Every person and being is composed of an endless number of ever-deepening layers.

 

One of the most important spiritual principles is the realization that every person we encounter - as well as every daily event and every creature in Nature - is composed of a never-ending series of ever-deepening layers. In Nature, for example, everything we encounter is symbolic of a deeper reality. The sky embodies the meditative principle of vast awareness, for example, and a flower speaks of the inner beauty of the soul. With people, especially those whom we find challenging, it is important always to search for an underlying suffering in the person's history that is the source of the behavior we find challenging. However, spiritual vision teaches us that DEEPER STILL lies a divine core - call it the true self, Buddha-nature, the indwelling Christ, God within, untapped human potential, or a thousand other names. Living a spiritual life means always searching for this deeper layer of sacredness, especially in those places where we least expect to find it. Indeed, that depth is precisely what we hope OTHERS will see in us, especially when we aren't on our best behavior! In fact, this kind of search for deeper meaning is, according to the Muslim Hadith Qudsi, founded in the deepest reality of all - the Divine Presence - who excitedly exclaims: "I was a Hidden Treasure, and I LONGED to be known." That treasure is hidden in each of us, and it is our sacred calling as human beings to uncover it, both within ourselves and in others!

Photo: Forest Fire haze makes for beautiful mountain layers; Crater Lake National Park, OR; July 27, 2014