THE JOURNEY INWARD

Transformation, most thinkers agree, begins with restlessness. If this restlessness converts into a quest, it can lead to a revelation-that split-second parting of the mind's veil that flashes a vision of the sought-after goal. Transformation is the slow, steady infusion of that vision into reality. It means moving from seeing anew to being anew.The tools of transformation are awareness and acceptance. We can only change what we are aware of, and we can only change when we accept it. Once acceptance is won, awareness can effect a change, in much the same way as the sun dissolves the morning mist. As we move beyond the conditioning that determined our thoughts, words and actions, we become increasingly aware of being whole and perfect. Freed of the need for fronts, we become who we are.In time, fear dissolves, helped by our growing sense of self, and above all, by an increasing trust in the universe. Freedom from conditioning frees us to see life as it is. As we take responsibility for our actions and spin away from the orbit of others' control, we taste the freedom of being our own master. Simultaneously, this generates respect for the freedom of others, which we now see as a fundamental right.As we learn to leave behind selfish concerns, we begin to focus on the larger world. A sure sign that our growth is maturing is an ability to transcend dichotomies; we become childlike and mature, playful and serious, loving and detached, flexible and firm.We are now well into the transformation process. Expect change to speed up, bringing us to the domain of surrender.Here, we let go of all personal concerns. Trusting and loving life and the universe completely, we allow life to live us, rather than the reverse. Having penetrated the layers of our own identity, we merge into the Universe. This is samadhi, the region of Sat, Chit, Ananda—existence, consciousness, bliss—attributes of the Creator. But even this is not the end. That occurs when, letting go of even the Creator's identity, we plumb the void of consciousness. The journey is done. We are home