FOCUS | From the Editor
AT THE AGE OF NINETY, B.K.S. Iyengar is a living testament to the potential outer, or physical, benefits of finding and following a true spiritual path. Doubters need only look at the astonishing photographs that accompa- ny the rare interview with him in this Fall 2009 issue of PARABOLA.
Regarding inner benefits, Mr. Iyengar states that there are four paths to reach “the one and only goal: that is, emancipation and freedom from the bondage of worldly life.” Many contemporary seekers might wonder if the number isn’t more like a hundred, or a thousand, judging from the myriad traditions, schools, and teachers that crowd our bookstores and the Internet.
“Which is the right path for me?” is a question often asked. Others are, “Do I need a guide?”; “Who will guide me?”; and “Does the path ever end?” In this issue, we explore these and other questions, not so much for answers as for understandings that may lead to further ques- tions that might take each of us a step or two farther along our own path.
In addition to the interview with Mr. Iyengar, conducted in India, readers will find here one with Sheikha Fariha, who leads a mosque in Manhattan; nonfiction by men and women set in Australia, Japan, Israel, Paris, and Afghanistan; and a story from a fantasy land. There are teach- ings from the world’s great religions, and equally potent advice from those who stand apart. An entire section of the issue is devoted to René Daumal, the enigmatic seeker who studied with G. I. Gurdjieff, and we are proud to present four new poems by a great poet of the Path, Mary Oliver. Indeed, it seems that one of the few definitive statements one can make about the Path is that it resists easy definition, knowing no bound- aries other than those of its own requirements.
But of course something unites nearly all the paths traced in this issue, and that is their source: the sacred wisdom that flows like molten gold through the world’s great spiritual teachings and practices, from the highest levels into the deepest parts of ourselves.
There is another similarity worth noting. No matter what path one walks, it seems that exceptional effort is necessary to progress along it. Traversing the path has been likened, including by René Daumal in his novel MOUNT ANALOGUE, to climbing a mountain: proper preparation is needed, as is unstinting dedication. As Mr. Iyengar puts it, “Do you believe [what I have achieved] has been the work of one day? I have had to sweat, physically, mentally, intellectually to reach this. Even my brain was sweating!” May we be able to say the same.
JEFF ZALESKI
