The
experience of divine guidance has been reported in
numerous biblical and historical accounts. These accounts are
found in the sacred texts of the world, and in the
biographical and autobiographical accounts of
individuals and groups.
These
are the stories of how others have
experienced the Divine in all
its forms; they are the stories told through time by the Saints, Mystics,
Poets and Artists. The sum of these stories is the story of humanities experiences with
the Divine; it is the story of our search for guidance and for
wisdom from a Source beyond our limited perceptions of our selves
and the world around us.
The following quotations are a small
sampling of the historical accounts of divine guidance that have been
reported throughout time, across cultures and across traditions.
JOHN FIRE LAME DEER
THE PROPHET ELIJAH
JESUS
MUHAMMAD
THE APOLOGY OF SOCRATES
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA
BUDDHA
CHUANG TZU - ON EQUALIZING THINGS
JOHN FIRE LAME DEER
I was all alone on the hilltop. I sat there
in the vision pit, a hole dug into the hill, my arms
hugging my knees as I watched old man Chest, the medicine
man who had brought me there, disappear far down in the
valley. He was just a moving black dot among the pines,
and soon he was gone altogether. Now I was all by myself,
left on the hilltop for four days and nights without food
or water until he came back for me...
Darkness had fallen
upon the hill. I knew that hanhepiwi had risen, the night
sun, which is what we call the moon. Huddled in my narrow
cave, I did not see it. Blackness was wrapped around me
like a velvet cloth... Slowly I perceived that a voice
was trying to tell me something. It was a bird cry, but I
tell you, I began to understand some of it … I heard
a human voice too, strange and high pitched, a voice
which could not come from an ordinary, living being.
All
at once I was way up there with the birds. The hill with
the vision pit was way above everything. I could look
down even on the stars, and the moon was close to my left
side. It seemed as though the earth and the stars were
moving below me. A voice said, "You are sacrificing
yourself here to be a medicine man. In time you will be
one.
Lame Deer & Erdoes, (1972). Lame Deer Seeker of Visions.
New York: Washington Square Press, p.1-5
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THE
PROPHET ELIJAH
Elijah arose, and ate and drank, and on the
strength of that meal he traveled forty days and nights
to Horeb, God's mountain. There he came to a cave, and
lodged in it...And, behold, God passed by, and a great
and strong wind rent the mountain, and broke the rocks in
pieces before God; but God was not in the wind. An
earthquake followed the wind, but God was not in the
earthquake. A fire followed the earthquake, but God was
not in the fire; and after came a still, small voice.
The Holy Bible,
Kings I 19:8-13
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JESUS
It was at this time that Jesus came from
Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John... As
soon as Jesus was baptized he came up from the water, and suddenly
the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, 'This is
my Son, the Beloved, my favor rests in him'.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit out into
the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days
and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter
came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones
to turn into loaves'. But he replied, 'Scripture says: Man does not
live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of
God'. The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on
the parapet of the Temple. 'If you are the Son of God' he said
'throw yourself down; for the scripture says: He will put you in his
angels' charge, and they will support you on their hands in case you
hurt your foot against a stone'. Jesus said to him, 'Scripture also
says: You must not put the Lord your God to the test'. Next, taking
him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms
of the world and their splendor. 'I will give you all these' he said
'if you fall at my feet and worship me.' Then Jesus replied, 'Be
off, Satan! For scripture says: You must worship the Lord your God,
and serve him alone.' Then the devil left him, and angels appeared
and looked after him....Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him,
returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the
countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised
him.
A voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified
it, and I will glorify it again'. People standing by, who heard
this, said it was a clap of thunder; others said, 'It was an angel
speaking to him'. Jesus answered, 'It was not for my sake that this
voice came, but for yours.
The Jerusalem Bible, Mark
1:9; Matthew 3:13-4:10; Luke 4:14-15; John 12:28-30
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MUHAMMAD
Muhammad was in the habit of retiring to a
cave in Mount Hira, not far from Mecca. Many was the time, after
leaving the town, that he clearly heard the words "Peace be on
thee, O apostle of Allah", but looking around all he could see
were trees and stones. On the 26-27th of Ramadan when he was in his
fortieth year and alone in the cave there came to him an angel in
the form of a man. Gabriel recited what was to become the first five
verses of the Qur'an of sura 96...
"With the name of God, the Most
Merciful, the All-Merciful, with the name of thy Lord Who created,
Created man from what clings, and thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not" (Qur'an
96:1-5).
Muhammad recited these words after the
angel. He later said, "It was as though the words were written
on my heart."
…Muhammad continued to receive Revelations
from Allah, although spasmodically at first. Some were spoken to him
in the same manner as the first, but others came to him like the
reverberations of a bell and these were very hard on him. The
Prophet spoke of the Revelations to those who were closest to him
but asked them not to divulge his secret for the time being. One day
while he was on the hillside, Gabriel came to him, struck the ground
with his heel causing a spring to gush forth. Then he performed the
ritual ablution to show the Prophet how to purify himself for
worship. Then Gabriel showed him how to pray and what to say. The
Prophet went home and taught Khadijah [his wife] and his followers
all that he had learnt. The new religion was established.
Robert E Burns (1994). The wrath
of Allah. Houston, Texas: Ghosh Publications, p. 10-14.
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THE APOLOGY OF SOCRATES
O my judges--for you I may truly call
judges--I should like to tell you of a wonderful
circumstance. hitherto the familiar oracle within me has
constantly been in the habit of opposing me even about
trifles, if I was going to make a slip or error about
anything; and now as you see there has come upon me that
which may be thought, and is generally believed to be,
the last and worst evil. But the oracle made no sign of
opposition, either as I was leaving my house and going
out in the morning, or when I was going up into this
court, or while I was speaking, at anything which I was
going to say; and yet I have often been stopped in the
middle of a speech; but now in nothing I either said or
did touching this matter has the oracle opposed me. What
do I take to be the explanation of this? I will tell you.
I regard this as a proof that what has happened to me is
a good, and that those of us who think that death is an
evil are in error. This is a great proof to me of what I
am saying, for the customary sign would surely have
opposed me had I been going to evil and not to good.
Plato (1980). The Apology of
Socrates. Danbury, CT: Grolier Enterprises,
p.28.
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PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA
My first experience in hearing the Divine
Voice came when I was a little child. Sitting on my bed
one morning, I fell into a deep reverie. 'What is behind
the darkness of closed eyes?' This probing thought came
powerfully into my mind. An immense flash of light at
once manifested to my inner gaze. Divine shapes of
saints, sitting in meditation in mountain caves, formed
like miniature cinema pictures on the large screen of
radiance within my forehead. 'Who are you?' I spoke
aloud. 'We are the Himalayan yogis.' The celestial
response is difficult to describe; my heart was thrilled.
The vision vanished, but the silvery beams expanded in
ever widening circles to infinity. I said, 'What is this
wondrous glow?' 'I am Iswara (the Lord). I am the Light.'
The Voice was as murmuring clouds.
My mother and eldest sister Roma were nearby
when I had this early experience, and they too heard the Divine
Voice. I received such happiness from God's response that I
determined then and there to search for Him until I would become
wholly one with Him."
Paramahansa
Yogananda (1957), How You can talk with God.
Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, p. 9-10.
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BUDDHA
The Holy One directed his steps to that
blessed Bodhi tree beneath whose shade he was to accomplish his
search. As he walked, the earth shook and a brilliant light
transfigured the world. When he sat down the heavens resounded with
joy and all living beings were filled with good cheer. Mara alone,
lord of the five desires, bringer of death and enemy of truth, was
grieved and rejoiced not. With his three daughters, Tanha, Raga and
Arati, the tempters, and with his host of evil demons, he went to
the place where the great samana sat. But Sakyamuni heeded him not.
Mara uttered fear-inspiring threats and raised a whirlwind so that
the skies were darkened and the ocean roared and trembled.
But the Blessed One under the Bodhi-tree
remained calm and feared not. The Enlightened One knew that no harm
could befall him. The three daughters of Mara tempted the
Bodhisattva, but he paid no attention to them, and when Mara saw
that he could kindle no desire in the heart of the victorious samana,
he ordered all the evil spirits at his command to attack him and
overawe the great muni.
But the Blessed One watched them as one
would watch the harmless games of children. All the fierce hatred of
the evil spirits was of no avail. The flames of hell became
wholesome breezes of perfume, and the angry thunderbolts were
changed into lotus-blossoms. When Mara saw this, he fled away with
his army from the Bodhi-tree, whilst from above a rain of heavenly
flowers fell, and voices of good spirits were heard: "Behold
the great muni! his heart unmoved by hatred. The wicked Mara's host
'gainst him did not prevail. Pure is he and wise, loving and full of
mercy. As the rays of the sun drown the darkness of the world, so he
who perseveres in his search will find the truth and the truth will
enlighten him.
Carus, P. (1894). The Gospel of
Buddha. Australia: Mountain Man Graphics, 11:1-10.
...the ancient Buddhist Texts tell us about
the hesitation of the Buddha before beginning his mission: "I
have discovered a profound Truth, difficult to perceive, difficult
to understand, accessible only to the wise. ...If I proclaim it and
men are unable to understand it, the only result will be fatigue and
annoyance for me." ...At this point the Texts...tell of the
intervention of a God, Brahma Sahampati, who put into words the
thoughts springing up in the mind of the Buddha. Brahma Sahamapati
exhorts the Buddha to conquer His hesitation: "...Arise, O
Victorious One! Travel thoughout the world, O Chief of Pilgrims
(beings who wander in the round of successive births and deaths).
There are some who will understand Thee.
David-Neel & Lama Yongden
(1967). The secret oral teachings in Tibetan Buddhist sects. San
Francisco: City Lights Books, p.4-6.
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CHUANG TZU - ON EQUALIZING THINGS
Tzu-ch'i of Nan-kuo sat leaning on an
armrest. He looked up at the sky and sighed. It seemed that he was
oblivious of his body and soul. Rising to stand before him, Yen-ch'eng
Tzu-yu said, "What is your state? Is the body indeed to be made
like a withered tree and the mind like dead ashes? The way you are
leaning on the armrest now is not like before?'
Tzu-ch'i said, "Is it not good that you
have asked about this? Now I have forgotten myself. Do you recognize
this?
"Even if you have heard the pipes of
humanity, you have not heard the pipes of earth. Even if you have
heard the pipes of earth, you have not heard the pipes of heaven.
Tzu-yu asked, "How is that done, may I
ask?"
Tzu-ch'i said, "When the Great Mass
exhales, that is called wind. It is not active now, but when it acts
up, all openings howl furiously. Have you alone not heard its sound
in the swaying of the mountain forests? The holes in a giant tree
are like nose, mouth, and ears, like square boxes, like round cages,
like mortars, like cavities, like depressions: some roar, some
whistle, some chatter, some huff, some howl, some wail, some boom,
some cry. Those that sing out first are followed by others chiming
in; in a breeze there is a small concert, in a wind there is a grand
concert. When the forceful wind stops, all the holes are empty. Do
you alone not see the trees swaying?"
Tzu-yu said, "If those myriad holes are
the pipes of the earth, and the pipes of humanity are the woodwind
instruments, then may I ask what the pipes of heaven are?"
Tzu-Ch'I said, "Their playing has
myriad differences, and causes them to come from themselves. All
partake on their own, but who is the motive force?
Cleary, T. (1992). The essential
Tao. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. p.69-70.
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