Caterpillars, Butterflies and Humans

     Although it is not completely accurate I use the caterpillar / butterfly model as an effective metaphor to reflect the human journey. In etymology, no one knows what a caterpillar thinks or feels - or if it thinks or feels anything at all. In my metaphor, the caterpillar crawls through its existence, aware of some untapped potential within it. Because its eyes are always pointed downward it can only have a direct experience of the earth, leaves or branches it is walking on. It never sees the bird that can suddenly swoop down and grab it for a quick snack, the human foot that could squash it, or the car tire that can end its life so suddenly. It is only aware of its tiny world, its instinctive need for food and shelter, and a subtle stirring in its heart that there is more to life than what it is presently experiencing. It gives that experience a name: flying.

     When the stirring becomes impossible to ignore, the caterpillar seeks out a teacher; someone that had that same stirring, and learned how to respond to it. The sincere teacher promises that it can show the student how to develop the ability to fly. Then it talks a little about how it has learned to fly, and assures its students that everyone can do what the teacher does. The devoted caterpillar listens intently to the truths that the “enlightened being” espouses, and follows the teacher’s instructions as best it can. Some caterpillars attend the teachings of various gurus, while others remain devoted to only one. A few times, the hungry student has an actual experience of flying, and this makes it more devoted to the particular teacher it was with when the episode happened. It creates a spiritual triangle consisting of itself - the student - the knowledge of flying, and the teacher. Some teachers claim that they can fly any time they want, while other instructors admit that their flying ability has not yet been perfected, but it assures its followers that it does happen on occasion. The caterpillar students may never actually see their teacher fly, but this does not matter.

     There are different types of teachers that the caterpillar might approach. Almost all of them are acting from a genuine desire to be of service. Some of these instructors will express the point of view that caterpillars are not meant to fly and they will show students how to find peace by accepting their limitations. Others will teach that caterpillars must earn their right to fly by behaving in certain ways that the teachers aver are the proper ways to behave. Some teachers will tell their students that in order to fly, they must first confront the limiting beliefs that tell them they are incapable of flight. These belief-oriented gurus are divided into two camps. One camp simply states that one must change these limiting beliefs into more positive ones, by eliminating the limitations from their mind. Simply cast them out, and invite in flying-oriented beliefs. The other camp states that one must confront one’s limiting beliefs and transform them through some psychological or healing process.

     In most cases the caterpillar student learns that if it is ever to experience flying it must follow a formula that involves discipline, focus, commitment, devotion, willingness to learn from mistakes, correct behavior and/or purity of thought. Also in most cases the caterpillar feels it never follows that formula as perfectly as it should, and so believes that it will only be able to fly after many decades - if ever. The student also believes that the teacher follows the formula perfectly, or very close to it, and must therefore be a more “advanced” being - a master or saint! Indeed, many of these teachers are living in a state of so-called expanded awareness. But they are still caterpillars.
In my metaphor, if a caterpillar ever approached me, I would tell it three things:
1.    Caterpillars cannot, and never will be able to fly. What you have experienced as flying so far is just falling out of a tree. 
2.    As wonderful and genuine as they are, your teachers are also caterpillars. Their greater awareness probably came from falling out of higher trees.
3.    You are not really a caterpillar!

      Similar to caterpillars, we humans seem to have a sensation in our hearts that points us to some powerful potential that we cannot clearly define. We might call it peace, true happiness, enlightenment, fulfillment or success, but the name doesn’t matter because we don’t want to experience a name. Nor do we want to experience a teaching, philosophy, religion or “spiritual path”  - we want to experience the experience! We may think the philosophy or path will lead us there (which it definitely does NOT), but the yearning in the heart cannot be satisfied with anything less than the direct experience and unfolding of that powerful potential.
What does a caterpillar have to do to become a butterfly? Nothing!
What does a human being have to do to realise that potential? Same answer.
Just as it is in the design of the caterpillar to become a winged insect, it is in the human design to wake up and realise that YOU are not really human. You are the infinite power, wisdom, intelligence, love, true joy... You do not earn this awakening through discipline, focus, commitment, devotion, willingness to learn from mistakes, correct behavior or purity of thought. All of these practices are simply brilliant ways to support you in experiencing life as a limited human being. Just as a caterpillar enters a cocoon at an appointed time and emerges as a butterfly, you too enter a kind of transformational cocoon at a time that YOU determined before you took on this human identity and form. Then you wake up and begin to have direct experiences of who YOU really are. These experiences begin with recognizing the lies and stories you told yourself (and got other people to tell you), and seeing the Truth beyond them all. Slowly the awareness of yourself as the ultimate being grows in the most subtle and elegant of ways. That’s it! No formulae, disciplines, or spiritual practices. No earning, seeking, or sacrificing. No Path!

     Okay, maybe the caterpillar/butterfly metaphor has some holes in it, but it is meant to illustrate one point. As long as you believe you are a human being, almost everything you do will support and reinforce that belief. None of what you do will change that fundamental belief. When you wake up and know the Truth of who you are - which is something you are designed to do - everything you do will support you to continue to expand in awareness of who YOU really are. Everyone you encounter will do the same. A caterpillar is completely supported by the entire universe to experience being a caterpillar. The universe is not trying to wake it up or change it into a butterfly. Part of the caterpillar experience (in my metaphor, that is) is to struggle with an inner sense that there is an untapped potential within. Its teachers are created to support that struggle, because its part of the caterpillar experience. They will even tell their students about the great potential within, and how they’ve expanded their awareness of that potential, using a simple formula or discipline. But no teacher can push that bug into a cocoon, nor can they lead a student to its cocoon. That happens naturally.
I’m looking forward to writing my next article, concerning what happens to caterpillar teachers when they become butterflies.