I entered the path at the base of the mountain. As I was to learn later, the path wound around and around the mountain, with each coil being slightly above the one just below it.

At the point where I entered the path, the trees grew large and very thickly. The vines hanging from the trees and the underbrush were very thick. All in all, the vegetation grew very thickly, and I could not see very far because of it.

Some parts of the path were rather tortuous and very difficult to get past. At times, I would stop along the way to rest, especially if the going got rough. At other times, I would come upon someone sitting upon the stump of a tree, and he would expound many truths to me, so that I would know the way. Strangely, every time that I would come upon one of these men, he would tell me greater truths than had the previous men, and I would wonder how I could have been so gullible as to believe those earlier men.

Eventually, I managed to completely circle the mountain once, and I found that I could now look down upon those on the path below me, but they would never look up to see me and were not even aware that I was higher than they were. Still, I could not see very far, but I could wonder how those below me could be so stupid. They were very naive, not having the wealth of experience that I had gained in climbing to this higher level.

Still as I traveled this path I encountered those sitting at the side of the path, and they would preach to me new and greater truths.

As time passed and I continued to travel along the path, I found that I had circled the mountain again and now could look down upon two coils of the path and the people on those portions of the path below me. Occasionally, I would call to them, but they would not raise their heads to see me, nor would they hear me as I tried to tell them greater truths than they were being told. They would not benefit from my greater experiences. So I traveled on.

Because the mountain was roughly cone shaped, each circuit of the mountain was a little shorter than the previous one, but always there seemed to be obstacles in the path, and the higher that I went, the greater the obstacles became, so that each circuit of the mountain seemed to take about the same length of time as the previous one. Then I began to notice that the vegetation was slowly becoming thinner as I progressed so that I could see a little further.

Still, those foolish people below me refused to look up as I called to them, they refused to hear me.

Higher and higher I climbed and slowly but constantly the trees and brush thinned out and my view expanded.

It had been a while since I had seen one of the preachers beside the path when I came upon the first Stone. This Stone had a greater truth engraved upon it than any of the preachers had ever regaled me with and I was filled with joy by my discovery.

I tarried a while, pondering this new truth. I even called out to those below me again, but they would not look up. Finally, I felt that I fully comprehended this new truth and I moved on along the path.

As I continued along this path, the vegetation continued to thin, and my view continued to expand. Also, I found new Stones and each Stone had new and greater Truths graved upon them.

Then came the Stone beside which sat a person. This person seemed strange in that I could not readily tell if it was a man or a woman. For convenience, I will refer to this person as "he."

Shoulder length blond hair crowned his head. His face could be described as being as strong as any man, but as pretty and as kind as any woman. He wore a robe but was as flat of chest as a man. I really did not know what he was. He sat quietly as I read the words upon the Stone.

"This is a priceless gem of wisdom," I said.

He smiled at me and said, "Yes, my child, it is."

"But why," I asked, "were there none of these Stones upon the lower coils of the path?"

"My child, could those that are on the lower coils understand this truth? Or could they accept this truth if it were placed before them? For that matter, could you have understood or accepted this truth while you were on the lower coils?"

I thought for a moment before I answered. "No, I guess not. But tell me, why is it that those below me will not look up when I call to them. Why will they not listen as I try to tell them of the greater truths that I have found. And why will they not take my hand when I reach down to try to help them past an obstacle?"

The beautiful person smiled at me again and said, "My child, how often did you look up or listen when someone above you called to you? How often did you take the hand of someone who was reaching down to help you past your obstacles?"

"But none ever called to me, or reached out to help me."

"My blind and deaf child. For every time that you called out to those below you, someone above you has called out to you. For every time that you reached out to help someone else, someone has reached out to you.

"Stop and think very carefully, my child. As of this moment, how many times have you lifted your head and looked up?"

I did stop and think. I thought very carefully, but could not remember ever having looked up. Finally I had to reply to him, "None."

"Why then, child, do you not look upward now?"

I was startled by his question. And so, slowly, for the first time since I had set foot on this mountain, I lifted my head and looked upward. I was surprised to find that I could see a few coils of the path above me before they were hidden in the clouds. I was even more surprised to find there were others on the path ahead and above me. "I had not realized that there were others above me," I said.

"Nor do those below you realize that," he said. "But that is the way that it must be. Each has to tread his path himself or herself. Each must overcome his or her own obstacles. If you had seen the help that was offered to you on the lower coils, and had you accepted that help, would you have had the strength and skill to overcome the obstacles that you have encountered here on these higher coils?"

It did not take much consideration for me to realize that I would not have had the skill or strength.

We talked for a long while and eventually the beautiful person bid me to be on my way.

As I continued my travels, I found myself more and more frequently looking upward. At one time, seeing someone above would have discouraged me, now it heartened me. When I came upon obstacles that seemed to be too great to overcome, I could look up and see those that had come this way before me and realize that they had overcome these very same obstacles. That helped to give me the faith that I, too, could persevere.

When I would look up, I could normally see two to three coils above me. Above that, the clouds hid the path. As I climbed higher, it seemed that the cloud cover was always the same height above me. But on rare occasions, there would be a very brief break in the cloud cover, and I would catch a glimpse of the summit. That always filled me with joy. And along the way, I always tarried at each of the Stones until I was certain that I understood its truth.

As I climbed higher, I noticed that at times those above me would wave to me in greeting, and I would wave back. Soon, I noticed that those below me would occasionally look up, and I would wave to them in greeting.

Eventually, the time came when the clouds no longer hid the summit from me. I was overjoyed, knowing that I would reach it soon. And reach it I did. To be confused. From the number of people that I had seen on the path above me, I had expected to see throngs of people already here, but I saw only one person. And that was the beautiful person that I had seen seated by the Stone several coils of the path below. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. I had left him seated by the Stone many coils below me, and none had passed me on this path.

When I questioned him, wondering how it was that I had left him below me, and yet he was here before me, he answered. "My child, did you not know that there is more than one path up this mountain?"

I looked and saw that it was true. There were many paths climbing the mountain, I had been on but one. Other paths ran close to it in places, further apart in others and crisscrossed it in others. Strangely, I had never noticed them as I had climbed my path. Below me, multitudes toiled their ways up each of the various paths. That reminded me of the multitudes that I had expected to find here.

"But where are the others that were above me on the path, or on those other paths, they all end here? I had expected to find multitudes of others already here."

"Many others have arrived here before you, it is true. But they have all gone on." He gestured and I noticed a new path, heading even higher, and of a finer material than the one that I had just mastered.

"If this new path continues on, even higher, and the others have all gone on, why do you remain here?"

"Child, it is your progress that interests me. I have watched you since you first set foot upon the path."

"You have watched me? How can this be, I have seen you only once before this time, by the Stone many coils below here."

"True. You have only been directly aware of me that once before. But I have never been far from you."

"Who are you, to be so interested in my progress?"

"Child, I knew that you did not recognize me, or know who I was. But I had hoped that you would discern my identity for yourself. For I am you. I am your higher self, the one that you have called your Father/Mother God."

Then, with a gesture from Him, I set foot upon the new path...

© 1999 Charles H. Grooms