Seven Spiritual Paths (Part 2)

Although we live in a materialistic age, we are fortunate in one regard: every wisdom tradition from the past is at our disposal. by outlining the seven paths that appeal to different people and their needs, I am only summarizing a long history of exploration into matters of the soul and the nature of God. (Part 1 preceded this post.)

Path #2 -- Seeking Law, Order, and Accomplishment

If Path #1 concentrated on the most basic need, that of survival, the next spiritual path assumes that one's physical needs have been met. Nature no longer seems to fraught with danger and potential disaster. The individual rises to a new need, the need to achieve and find self-worth. For most people the need to accomplish is tied to the ego. What "I" can do becomes the measure of happiness, and insofar as God furthers my happiness, I worship him.

The ego cannot meet its needs in a lwless, disorganized world; therefore, the God that appeals on this path hands down laws and divides right from wrong in an orderly way. He is no longer whimsical and capricious. His will can be known rationally, giving rise to social systems of laws.

On Path #2 God is not yet benign, for there are many dangers facing the individual, and breaking the law is beset with the threat of punishment. Yet this version of God favors work and achievement. It is no longer necessary to placate Him with offerings simply to avoid divine wrath. a person expects to be rewarded, and the more he is rewarded, the greater his praise of God.

At this stage the deity remains external; laws and rules are handed down from on high, and they are transmitted through priests and others who know god's will directly. Organized religion dominates, but there is now room for a special relationship between "me" and God. On Path #2 good is defined as whaqtever enriches my life, evil is defined as whatever hurts me and detracts from my personal well-being. At the social level good means obeying the law, bad means breaking it.

Every stage depends upon deep psychological needs, so even though Path #2 may remind you of Christian Protestantism, a mystical culture like India also holds up Artha, or worldly success, as one of the four goals of life. The world is now open to conquest with God's blessing; material goods are not seen as ungodly.

each path has built-in contradicitons, and once a believer becomes aware of them, the stage is set for moving on to a new path. In the case of Path ~2, these contradicitons include the following:

--Wealth and achievement, although favored by God, don't bring happiness or a sense of closeness to God.
--Personal achievement is sqtisfying, but it also isolates the individual. One can worship a lawful God but still feel alone and restricted by rules and codes.
--Many good people who believe in God have the bad fortune to fail in material things or to be victims of crime and wrong-doing. This implies that hard work and virtue are not guaranteed to attract God's favor.

Ultimately, the ego's insatiable need for pleasure, wealth, and status proves empty. the veryy path that God laid out somehow doesn't lead to Him. When this becomes apparent, a new path opens up that solves this problem. (To Be continued.)

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