Step 3
As in the two previous parts of this post, which have already appeared, spiritual Path #3 grows out of a universal human need that God fulfills. In this case, the need is for a kind of meaning that extends beyond the ego and its endless craving for pleasure, power, and status.
Step #3--Seeking Community, Togetherness, Inner Peace
On this path the individual begins to see that there is more to life than winning. The competitiveness and work ethic of Path #2 led to worldly success, a visible sign that a person was favored by God. But inner life can't be satisfied by external goals, and even the greatest winner feels isolated at the top. A yearning develops for an end to struggle. One wants to relax in the embrace of community. Therefore, a need for belonging begins to emerge, and with that comes such altruistic impulses as philanthropy and giving to charity. It's no surprise that great entrepreneurs often become philanthropists late in life.
The other face of Path #3 is the tightly bound religious community, like the Pilgrim forefathers, whose members exchange individual drive for a larger group identity. This delivers a powerful sense of being chosen or among the elect. God becomes a collective spirit. For the first time He seems warm and forgiving. The former emphasis on sin and obedience now relaxes--the believer is welcomed into a family.
Path #3 strikes many people as feminine--for the first time a Mother God becomes as viable as a Father. The love of a caring, selfless mother is one of the paradigms on this path. Also, the dawn of the feminine softens the aggressive competition of Path #2, whose winner-loser dichotomy has no bearing on bonding and togetherness.
On Path #3 people may devote their lives to service, or they may turn to monasticism--this allows a total immersion in a religious community. The search for inner peace may be as intense as the search for success on Path #2. Good is defined as whatever upholds the well-being of common humanity. Evil is whatever injures humanity or disturbs one's inner peace.
The most significant milestone, however, is that God has turned inward. Many modern people find this a revelation. They were often able to fulfill lower needs--for security and achievement--without putting spiritual values on them. But inner peace dawns as an unexpected psychological phase, and one easily feels it as holy, special, a state of grace.
Every path has its built-in contradictions, and so does Path #3. When a believer sees these contradictions, the way opens for a new version of God. The contradictions of Path #3 include the following:
--Inner peace seems blessed but lacks vibrancy and motivation.
--Religious communities offer togetherness but at the price of rigid conformity
and exclusion of non-believers.
--Service is supposed to please God, yet one becomes prey to the greed and selfishness
of others who get more reward out of being served than the server does.
--Common humanity often negates the individual, who in merging with the group
loses the opportunity to grow and shine on his or her own.
Despite these problems, Path #3 can lead to a beautiful life, and personalities who thrive on service seem saintly in their goodness and selflessness. Finding the next path is often a slow process, given how rewarding this path is.