The sorry state of our world has provoked in most of us, at one point in our life, a deep existential anxiety. In those moments of dread, we intuit that there is something lacking in the world. Those who investigate it, by way of honest inquiry, soon realize that what is lacking in the world is themselves. We all see a different hole left by what is lacking and if we were to step inside it, we would discover that we fit. It is precisely because we fit that we see what is lacking. We are the only person who could see it. It is therefore incumbent on us to fill it. Furthermore, we can see that the silhouette so revealed has the shape of ourselves, not as we are now, but as we should be. The hole in the world has the shape of our fully realized Self. The pressure to transcend our condition is the cause of our anxiety. The only path to freedom from this dread is to become fully conscious of our life’s purpose. And then, we shall be what is lacking in the world.
This is a method of self-realization. It is based on several spiritual traditions pieced together in a way that complements their respective strengths and weaknesses. Its aim is to cut through the noise with as little dogmatism as possible. The modus operandi is founded on GNOSIS (the personal experience), justified by doubt. At the core of the Great Work, as we will call it, is Attainment. The word is used in the sense of seeking self-perfection, a never-ending quest where the goal is the Journey. The method leads us to reach the chief of all Attainments: Enlightenment (as intended by the Buddhists). Enlightenment is seeing that reality is made of sensations that are not preconditioned by a self, thus revealing the illusory nature of both reality and the self. The natural conclusion is non-duality. When the practitioner experiences it first-hand, he or she encounters an Inner Master, a spiritual guide who, from then on, will always stay by his or her side. Such a guide might seem like a mere intuition, but the encounter is nothing short of a union with the divine within. The divine isn’t particularly meant in a religious sense (although the interpretation is left to the individual), but as supramundane, of a nature that transcends earthly life. Our Inner Master holds the secret of the purpose of our existence, the meaning of our life or our True Will. With this discovery, we become who we really are. As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Attainment empowers us to create a life worth living.

Our culture gives us a false idea of happiness. Suffering makes us addicted to happiness. It tricks us into believing that, if only we could be happy, everything would be perfect. Instead of seeking happiness, shouldn’t we seek freedom from suffering? Suffering and happiness are merely two sides of the same coin. When we are constantly swinging between the two, our life spins out of control. The road to control is self-perfection through selflessness and detachment.

Our civilization is the product of its individuals. We are not responsible for the sorry state of the world, of course. These are the cards we have been dealt however. It naturally follows that the world would be a better place if were better individuals. If us humans could muster the strength and conviction to thrive to perfect ourselves, we would all be free. Attainment is the way to freedom from suffering and to autonomy. The fully realized individual is capable of enacting change with a level of one-pointedness, clarity and determination that nothing in this world can stop. The Universe has no other choice but to bend under the weight of that Will. Fully realized individuals are certainly quite rare. Some people don’t even desire Attainment. After all, if the quest for perfection never ends, why even start? One look around us suffices to reveal the state of affairs: most people have no interest in improvement. Their life is fine as it is. Nobody should interfere in their stagnation. One should only help those who ask for it. To those of us who expect more from life, who hope that life has a secret meaning hidden somewhere: things can be different. The humble aim of this author is to empower the reader to find it.

It goes without saying that the task at hand is tremendous. Attainment isn’t about making our life slightly better, nor is it a painkiller. Attainment is the transcendental endeavour of a lifetime. Following the guidelines established here leads to Attainment. It’s not this author claiming it, but the many teachers who developed the spiritual traditions that inspired this teaching. Those methods are gathered in one place, here, so anyone can have a clear view of the road ahead. The guidance presented isn’t simply gleaned from books, but based on personal experience. Books only explain (and hopefully confirm), on a mental and emotional level, the actual lived experience. The author is not a priest, a guru or the second coming of the Christ, doesn’t make mystical promises and doesn’t hand out grades or pats in the back. This is only a guide written in the hope of making apparent the light itself, not its reflection nor its diffraction. There is no belief required; only the willingness to try and the personal experience will come on its own accord. Attainment cannot be given. It can only be seized by the power of Will.

Now that the preamble is exposed, the method can be outlined as follows.

1. We clear our life so we can start the Work without distraction.
2. We clear the conscious Mind to shed light on the Unconscious without distraction.
3. We clear the Unconscious to experience the GNOSIS of meditation without distraction.
4. We clear the experience to hear the voice of our Inner Master without distraction.
5. We clear the communication with our Inner Master to find and enact our True Will without distraction.
6. We create a life worth living and live it without distraction.