Discovery
of the Inner Paths
At the beginning of 1970 in Denver I found a local
guru who introduced me to many spiritual teachings. While in retrospect he was limited in
his insights, he did serve as a catalyst to connect me with the spiritual path. Through
the encounter with various spiritual teachings that he initiated, I took to the yogic path
as my main pursuit in life.
He made me familiar with a broad array of mystical teachings: Hindu,
Buddhist, Theosophist and Sufi. It included everything from occult teachings of Alice
Bailey to Zen, and a prominent place for the teachings of Gurdjieff. I learned that a core
of inner teachings existed behind the outer religious traditions of the world, an esoteric
approach beyond their exoteric forms.
A number of such American teachers and arose at this time,
as well as teachers from India coming to the West. A major counterculture interest in
India, Yoga and gurus began. The group that I was involved with was one of the few in the
Denver area and so offered an alternative way of life than either my family or the
counterculture, which was quite appealing at the time.
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