Exploring spiritual evolution and involution

The Empowered
In the time of the guru, it was commonplace for a student (chela) to be given lessons on the bigger plan for the Universe along with the standards lessons of perfecting the spiritual body through initiation with a teacher that is an influence for life. I say ‘the time of the guru’ because I believe that method no longer exists in a way that is of the highest and best outcome.
While scandals around ashrams and flawed gurus have been around America since the 70’s, you don’t hear about them too much anymore. But there has been a continual degradation of the guru as spiritual teacher all over the world.

The Willful
Guru is defined briefly as a teacher who nurtures the realization of the inner guru of the student. The outer guru is the physical presence that has in the recent past caused disruption to the original intent behind the title Guru. The inner guru is the Higher Self.
The evolution of the outer guru has led to or is leading to it’s ultimate demise and the inner guru will be discovered today by the enterprising student who realizes that the all-important guru resides within each of us.
The Higher Self is the supreme guru, it is the spiritual fire within each person. While teachers and guides help us all along the way, it seems to me less possible that just one person is going to help me birth my inner divine qualities.
In the vein that it takes a village to raise a child, is it possible that it takes the entire ascended host to birth the Christed-self within each of us? In other words, to realize my divine energies and powers I need many teachers while mantaining focus on discovery of my inner guru.
“As you mature in spiritual sight, you will be better able to realize the inherent power with yourself (individual) as opposed to seeking power outside yourself (tribal).” Caroline Myss
That requires a lot of discrimination along the road; avoiding jarring potholes of skilled but not too skilled, spiritual laborers and life-sucking ditches flooded with glorified, talented, over-exposed people. To personally evolve requires recognition of the imperative involution necessary to become a blended (or perfected) being.

The Inquirer
It is perhaps imprudent to use the word evolution but it is the perfect word nonetheless. In the old guru standard the student was taught to progress to perfect union with the divine – mostly a spiritual pursuit with physical, emotional and mental development kept away from worldly concerns.
Today the student of personal development is asked to recognize and develop the physical, emotional, mental and etheric bodies in the everyday world. In the book The Human Aura by Kuthumi and Djwal Kuhl, there is specific instruction on balancing what is called the four lower bodies (physical, emotional, mental and etheric). I highly recommend this book and this exercise.

The Exalted
The work is done through an involution and then an evolution and then an involution and then another evolution. It is a cycle. It is never-ending, even when we pass from this dimension.
Students of the Ascended Masters, are given a few insights into the concept of not only physical changes in the outer world but also spiritual changes that have already occurred and are expected to occur in the outer world in general. While not focusing on the personal, the implication seems to be that the outer world changes are indicators of the personal changes going on in each of us.
As above so below; As inner so outer. Involution is a progression of going from complex to simple. Evolution progresses from simple to complex. The beauty lies in the infinity of this process.
There is always something to learn, to experience, to know. There is the evolution of learning, experiencing and gaining wisdom from relationship with others (teachers). There is the involution of learning, experiencing and knowing from relationship with self.
The cycle, the Divine Plan is the continuing spiral of evolution/involution to combine or blend into the perfected being. Embrace the Mystery.