The Enneagram as a Treasure Map – Get a Shovel!
Once, a pretty ordinary person of adequate financial means discovered a treasure map. It had all the necessary ingredients: an island and an X.
The person was immediately energized as they recognized the island, and in that moment, they became a treasure hunter. They purchased a shovel and set out for the island.
Podcast Discussion
It took several holes to unearth the treasure, but the treasure hunter discovered they were more enthusiastic about treasure hunting than about the treasure! They thought, “Many islands look just like this one.” So, they spent their fairly remarkable life going from island to island with their treasure map and shovel, hunting for more treasure.
Of course, they never discovered any more treasure because that map was specific to the first island. But, they had a wonderful life as a treasure hunter satisfied with seeking the ultimate treasure.
A map is helpful, but when it leads you to the treasure, it’s time to put down the shovel and explore the treasure. Who knows what might be discovered—an amulet with a secret inscription leading to profound truths, a lamp with a genie, a mystical gem, or a precious pearl?
The other day, I posted The Post-Enneagram Era: Dismantling Typology, which received many interesting comments. A day passed as I sat and pondered and then forgot about replying. Then, when I drove back from San Francisco International Airport to Folsom, this parable came sailing into my mind. Here is some of what the story is pointing to.
Treasure of the Heart
The Map, the Shovel, and the Treasure invites us to reflect on the human tendency to remain in the process of searching rather than arriving at the destination. The treasure hunter embodies a familiar experience—becoming captivated by the search itself more than the object of the search.
This story is a metaphor for many of our journeys, especially spiritual ones. We may begin with the belief that there is a treasure to be found—enlightenment, truth, fulfillment—but sometimes we get so caught up in the searching that we never pause to fully realize what we’ve uncovered. The endless pursuit can be more than just comfortable—it can bind us to the identity we’ve built around seeking. Letting go of who we believe ourselves to be, shaped by the search, can be terrifying.
The treasure lies deep in the ocean
But, if it’s safety you seek
It’s back on the shore.
Sarmad
When we talk about spiritual maps—whether they’re teachings, systems like the Enneagram, or any spiritual practice—these are guides to help us find the treasure. The map and the shovel are crucial tools, but the moment they lead us to the treasure, they no longer serve the same purpose. Continuing to dig after finding the treasure is like searching outside ourselves when the real gem has been unearthed. It’s not about rejecting the tools that got us here, either. The digging skills remain helpful, but they don’t define us. Once we’ve uncovered what lies within, those skills may be needed again in other ways—but now with more discernment.
What lies in the treasure is not a fixed answer but a mystery to be unveiled. There’s a point when we must ask ourselves: Are we ready to put down the shovel and explore the treasure, or do we prefer the comfort of being the seeker?
The growth we gain from digging and the wisdom of knowing when to put down the shovel are where treasure transforms us from seekers to???
We can appreciate now that the human being is a treasure, incomparable and inconceivable. His objectivity has been likened to a precious diamond, and his personhood to a pearl beyond price. When his personhood becomes objective he is then the rare Diamond Pearl.
A. H. Almaas, The Pearl Beyond Price