One of the things that makes a Seeker quite different to an Adopter (see What is a Seeker? for my definitions of these terms) is the fact that he doesn’t have spiritual ‘truth’ handed to him on a plate. Whereas most religious traditions have set scriptures which lay down exactly what they believe and why, the Seeker more often draws knowledge, insight and inspiration from many different sources, and that means there is no single collection of writings which reflects his own considered perspective.
This being the case, it can be a very good idea for the Seeker to write his own scriptures. I mentioned this idea briefly in my post on Scripture Study for Spiritual Seekers, but today I would like to elaborate on it by providing clear instructions for anyone who wishes to take it further.
The word scripture simply means ‘sacred writing’, and all scriptures were once written by men and women who felt that they had discovered something about the spiritual life that was worth remembering and reflecting on from time to time. Writing your own scriptures is therefore no different to what many others have already done before you.
How to Write Your Own Scriptures
The first thing you will need to do is obtain a suitable notebook in which to record your insights. Whilst any notebook could be used, it is suggested that you choose one which is robust enough to serve you well for many years to come, and if its appearance also helps to put you in a more spiritual frame of mind, so much the better. Something like the Sunrise Journal is well worth considering, as it is both animal-friendly and has refillable pages, but if a different journal appeals to you more, you should of course follow your own inclinations.
Next, make sure that you have established the habit of spiritual journaling. This will allow you to note down your personal insights as and when they occur, and to also record extracts from any traditional scriptures that resonate with you as explore your own spiritual path.
The third step is to sit down and review your spiritual journal once every month and to copy whatever writings you view as being timeless over into your scripture book. By timeless, I mean writings that you know – on an intuitive level – are ones which will serve you well in the years to come. The writings that you transfer can include not only your own observations and insights, but also personally relevant extracts that you have noted from traditional scriptures such as the Bible, the Dhammapada and the Bhagavad Gita.
By following this simple three-step approach, you can steadily write your own book of scripture which is as personally relevant to you as any scriptural writings can be. Of course, the value of your scriptures will increase over time, as they expand and your journey progresses, but even a few pages of personally discovered truths can be worth their weight in gold, so start today and perhaps one day in the future your scriptures will also serve to inspire others on the path.