Spiritual Growth
Defining the Personal Sacred
Text
by
Bobbi Parish
If there were no
limitations, such as time or money, where would you choose to travel? How
long would you be gone? What route would you take? Would you go alone or
with someone else?
While our chosen destinations and itineraries
may be as variable as our personalities, I think there would be some
fairly common themes in what we want to achieve on our dream vacation.
Some may select a leisurely excursion to the most beautiful beaches in the
world, while others would line up a cycling tour of the great castles of
Europe. But I believe we would all seek to be revitalized and renewed by
our experience. We want an adventure that will transform our lives in
whatever way we most need it to be transformed.
Perhaps you want to
calm your stressed psyche, restore balance to your life, or re-ignite the
passion in your romance. There may be a sight you've always wanted to see
or a trek you've always wanted to make that you know will help define your
vision and purpose in life. You may be searching for the one thing that
will fill the emptiness inside you or answer a question that has rattled
around inside your soul for years.
If any of these sound like
purposes you would want your dream vacation to meet, then you are reading
the right book. Making a journey to the River of Truth -- the source of
universal wisdom -- will do all those things and more. You might be headed
to a different geographic point along the river from other travelers or
use a different mode of transportation from others who make the voyage.
Yet because we are all seeking essentially the same things, the process
will be similar.
We want to deepen and broaden our connection with Spirit,
others, and ourselves through the creation of a sacred text that reflects
our unique relationship with her. Capturing our story is important because
we know there never has been, and never will be, another one exactly like
it. We know that if we avoid this journey we cheat ourselves, Spirit, and
the universe out of a richer experience. So, after careful consideration,
you have decided that the River of Truth is your ideal vacation
destination.
Having a solid grounding in the concepts involved in creating
your personal sacred text from your journey to the River of Truth is very
important. It will help you stay focused through the lengthy process and
prevent you from getting lost along the way. It's hard to prepare for a
journey if you do not know its nature. Therefore, we'll stop here and take
a few moments to define exactly what a personal sacred text is.
According to most dictionary
definitions, "personal" means individual, private, and having to do with
characteristics of being a human being. For our purposes we won't stray
too far from these definitions. In the context of creating a sacred text,
the word "personal" has three meanings: individual, unique, and
dynamic.
Compiling a volume of work that reflects your spiritual
beliefs and experiences is a very individual undertaking. Although you may
be used to a faith tradition that values the collective experience and
process, reflected in community worship services and governed by dogma and
doctrine, this particular process is about your own differentiated values,
beliefs, and ideas. It is not about what anyone else thinks or feels
unless that is germane to your arriving at a particular thought of your
own. It is not about the blind recitation of catechism or the mindless
regurgitation of facts and stories you learned as a child. When you hold
your sacred text up to a mirror, you want to see your own reflection, not
the "should," "ought," or "must" interpretations of anyone
else.
This process is about you and your journey. It is your story
of the explorations and discoveries you have made, and still want to make,
about Spirit and yourself. If, in the process, you decide to own someone
else's beliefs because they adequately reflect your own, that's great! The
goal is to avoid adopting ideals incongruent with who you
are.
Although this is a sacred text you are making solely for
yourself, there may be a time, during or after its creation, that you
decide to share some or all of it with a trusted friend or family member.
The decision is entirely up to you.
Despite the deeply personal nature of their texts, all of my
clients and workshop participants have chosen to share at least small
pieces of them with others or to leave their entire texts to loved ones
after their deaths. For this reason, it is important to consider potential
readers when you are creating your text. It need not be a primary or
significant focus, but if you wish to share your story with anyone in the
world, you should consider whether it will be understood clearly.
Creating a sacred text is also a unique spiritual process.
Creating a sacred text is also a unique process. There never
has been, and there never will be, another human being exactly like you.
Your thoughts, personality, ideas, and behaviors will go unduplicated for
all of time. Consequently, no one has or ever will again have the
understanding of and relationship with Spirit that you do. Your work will
have a value unequal to anything else that will ever be done.
In
making your selections and writing your scripture, seek to reveal your
uniqueness. Boldly declare what makes you who you are, how you are
different from everyone else, and what transpired in your life to create
your unparalleled relationship with Spirit. Celebrate your separateness
from the rest of humanity! Give the universe the gift of knowing who you
are so we can all learn from your experience.
Your personal sacred
text should reflect the dynamic quality of your human life. None of us is
stagnant. Even if we choose to dig our heels into the dirt as hard as we
can, circumstances eventually will dislodge us, dragging us into growth
and change. We can embrace this or fight it, but we cannot avoid
it.
Over the years as you grow and change, your sacred text,
whether you intend it or not, will reflect the dynamic nature of your
evolving beliefs and spiritual ideals. You may wish to make your evolution
a conscious part of the story you tell. Or you may simply prefer to let it
unfold on its own, an ever-flowing undercurrent in your journey to the
River of Truth. The choice is yours. My only suggestion is that you
welcome the evolution as a part of the process rather than choose rigidity
or constancy.
 This
article is excerpted from Create Your Personal Sacred Text,
© 1999 by Bobbi Parish. Excerpted by permission of
Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part
of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in
writing from the publisher.
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