In this article, Assagioli describes the seven paths to spiritual realization and self-realization. The heroic path, the path of love, the path of action, and the path of beauty, etc. are all paths to enlightenment.
By Roberto Assagioli MD , Translation Annabritt Jakielski
Until today, the terms ‘spiritual’ and ‘religious’ have generally been considered synonymous, but the specifically religious conception of Reality, of God, is only one of the various possible paths. The word spiritual is in fact often used loosely; it is at the same time a term which arouses a certain distrust or prejudice in many, and recently a group of forward-thinking psychologists – among them the late Abraham Maslow, who initiated a scientific study of the higher aspects of human life – began to use the word transpersonal.
It is a good term, since it is neutral and general, and at the same time confirms the special quality of those worlds of experience that are “trans” – beyond – the normal and which, so to speak, lie above the general level of personal life. There are a number of these psychologists, and a journal on transpersonal psychology, the “Journal of Transpersonal Psychology”, is published, which highlights this new study.[1]
The various spiritual paths to reality have long been recognized in the East, particularly in India, and in the great poetic work, the Bhagavad Gita, it is clearly stated that:
“In whatever way men worship Me, in the same way I fulfill their desires, for whatever path men tread, that is My path, O’Pârtha.” (Chapter 4, verse 11)
The chapters of this poetic work admirably present the different paths, each suitable for particular types of people and their varying degrees or levels of inner development. I recommend Radhakrishnan’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita, as it has an excellent introduction and enlightening commentary.[2]
There are seven general paths to spiritual or transpersonal realization. The paths are not sharply divided, but in fact overlap to some extent. Some people may follow two or three paths at the same time, since there are no pure types, and since it is true for all of us that different paths or qualities are expressed in different aspects or on different planes of our being. But all paths lead to the same great goal, and therefore it is the case that the more balanced a person is, the greater the overlap between the different paths and the way they interact and merge. With this clarification in mind, let us take a bird’s eye view of each of these paths.
The first can be called the Heroic Way, or the Way of the Will. It is spiritual or transpersonal because it leads us to overcome the most deeply rooted personal instincts, which are about self-preservation and attachment to our personality. It involves the abandonment of the personal self and can be called the way of self-sacrifice, the way of sacrifice. That is the general attitude, but it is expressed in different degrees and at different levels.
The Heroic Path involves, first and foremost, sacrificing oneself for one’s family or loved ones, or for one’s country. In the past, there was a willingness to expose oneself to dangers or even to sacrifice one’s life for one’s country.
Others dedicate themselves to a cause, to an ideal, and others to all of humanity. There have been heroes in various fields, saints in the religious field, and the great humanitarians in the social field. This needs no further explanation, as it is a very clear and direct path. But following it is quite another thing, and presenting it is not a particularly popular path. It has never been what could be called popular, but it is less so now than ever before.
The other path to spiritual realization is the Path of Love or the path of inner enlightenment and realization. The Heroic Path may be considered outward-facing, whereas this path is clearly inward-facing in the positive sense of the word; or we may say “supra-directed,” that is, directed upward. This path may be generally called the Raja Yoga Path. It begins with concentration and the control of the unruly mind. This is then used in definitive meditation, where it figuratively leads the consciousness upward through various stages of pure contemplation of the worlds, viewed from the perspective of the Soul.
The fortunate outcome of this upward path is enlightenment, a feeling of light, often brilliant and almost blinding in intensity. The experience of light sometimes comes quite unprepared, suddenly and unexpectedly. The apostle Paul’s enlightenment on the road to Damascus is the ultimate and best-known example of this; Saul became Paul of Tarsus through a sudden and unexpected illumination. Others have had similar experiences, albeit to a lesser degree. More often, however, enlightenment comes gradually or in a wave of increasing “information.”
This information not only sheds light within, but also reveals the divinity, or reality, in others and in all of creation. The greatest and best-known examples of those who have followed this path are Buddha and Christ; Buddha means “the Enlightened One.” And Christ said, “I am the Light of the World.”
The third spiritual path is the Path of Action, the Path of Karma Yoga. This path of action is in a certain sense an outward path like the first, but it also has an inward or supra-facing, ie upward, aspect – the dedication of actions to God, to the higher reality. It involves dedicating all actions to a higher reality or purpose, where dedicating has the same meaning as holiness, and it is therefore a path of sanctification. This is also very nicely illustrated in various chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, where this path is called the Path of Renunciation of Action. It does not mean renunciation in the form of non-action, but renunciation of the fruits of one’s action. And, as it is formulated in the Voice of Silence: “Both action and non-action will have abode in you”. An action is performed, but at the same time there is non-action in the sense that one does not act with a personal purpose in mind.
The fourth path is one of the best known – the Aesthetic Path. It can be called the realization of the inherent divinity through beauty. It has been said that beauty is the hallmark of God. The wonder of beauty in nature and in living beings is the indication that something is present in the form, something higher, which the form expresses.
This path is best illustrated by Plato. He speaks of the “Ladder of Beauty,” where we first admire the beauty of physical forms, then we recognize and admire the inner beauty of the higher, in the inner qualities or faculties. From there we turn to the idea of beauty, the source of all beauty, which is itself free from all forms, but which finds expression in all beautiful forms.
This kind of cognition is spontaneous in all who have a more or less developed aesthetic sense. Artists seek eagerly, and sometimes desperately, to recreate it in their works, paintings, sculptures, and music. But its fundamental spiritual nature is not visible and is not easily recognized, and distortions are often the result of these efforts. Yet they are more or less successful attempts to capture something immaterial, which has nothing to do with form, but which imparts beauty to it, and therefore it is a path to spiritual cognition. For some it is the only path to transpersonal cognition. (Much more could be said about this aesthetic sense, but we will limit ourselves here to a brief panoramic overview.)
Next, we have the Scientific Path. It is not new, but it is a path that has recently attracted increasing attention because science, with its great discoveries, has opened everyone’s eyes to the wonder and incomprehensible expanse of the universe.
The main steps on this path have been: First, the spread of the Ptolemaic view that the earth was the center of the universe, then the Copernican view that the earth is merely a planet orbiting the sun. From there, science has advanced far, and the sun is considered to be only one star among countless others in a galaxy. But in recent years, the same galaxy, the Milky Way, which was previously considered—and is—enormous, has been recognized as just one of millions of galaxies found in the infinity of the universe. Astronomy has come to this, but new discoveries are being made almost every day. One of these discoveries is that there are probably invisible celestial bodies, which connect with the esoteric teachings about the ethereal manifestation of certain planets and the existence of higher beings. All this gives a sense of wonder and awe and leads to the realization of the superhuman.
More importantly, scientific studies of the universe have pointed to the existence of a cosmic order and that the heavenly bodies are subject to certain laws. Let us recognize the wonder that these movements can be calculated and predicted thousands of years into the future. For example, we know the exact time of the full moon. The wonderful order of the universe is subject to laws that can be expressed in mathematical formula. Pythagoras said that “God creates geometry,” and more recent scientists—notably Einstein—have discovered mathematical formulas that describe both these great astronomical facts and, in the world of physics, the laws that govern life down to the microscopic level. Einstein and other scientists, astronomers, and physicists have arrived at a spiritual understanding of the world through this scientific approach.
It is a path that appeals to the young, and those of us who are interested in spiritual matters would do well to acquaint ourselves with it; first of all for the sake of our own deeper understanding, and secondly as a way of awakening the interest of young people and opening their eyes to a greater appreciation of the higher worlds. Physicists have done as much as astronomers in demonstrating that all is energy. It has been said that the revelation that God is energy should be considered, if possible, even greater than the realization that God is love. They are two aspects of the same ultimate reality.
The realization that God is love suggests the sixth path, the Mystical Path or the Path of Devotion. It is the best known of the seven paths because almost all religions emphasize it and because countless people throughout history have had mystical experiences. It is the Path of Devotion, but not so much devotion through action as devotion through feeling and through love. It is a specifically religious path—the mystical union with God through love. In the East it is called the Bhakti Yoga Path, and the mystics of Christianity have all followed this path. They have sought to express their experiences, which are truly beyond what can be expressed verbally, through the symbolism of love, and this has often been misunderstood and interpreted in human terms.
Love as an attraction between polar opposites exists on all planes from the physical to the divine, and there is a common quality in all these forms of attraction. The great difference between human love and mystical love is that physical and emotional love are attractions on the same plane; it is a horizontal attraction, excellent in its proper place and function. Mystical love, on the other hand, is vertical; it is the attraction or pull from above and the aspiration from below (formulated in relative terms) that creates a gradual rapprochement and final union.
We can say that there is also an intermediate direction of devotion between the horizontal and the vertical – namely the diagonal. This is devotion to something higher, a higher being, an ideal or an idea or cause, which is not the ultimate reality, but which lies above the general human level. Thus, there is a basic quality in all forms and levels of love, but there are very great differences between them in terms of their direction. This should be the subject of increased attention and genuine scientific study.
To return to the general mystical experience, it is beyond what words can describe; it is ineffable, as is in a way the case with all higher experiences. It can only be symbolically described in words, but they cannot convey it directly. The same is true of the aesthetic sense; either we have it or we don’t have it. No one can convey it through words, or convey the reality of an aesthetic experience or its meaning to a person who is not open to it. Similarly, we cannot explain in words what red or green is to a person who is born blind, and therefore there exists a psychological blindness which does not allow us to understand or recognize the experiences of others. Words can only evoke something we already contain within us and bring it to consciousness from the unconscious; they can clarify, confirm and justify something, but they cannot create that which is not there.
Finally, there is the seventh path – the Path of the Ritual Order or the Ceremonial Path. It is based on the powerful influence of sound, color, scent, symbolic actions, rhythmic movements, and the use of words, formulas, and mantras. All orthodox religions have made and make extensive use of rituals to awaken religious feelings and create a channel of communication that can pave the way for a true communion, a true connection, with higher beings and worlds.
The highest use of this ritual path took place in the ancient mysteries. We do not know exactly what took place in the ancient mysteries. We do not know their exact content, but we do know that they led to spiritual realization in those who participated in them. They were undoubtedly initiation rituals, and through the combined use of the elements mentioned – sound, color, scents and special symbolic actions – they were able to awaken, sometimes suddenly and dramatically, the spiritual consciousness of those who participated.
It is said that higher beings are present at such ritual ceremonies and that they are able to act through them. These mysteries and ceremonies have existed within all civilizations. It is only now, in our civilization, that they are neglected, belittled, or ignored—except by certain religious people. We must assume that the mysteries will be reintroduced in the New Age.
This will be a crucial step in the creation of a new holiness. The sense of holiness is one of the ways through which we participate in the higher transcendent realities. We can begin to reawaken it in ourselves and in those with whom we come into contact, and thus contribute to the development of the new holiness.
We should mention one more path to complete the picture – the Path of Transcendence, the Path of Pure Transcendence and Identification. In a way this path lies beyond those mentioned, but little can be said about it because there are no words to describe it. We can only say that it exists, and seek to understand more of it through the Buddha’s path of negation: It is not this, it is not that, and it is nothing. Some of the Eastern schools emphasize this path of spiritual realization, and some of the Western mystics, notably Meister Eckhart, have sought to describe it and give certain pointers. But it is a path that is only for the few.
It is obvious that there is value in having some knowledge of these different paths to spiritual realization. It helps us to understand and appreciate the different types of people and the paths they choose; it gives us the tolerance that is so necessary in the spiritual field. There have been extensive conflicts and even wars in the religious field over the centuries, but through this deepening understanding we can be able to create the necessary “religious peace”. It is also an important part of the loving understanding that is one of the prerequisites for a true spiritual life.
However, we can go beyond a simple understanding and appreciation of these seven paths on behalf of other people. We all have latent potential, and potential often emerges when we are able to walk these different paths, or when occasions arise that awaken one or another of these paths in us. This most often happens through beauty. If we consider beautiful things not only from the purely objective and aesthetic side, they can remind us of the higher source of all beauty. Through contemplation of the beautiful things around us – a flower, a beautiful scene, or some other expression of beauty – we are reminded of and even brought into contact with its source, its origin, its essence, which has its origin in the One Life.
The same is true of action. When we take action, we can remind ourselves that there is a great, supreme source of action, a great Creator. We all fulfill in our own humble and limited way the same functions as the great creators and the supreme Creator. When we create anything in the external world, and even more so when we reproduce ourselves, we are basically doing—on a small scale—what the great creators do. It can be summed up in the fact that the microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm, or “As above, so below.” In this sense, we can truly consider ourselves co-workers, collaborators, and co-creators in the great creation. It gives a new meaning and a new dignity to all our actions.
In this way we can continue our journey with understanding and fellowship with all other pilgrims, no matter what path they follow. We can recognize common aspiration and that we have one and the same goal despite the different paths and methods. Method, or etymologically “origin,” means “way.” Through this unity in diversity, through this concord, we can make united spiritual progress towards the fundamental divinity in all and in the great whole.
[1] Available from: PO Box 4437, Stanford, 94305 California, USA
[2] Published by Allan & Unwin, London
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