| Here's an important installment in the story of King | | | | the mysteries of life in the safety of a pack. Again and |
| Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, as | | | | again, that leads to confusion and disappointment, |
| adapted from Joseph Campbell. It's a wonderful story | | | | because the spiritual journey is one that must be taken |
| of humanity's spiritual journey. The Knights and their | | | | alone. We can take heart from knowing that fellow |
| King were challenged to find the Grail in the midst of | | | | seekers are in the same woods, and that at times our |
| the woods that grew outside the borders of Camelot. | | | | paths will cross. But if we try to rely on another's light, |
| This mission sounded easy enough, except that when | | | | we soon find ourselves in darkness and confusion. |
| they all rode into the woods as a group, the Knights | | | | You have your own light for your own spiritual journey. |
| got hopelessly lost and somehow ended up right back | | | | Sometimes you have just enough light to take the next |
| when they started. | | | | step (then the next, and then the next), but as you |
| After this happened several times, someone had a | | | | come to trust that light, you find that this is enough. |
| light bulb moment, and the Knights realized that each | | | | Sometimes you will share a path with others, but the |
| should enter the woods at a different point. No longer | | | | light within you has the map for your own way. |
| would they crash through the woods as an army, as if | | | | So how can we see the map, even if all we're |
| the Holy Grail could be taken by force. Each man was | | | | supposed to see is the next step? "There's a guidance |
| to make his own journey to find the Grail. | | | | for each of us," Emerson wrote, "and by lowly listening |
| This led to a number of other adventures, of course. | | | | we shall hear the right words." He didn't mean that we |
| Anytime a knight was in the woods and came upon a | | | | have to "lower ourselves" to listen, as if listening were |
| path cut by another knight, he couldn't just follow it for | | | | something less-than. He meant that we have to get |
| that reason. If he tried to do that, the knight would, | | | | quiet, get close to the ground of our own being. We |
| once again, become hopelessly lost. And then he'd find | | | | breathe and focus, and we find that even in the midst |
| himself back where he started. The knights who found | | | | of adventures, there is a quiet place deep within us, |
| the Grail were the ones who followed their own path, | | | | from which our guidance speaks. |
| which was determined by prayer, intuition, and courage | | | | You can still learn something from other seekers, |
| - not by others' paths. | | | | though. If you pay close attention to the stories they |
| This is not to say the Knights lived lives of isolation. | | | | share, you'll hear which "knights" are skilled in lowly |
| They gathered around their Table regularly, to enjoy | | | | listening. You can't follow their path and expect to find |
| the camaraderie of other braves souls. They shared | | | | your own spiritual awakening, but they can teach you |
| their adventures and celebrated what they found. | | | | to recognize the hallmarks of a genuine path. And |
| That's the way is it is with our spiritual journey, too. | | | | when you recover your own Grail from deep in the |
| Throughout history, people have been trying to explore | | | | woods, they'll rejoice with you and listen to your stories. |