Each and every one of us is given a very particular essence, a very distinct quality that we bring into this life with us that is intended to be developed and integrated during our life. Although we ourselves are not the creators of our essence, our responsibility is to do the work that the Divine has given us, which is to attend to its development.

True spiritual work is not just about exploring consciousness when we are feeling good, or when we are experiencing something that pleases us. Real freedom involves the willingness to look at ourselves no matter what each moment gives us to see.

The words used to describe something are never the thing itself. But words are needed to describe a relationship that already exists between the observer and the observed. However, a picture or an impression conveys the whole of a relationship instantaneously, without the need for words. This is why stories, parables and metaphors are used so often in true spiritual teachings.