden.

To express love in its highest form through the outer personality, the seeds must be planted first in the highest manifestation of your Inner Self.

The seeds must be carefully nourished over time, gradually coming into flower. As the garden grows and comes into bloom, the Inner Self, the highest level of the consciousness of the God Within, must become your closest and most intimate friend.

As this process of love and attention to the Voice Within occurs, you will one day come to the realisation that all your needs for love, acceptance, respect, and recognition can come from within—from the Inner Self’s incredible love for the outer, objective you.

From this new and solid base, you are in a position to give for the first time—to give a true unconditional love, in its broadest sense, to all humanity.

You must first love and celebrate yourself, with great joy, peace, depth, and compassion, so that you may love and celebrate others with that same joy, peace, depth, and compassion.

As you nurture the highest manifestation of the Inner Self—-the God Within—joy will flow in abundance, and you will truly come to experience the reality of the term Peace Profound.

 

Adaptation of “The Path to Peace Profound” by Linda McCuaig, Rosicrucian Digest December 1986