The 22nd Path. Lamed, Justice

The Faithful Intelligence

You find yourself sitting one dismal gray day at a desk in the middle of a classroom filled with bags and suitcases. Though there are rows of desks, you are the only pupil, and all the baggage in the room is yours.

The Teacher is a large man with long white hair and a beard, dressed in a gray robe, the same shade as the clouds that pass by the windows. His demeanor is severe.

Behind him, the chalkboard is filled with illustrations, notes, and mathematical formulas. As you study it, you realize that this is the map of the life you have lived so far.

Using a type of stick that you have never seen before to point to the equations on the board, the Teacher tells you: These are the factors hampering you.

He then points to the sum: This is the result of their interaction in your life.

You feel scolded and want to protest, but then the Teacher walks to your desk and looks directly at you. Though his face is still stern, you see that He is looking at you with love.

He hands you the stick He has been holding, and says: This is the ancient ox goad. The one upon which the letter lamed was formed. Though I give you m promise to be faithful not matter when the path of your life leads you, use this goad for guidance and balance to find the middle path of wholeness.

The classroom dissolves, and you now stand on the edge of a rocky cliff. Far in the distance, a golden sphere shines. Instinctively, you know that this far off place is so sublime it must be the heart of all existence, and so you say a prayer for what appears to be impossible: to transverse the great chasm that separates the outcropping on which you stand from this radiant realm.

As you pray, a narrow bridge made of emerald expands in front of you like a thin green tightrope. You realize that the ox goad will act as your balance as you cross over this narrow band. Thought you are anxious about the safety of this undertaking, your desire to cross over is so strong you willingly take your first step on the slick stone.

When your foot hits, the emerald walkway is so reflective that you see yourself, and this undermines your equilibrium. You feel unsteady and ask that protection be sent to you. In answer to your prayer, you hear the fluttering of wings. Three white doves descend and take their stations, one behind you and one on each side. You feel steadier and thank the birds, ready to begin the long walk over the chasm.

You put one foot out and then another, aware that only empty space lies underneath. You feel grateful for having left so many heavy things back in the classroom, yet you become increasingly aware that in order to successfully get to your destination there is more that you need too release.

With this realization, the emptiness around the pathway disappears, and you find that you stand in front of an ancient pyramid. Like the bridge, it is made of emerald, and you can see the reflection in the dark green hues. The doves accompany you to the portico and then are transformed into three beautiful women with wings. You hear wind howling now and looking through the entrance of the temple you see that a storm is gathering inside.

The women tell you that they are harpies and each says her name:
Stormswift.
The Dark.
Swiftwing.

You ask them if you must go into the temple; they nod and lift you in the air. Dread rises inside of you, but you grasp your ox goad tighter and are comforted. The three carry you inside.

Lightning flashes overhead and the form of the Hindu God Yama appears in the clouds, bearing swords in his many hands. He asks: Is your mind free enough to pass into the heart of creation?

With great effort, take a deep breath, calming your mind. Though you are scared, you empty your mind of thought and attempt to just “be” beneath his image, regardless of the outcome of his manifestation.

Slowly Yama fades from the sky, but as he disappears, the figure of the Egyptian Goddess Maat forms. She holds a scale in one had and an ostrich feather in the other.

Pointing, she inquires: Is your heart as light as my feather?

In your mind’s eye, you see the joy that waits in the golden sphere. You say another prayer to let go of whatever you still hold onto that would prevent your entrance there. You pray again, and something like a soft breeze passes through you; energy shifts as trauma, hate, worry, and despair lift from your body. Rain begins to fall like baptismal waters, and you feel your soul washed clean.

The three winged-women lift you once more and carry you deeper into the pyramid now that you have passed the needed trial. A gold scale waits just like the one that Maat carried. You feel your etheric heart freed from your body and watch it placed on one side of the scale, with Maat’s feather on the other.

The scale slowly balances. You have nothing to do but submit to God’s will. You watch the scale, and then you finally see that now your heart is indeed as light as her feather.

The pyramid disappears and once again you stand on the bridge with the ox goad in your hands. You look back at the immense distance you have traveled. The origin of your journey appears as a gray sphere in the distance.

The sphere on the Son is now before you. Jesus stands at the gateway to the golden land awaiting you. He regards you for a long time, and you know he is seeing your history and the walk you were willing to take to find Him.

When he speaks, your heart fills with joy.

Nothing is impossible with faith. Enter my kingdom, and be filled with Eternal Life.

You no longer need the safety of the ox goad, and so you relinquish it and step into His Realm.