Daily Meditation: Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Spiritual discipline - only acceptable to one who feels the need

05/18/2005

It is useless to try to change people if they themselves do not feel the need. If they have not understood the importance of a philosophy and a spiritual discipline, we must not insist. Their attitude merely demonstrates that they are still very young and need experience and lessons in order to understand. They will suffer, of course, and we cannot spare them their suffering, for by means of this they will become conscious of the need to change their lives. As for those who are dissatisfied with their prosaic, dull and narrow existence, an entire world of extraordinary activities opens before them. These activities are symbolically represented by what Greek mythology called ‘the twelve labours of Hercules’. They are related to the twelve signs of the Zodiac and represent the trials the disciple must face, the inner obstacles he must overcome, in order to receive initiation.