CHAPTER 12: The Way of a Pilgrim

ONCE I WAS ASKED, “What do peace pilgrims do?”A peace pilgrimprays and works for peace within and without. A peace pilgrimaccepts the way of love as the way of peace, and to depart from theway of love is to depart from the way of a peace pilgrim. A peacepilgrim obeys God’s laws and seeks God’s guidance for one’s life bybeing receptively silent. A peace pilgrim faces life squarely, solves itsproblems, and delves beneath its surface to discover its verities andrealities. A peace pilgrim seeks not a multiplicity of material things,but a simplification of material well-being, with need level as theultimate goal. A peace pilgrim purifies the bodily temple, thethoughts, the desires, the motives. A peace pilgrim relinquishes asquickly as possible self-will, the feeling of separateness, all attachments,all negative feelings.
Now traditionally a pilgrim walks on faith without any visiblemeans of support. I walk until given shelter. I fast until given food.
It must be given, I never ask. But it is given!
Everything is given to me and I pass it on.You must give if youwant to receive. Let the center of your being be one of giving, giving,giving.You can’t give too much, and you will discover you cannotgive without receiving. This kind of living is not reserved for thesaints, but is available for little people like you and me—if we reachout to give to everybody.
It is my mission as a pilgrim to act as a messenger expressingspiritual truths. It is a task which I accept joyfully, and I desire nothingin return, neither praise or glory, nor the glitter of silver andgold. I simply rejoice to be able to follow the whisperings of aHigher Will.
I have much to offer: I deal primarily with living God’s laws. Iextend to others the mystical approach to God, the kingdom of innerpeace. It is free, there is no charge.
There was a time—when I attained inner peace—when I died,utterly died to myself. I have since renounced my previous identity.
I can see no reason to dwell upon my past, it is dead and should notbe resurrected. Don’t inquire of me—ask about my message. It’s notimportant to remember the messenger, just remember the message.
Who am I? It matters not that you know who I am; it is of littleimportance.This clay garment is one of a penniless pilgrim journeyingin the name of peace. It is what you cannot see that is so veryimportant. I am one who is propelled by the power of faith; I bathein the light of eternal wisdom; I am sustained by the unending energyof the universe; this is who I really am!
I always have a feeling of awe and wonder at what God can do—using me as an instrument. I believe that anyone who is fully surrenderedto God’s will can be used gloriously—and will really knowsome things—and will probably be called self-righteous. You’re calledself-righteous if you are self-centered enough to think you knoweverything—but you may also be called self-righteous by the immatureif you are God-centered enough to really know some things.
My desire is to strive toward perfection; to be as much in harmonywith God’s will as possible; to live up to the highest light Ihave. I’m still not perfect, of course, but I grow daily. If I were perfectI would know everything and be able to do everything; I wouldbe like God. However, I am able to do everything I am called to do,and I do know what I need to know to do my part in the Divine Plan.
And I do experience the happiness of living in harmony with God’swill for me.
Any praise I receive does not change me, for I pass it right alongto God. I walk because God gives me the strength to walk, I livebecause God gives me the supply to live, I speak because God givesme the words to speak. All I did was to surrender my will to God’swill. My entire life has prepared me for this undertaking. This is mycalling.This is my vocation.This is what I must be doing. I could notbe happy doing anything else.
When I began my pilgrimage I left the Los Angeles area withouta cent, having faith that God would provide me with everything Ineeded. Although I have never asked for anything, God has providedme with everything along the way.Without ever asking for anythingI’ve been supplied.
I have faith that God will care for me, and God does provide myneeds. I don’t in any way feel insecure because I don’t know where Iwill sleep at night, where or when I will eat next. When you havespiritual security, you have no more feeling of need for materialsecurity. I don’t know anybody who feels more secure than I do—and, of course, people think I am the poorest of the poor. I knowbetter, I am the richest of the rich. I have health, happiness, innerpeace—things you couldn’t buy if you were a billionaire.
I do my work easily and joyously. I feel beauty all around me andI see beauty in everyone I meet, for I see God in everything. I recognizemy part in the Life Pattern and I find harmony through gladlyand joyously living it. I recognize my oneness with all mankind andmy oneness with God. My happiness overflows in loving and givingtoward everyone and everything.
For light I go directly to the Source of light, not to any of thereflections. Also I make it possible for more light to come to me byliving up to the highest light I have. You cannot mistake light comingfrom the Source, for it comes with complete understanding so that you canexplain it and discuss it. I recommend that way to all who can take it.
And great blessings lie in store for those who are wise enough toquickly put into practice the highest light that comes to them.
That which is received from without can be compared withknowledge. It leads to believing, which is seldom strong enough tomotivate to action. That which is confirmed from within after it iscontacted from without, or that which is directly perceived fromwithin (which is my way) can be compared with wisdom. It leads toa knowing, and action goes right along with it.
In my dealings with people, I don’t chastise, nor do I issue edictsor lay down a blueprint. My appointed work is to awaken the divinenature that is within. This is my calling, to open doors of truth andmake people think, to arouse others from their apathetic and lethargicstate, and get them to seek out for themselves the inner peacewhich dwells within. This is the extent of my undertaking, I can dono more.The rest I leave to a higher power.
Faith is a belief in things that your senses have not experiencedand your mind does not understand, but you have touched them inother ways and have accepted them. It is easy for one to speak offaith; it is another thing to live it.To me, faith represents that peoplecan, through their own free will, reach out and contact God, andgrace represents that God is always reaching toward people.To me itis very important that I remain in constant contact with God, ordivine purpose.
People have had to make up for their spiritual impoverishmentby accumulating material things. When spiritual blessings come,material things seem unimportant. But spiritual blessings do notcome until we desire them and relinquish desire for material things.
As long as we desire material things this is all we receive, and weremain spiritually impoverished.
Those who have overcome self-will and become instruments todo God’s work can accomplish tasks which are seemingly impossible,but they experience no feeling of self achievement. I now knowmyself to be a part of the infinite cosmos, not separate from othersouls or God. My illusory self is dead; the real self controls the garmentof clay and uses it for God’s work.
When I started out, my hair had started to turn to silver. Myfriends thought I was crazy. There was not one word of encouragementfrom them.They thought I would surely kill myself, walking allover. But that didn’t bother me. I just went ahead and did what I hadto do.They didn’t know that with inner peace I felt plugged into thesource of universal energy, which never runs out. There was muchpressure to compromise my beliefs, but I would not be dissuaded.
Lovingly, I informed my well-meaning friends of the existence of twowidely divergent paths in life and of the free will within all to maketheir choice.
There is a well-worn road which is pleasing to the senses andgratifies worldly desires, but leads to nowhere. And there is the lesstraveled path, which requires purifications and relinquishments, butresults in untold spiritual blessings.
There is a spark of good in everybody, no matter how deeply itmay be buried. It is the real you. When I say ‘you’ what am I reallythinking of? Am I thinking of the clay garment, the body? No, that’snot the real you.Am I thinking of the self-centered nature? No, that’snot the real you.The real you is that divine spark. Some call this theGod-centered nature, others the divine nature and the Kingdom ofGod within. Buddhists know it as nirvana; the Hindus refer to it asthe awakened soul; the Quakers see it as the Inner Light. In otherplaces it is known as the Christ in you, the Christ Consciousness, thehope of glory, or the indwelling spirit. Even some psychologists havea name for it, the superconscious. But it is all the same thing dressedin different words.The important thing to remember is that it dwellswithin you!
It does not matter what name you attach to it, but your consciousnessmust ascend to the point through which you view theuniverse with your God-centered nature. The feeling accompanyingthis experience is that of complete oneness with the UniversalWhole. One merges into a euphoria of absolute unity with all life:
with humanity, with all the creatures of the earth, the trees andplants, the air, the water, and even earth itself. This God-centerednature is constantly awaiting to govern your life gloriously.You havethe free will to either allow it to govern your life, or not to allow itto affect you.This choice is always yours!
From all things you read, and from all people you meet, take whatis good and leave the rest. For guidance and for truth it is much betterto look for the Source through your own inner teacher than to lookto people or books. Only if something within you says, “This is thetruth. This is for me,” does it become a part of your experience. Afteryou have read all the books, and heard all the lectures, you must stilljudge what is for you. Books and people can merely inspire you.
Unless they awaken something within you, nothing worthwhile hasbeen accomplished. But if you must read books, read many books, sothat you will contact as many conflicting opinions as possible. In thismanner you’ll be required to form your own opinions after all.
Think about all the good things of your life. Never think aboutyour difficulties. Forget yourself, and concentrate on being of serviceas much as you can in this world, and then, having lost your lowerself in a cause greater than yourself, you will find your higher self:
your real self.
What I speak of is not an easy undertaking, but I can assure youthat the end of your spiritual journey will be well worth the pricepaid.There are many hills and valleys. The struggle is like climbing,with each hilltop a little higher than the last.
Some have asked if I accept ‘disciples.’ Of course, I do not. It isnot healthy to follow another human being. Every person must findhis or her maturity. The process takes time, the growth period isdifferent for each individual.
Why do you look at me? Look at your own self.Why do youlisten to me? Listen to your own self.Why do you believe in what Isay? Do not believe in me or any other teacher, rather trust in yourown inner voice. This is your guide, this is your teacher.Your teacheris within not without. Know yourself, not me!
Walk with me, but don’t follow me blindly. Hold fast to thetruth, not to my garments. My body is merely a clay structure; todayit is here, tomorrow it shall be gone. If you attach yourself to metoday, what are you going to do tomorrow when I am not with you?
Attach yourself to God, attach yourself to humanity, only then willyou be closer to me.
The path of the seeker is full of pitfalls and temptations, and theseeker must walk it alone with God. I would recommend that youkeep your feet on the ground and your thoughts at lofty heights, sothat you may attract only good. Concentrate on giving so that youmay open yourself to receiving; concentrate on living according tothe light you have so that you may open yourself to more light; getas much light as possible through the inner way. If such receivingseems difficult, look for some inspiration from a beautiful flower ora beautiful landscape, from some beautiful music or some beautifulwords. However, that which is contacted from without must be confirmedwithin before it is yours.
Remember that one who does an unworthy deed is in reality psychologicallysick, and should be regarded with as much compassion asone who is physically sick. Remember that no one can hurt youexcept yourself. If someone does a mean thing to you, that person ishurt. You are not really hurt unless you become embittered, or unlessyou become angry and perhaps do a mean thing in return.
I consider myself a server working on the cause of difficulties:
our immaturity. And yet only a small minority are willing to workwith cause. For every person working on cause there are thousandsworking on symptoms. I bless those who are working on the outerlevel to remove symptoms, but primarily I continue to work on theinner level to remove cause.
It is because most people have not found their purpose and functionthat they experience painful disharmony within, and thus thebody of humanity is headed for chaos. Most of us fall short muchmore by omission than by commission: “While the world perishes we goour way: purposeless, passionless, day after day.”
In my work I have chosen the positive approach. I never think ofmyself as protesting against something, but rather as witnessing forharmonious living. Those who witness for, present solutions. Thosewho witness against, usually do not—they dwell on what is wrong,resorting to judgment and criticism and sometimes even namecalling.
Naturally, the negative approach has a detrimental effect onthe person who uses it, while the positive approach has a good effect.
When an evil is attacked, the evil mobilizes, although it may havebeen weak and unorganized before, and therefore the attack gives itvalidity and strength. When there is no attack, but instead goodinfluences are brought to bear upon the situation, not only does theevil tend to fade away, but the evildoer tends to be transformed.Thepositive approach inspires; the negative approach makes angry.Whenyou make people angry, they act in accordance with their baserinstincts, often violently and irrationally. When you inspire people,they act in accordance with their higher instincts, sensibly andrationally.Also, anger is transient, whereas inspiration sometimes hasa life-long effect.
There is a criterion by which you can judge whether the thoughtsyou are thinking and the things you are doing are right for you.Thecriterion is: Have they brought you inner peace? If they have not, there issomething wrong with them—so keep seeking! If what you do hasbrought you inner peace, stay with what you believe is right.
When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind ofperson who can live at peace with others. Inner peace is not foundby staying on the surface of life, or by attempting to escape from lifethrough any means. Inner peace is found by facing life squarely, solvingits problems, and delving as far beneath its surface as possible todiscover its verities and realities. Inner peace comes through strictadherence to the already quite well known laws of human conduct,such as the law that the means shape the end: that only a good meanscan ever attain a good end. Inner peace comes through relinquishmentof self-will, attachments, and negative thoughts and feelings.
Inner peace comes through working for the good of all.We are allcells in the body of humanity—all of us, all over the world. Eachone has a contribution to make, and will know from within what thiscontribution is, but no one can find inner peace except by working,not in a self-centered way, but for the whole human family.

The End