Sincere effort pays dividends on the spiritual path of self-understanding — in fact, it is your most valuable asset.

But before there is sincere effort, there must be genuine longing and before that, deep and abiding curiosity born out of profound awe and reverence.

How does this all work? Who am I? What am I?

You cannot get answers to these things if you, yourself don’t want them.

Techniques, dogma, and outer approaches to self-understanding can take you far, but not far enough.

Eventually, they are let go of, like an old pair of clothes.

With genuine longing and sincere effort, born out of profound awe and reverence (and a healthy amount of frustration from seeking and not finding) you become the technique and teaching that you require.

At times, you pick up meditation. Perhaps some yoga. Then some ceremony and breath work. You mix and match to meet the need of the time, happily trading one for the other.

This way, your refining meets no end. You keep going and going until the key fits the lock.

You’ve got to want it.

That is the key.