1: Spiritual Onions

A lot of times, we hear about doing spiritual work as ‘peeling the layers of the onion.” This is, effectively, a good analogy for what is happening as a person starts diving in to their spiritual work. I feel like it is incomplete, though.

I like to speak in metaphor. I believe that it makes it easier for people to understand the premise when it can be visualized. So, I like to think of spiritual work in this way.

We do peel the layers of the onion. When this happens, there can be an immediate and visceral reaction. Sometimes we cry, sometimes we get angry, and sometimes we can even get ill. But, the longer that the peeled layer is away from the body of the onion, the less pungent it becomes.

When it is tolerable, we have the opportunity to decide how we are going to prepare it. Am I going to slice it? Dice it? Mince it? How is it going to be best for me to incorporate it?

So now, I have this pile of onions. It maybe large slices or tiny pieces. It is now time to incorporate them in to the recipe.

Spiritual work, in my opinion, is much like this. I peel the layers and experience what there is to experienced. When I am ready, I break it down into manageable pieces by removing the story that is incorporated and therefore removing the emotional attachment. Once it feels manageable, I integrate the pieces that I need into my life and let the rest go.

Through this process, I am able to come through the other side of any situation just a little bit more whole. And, after all, isn’t that the point of all of this?