---

Ariadne/Chapter Twelve: Problems and Difficulties on the Spiritual Path

---

Chapter Twelve:
Problems and Difficulties on the Spiritual Path

A few years passed…

The measured and pure life of the disciples of Pythagoras attracted many new followers. And many were accepted into the School.

The examples on how to follow the precepts of Pythagoras in everyday life were admired even by those who had not yet decided to follow his recommendations in their lives.

But there were also a few adherents who, over time, became uninterested in the intensive life of making constant efforts to transform themselves. Pythagoras — sometimes gently, sometimes harshly — removed such disciples from further studies and initiations into the depths of the Teachings. After all, further cognition becomes impossible when one’s lofty aspirations die away and the Holy Contact with the Highest becomes lost. It happens when one begins to perceive all of this as… commonplace! This was often accompanied by a surge of worldly desires and aspirations.

In such cases, Pythagoras usually gave the student a task of serving people in something useful to the cause of the School, but which required a fuller immersion into daily, worldly life, where such desires could be reasonably satisfied. Such a student continued to feel part of the School. The rare hours set aside for spiritual practices and meditations became so precious to him or her that it then became possible to consolidate the already-achieved progress of the soul and avoid a strong reversal, resulting in much less degradation. The process of sharing the knowledge that one has obtained and serving others with the skills that one has acquired is very useful for the soul. Then what is really understood and assimilated on the spiritual Path is consolidated, and the everything unnecessary withers away as if it has not taken root…

When Ariadne started noticing that the aspirations of her friend Ferenika were fading, she began to worry about her. It was as if Ferenika had lost the joy of life, and spiritual practices no longer delighted her, often being seen as a tedious daily obligation… And the world of various amusements and pleasures had again become more attractive to Ferenika than the joy of learning new things about the Divine World.

Ariadne wanted to talk to her and tell her about the moments of her own life that helped her in such difficult times. After all, God inevitably tests everyone who walks the spiritual Path. Such tests must be passed in order to move forward!

Ariadne was looking for the right moment to talk. But things turned out differently: Ferenika herself came to talk about her problem. She turned to Ariadne, as in the old days, seeking support and comfort. She complained:

“Tell me: have I grown old? Have I become less beautiful? They no longer cast admiring glances at me, the way they used to, when I saw that a man was ready to give his life for a night with me! I no longer have admirers!”

“Why do you need all this among the disciples of Pythagoras?

“Just go to the market — and you’ll see a lot of passionate looks… Is that what you want?”

“No, not really… But I want to be liked, to be admired! And when I try to flirt a little, I get condescending glances in return… Is my charm… gone?

“Yesterday, Leonardos even gave me a reprimand, as if I were not his equal, but his pupil! He spoke about the difference between the grace of a female, which attracts a male only by outer appearance, — and the sublime inner beauty that unites body and soul in harmony and inspires poets and artists… I cried almost all night — and came to you…

“I can’t do anything in meditation now… I feel sorry for myself, I’m depressed by what I did in the past, and I don’t know how to go on. Maybe I should not even try to meditate if I am no longer good at it. After all, my time are spent either admiring myself, or dreaming of personal happiness, or feeling sad because of my failures… And the Divine states are so far away now, as if all previous experiences of rapture with the Divine Light had never even happened! It is as if it was all just a beautiful dream…”

“It always helps me — during such difficulties — to start as if from the very beginning: with the simple exercises that Pythagoras showed us. For example, ‘golden rain’! Remind yourself how wonderfully it cleanses the body, thoughts, and energies of the soul! The most elementary exercises suddenly become so miraculous.”

… Then Ariadne spoke in such a way that there was a change in the entire space surrounding their bodies. She did not just recite the words of spiritual practice, but created, as a consciousness, the movements of the Streams of Light.

“Remind yourself, Ferenika, how it fills us with joy! Feel that there is a cloud of pure golden Light above us that is ready to pour down with a golden rain! We want to accept this Light in ourselves to purify the body and the soul! We raise our hands, putting our palms under the golden streams of Light! The Light — like water — washes our bodies from outside, and we fill our bodies with It — like hollow vessels!

“And afterwards, the Light becomes more and more refined, like a golden mist. We inhale it… It permeates our bodies from within… Our bodies become light, weightless…

“In our spiritual hearts, a Source of Love and Light is kindled like the sun. And then we ourselves radiate this Light-Love in all directions!”

… Ferenika accepted the meditation, tears of happiness came to her eyes… She hugged Ariadne:

“Thank you, sweet friend! When I am with you, everything is easy and joyful! But it is becoming harder and harder to force myself to do these exercises… It seems that I am… untalented!

“Here, at the School, everyone is so highly skilled. Some are talented in music, others in poetry, still others in sculpture or painting. There are those who prefer mathematics… But I am not talented in anything!.. I lack interest in abstract forms of pyramids and tetrahedrons, mathematical formulas bore me, and the muses of art have not endowed me with gifts… What can I do?”

“But it is also possible to be simply contemplative and appreciative of beauty!”

“But I have always wanted to be the best! Before, it was my outer beauty… However, now I have lost that too…”

“That’s not true at all, Ferenika! You are beautiful, even more beautiful than before. But that’s when you don’t feel sad or sorry for yourself. Remind yourself how you felt like a Goddess — free from the flesh, from thoughts and emotions oppressing the soul! Think of yourself as that! After all, that is the real you!

“You experience happiness and joy when you give them to others, not when you want them only for yourself!

“If we keep harmony in our thoughts, emotions, and deeds — then we bring love and peace into the universe! We can become Parts of the Highest Light, small Rays of the United Light, when we carry love for the material world in us, as souls!

“The developed soul is like a musical instrument which sounds in harmony with the Divine Cosmic Sound!

“You are tired. And you need to readjust yourself — from the very beginning. Try to do it the way Pythagoras taught us.”

… Ariadne felt sad that she had not been able to help her friend completely. So, the next day, she decided to ask Pythagoras for help.

… Pythagoras, as usual, already knew both of Ariadne’s arrival and of her questions. He was waiting for her. His entire majestic and calm appearance made a special impression on Ariadne.

Pythagoras waited to speak, during which time, Ariadne’s anxiety for her friend became replaced by peace and an expansion of the soul. Now everything could be perceived differently: wisely!

Pythagoras looked at Ariadne tenderly and invited her to sit down on a marble bench in an ivy-covered gallery open to the sea. He spoke, not expecting Ariadne to ask a question:

“Yes, Ferenika has some problems right now. But we’ll wait a little while. There are going to be many guests in your house soon. Let Ferenika help you with the reception of everyone we can’t accommodate at the School’s facilities. I hope it will do her good and that she will blossom again. Perhaps, she will meet there someone with whom she will be happy in family life, and this will solve many of her problems.

“Not everyone is able to travel the whole Path in one earthly life. The necessity of pausing to assimilate everything that the soul has learned on the Great Path, should not be considered a misfortune.

“Too much spiritual knowledge can become a burden that the soul cannot bear any more. It is necessary to allow one to fix oneself on the level one has already achieved — steadily and firmly, so that the knowledge is not only heard, but has entered into full awareness and into the life of the soul. We need to be able to allow such a pause, to anchor what we have learned. Sometimes it is necessary for a long time, sometimes — until the end of life in one’s body.

“It is better for a person to live with inspiration in ordinary worldly life than a yearning, by compulsion, by obligation to observe the rules of ascetic life. If spiritual efforts are no longer desirable, if satiety has set in — then one must surely pause!

“In this case, the right aspiration can be maintained in the soul for many subsequent earthly lives, which are necessary for development in all the beauty and grandeur of the wonderful qualities of this soul!”