On the path of spiritual realization, as we come to know ourselves at deeper levels—as we recognize our presence, our spirit, our inner light, our love—the next step is to know how to bring all of this into the world, how to live it. And the primary way of doing that is in relation to other people. It may be difficult to ride your bicycle in the enlightened condition, but you will notice that this is much easier than interacting with your husband or wife. Things are more complex when it comes to other human beings. Your bicycle doesn’t change—it is always the same. Or once in a while something happens and you fix it—but it is quite predictable. Another human being is a whole universe, a complex and rich set of possibilities. We usually don’t fully recognize that fact; we don’t let ourselves see or appreciate it. However, when you explore and experience yourself more thoroughly, you see how much there is to your consciousness—and it is the same with everybody else. The riches innate to our soul, which relationships can limit or invite, are the same for all souls, all human beings. – The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life, ch. 5
The desire to be on a spiritual path will inspire one to take on its practices and apply oneself sincerely, but this does not ensure that the disciple will reach the full potential of the teaching. As most mystical paths teach, though practice is necessary, the rest happens through grace, or blessing—in any case, it is not the result of our efforts. “Enlightenment is an accident,” one of my Zen-monk friends says, “and all we can do is make ourselves accident-prone.” – Karen Johnson, The Jeweled Path: The Biography of the Diamond Approach to Inner Realization, Ch. 8