The transition from outer form to inner teaching may be what our real journey is all about.

Religious and philosophical approaches to the purpose of life share many of the same lessons.  Such approaches are often based on dogma and formal structures.  The lessons serve a purpose and vary, but it is when they reach the esoteric phase that they all seem to come together.

The word Esoteric is largely misunderstood.  The essential meaning of the word is “inner.”  It is not secretive or occult.  It can be linked with that part of mysticism that represents the work of inner transformation.  These inner lessons are at the heart of spiritual teachings.  It is about moving from outer form to the inner teaching.

Christian teaching, for example, describes both crucifixion and resurrection.  These concepts can apply to the human ego – the thing that stands in the way of our development.  It encompasses the yin and yang, the death and rebirth recognized by visionaries as being at the core of reality itself.  It is the spiritual awakening of the mind and heart.  This is a consciousness that takes us beyond the level of the individual ego.

Christianity is about a personal relationship with G-d, but it’s also an inner work that aims for the divinization of the seeker.   T.J. Nottingham

Jesus’ greatest liberation is to have liberated us from religion!  He wanted us all to have free, direct, and joyful access to G-d.   Louis Evely

Finding that inner sanctuary; that point where G-d and the soul touch; a secret dwelling in the center of our being; to move into oneself is to move ultimately move beyond oneself:

The ground of the soul     John Tauler

Interior home of the heart     Catherine of Siena

Inner castle    Teresa of Avila

House at rest in darkness and concealment    St. John of the Cross

Be silent and listen.   St. John of the Cross