There are many ways of relating to the path of growing and/or waking up.
We may be travelers with a destination in mind, and use maps, guides and the provided vehicles on our way.
We may want explore in a more open ended way, using maps, guides and any vehicle we come across for parts of the journey but not always.
We may be tourists and visitors.
Or we may do each of these at different times.
All are God exploring itself in as many ways as possible.
And all have their gifts and (apparent) drawbacks.
As a traveler, we may get to where we are going, but the journey may be on well-trodden paths. We don’t get to see much else of the terrain.
If our focus on the destination is strong and single minded, many things may happen. We may not enjoy the journey very much. We may get discouraged if we don’t arrive as soon as we had hoped. We may get caught up in comparing ourselves with others on the journey, feeling cocky if we seem ahead or discouraged if we appear behind. And we may get devastated if we don’t arrive at all. (I recognize all of these at CSS.)
And we may also use the path – and the maps, guides and vehicles – as an escape. It all feels very safe since so many others have traveled this way. We are in good company. Or we may escape through fascination with the maps, guides and vehicles. We study them. Become experts. Talk about them at length. Compare “our” path with that of others. Put other paths down. And so on. (Easily recognized among some Ken Wilber followers, and some Buddhist folks.)
As an explorer, we do get to see a wide range of the terrain – including the areas that travelers take as their destinations.
Yet, there is also the chance that we get laid back and relaxed about it all. We may wander around leisurely and enjoy it, but not really get anywhere.
For me, it makes sense of see if I can use the best of each approach.
I may be a visitor at times, when I try out new approaches or dip into unusual states. And I may find the innocence and beginners mind of a visitor. I may be a traveler in some respects, by sometimes applying well-used maps, guides and vehicles, and heading in a particular direction. I may be an explorer all of the time, with the curiosity, receptivity and not knowing of an explorer.