Udja
A couple of important points: About your statement: “You have come to that person because you recognize your ignorance and their elevation,…”
Indeed, this is correct though another way of understanding also provides a nuance of insight. The term “elevation” can be replaced with “advancement” as in a person who is farther along on the road. This connotation suggests that the person one is following is not up in the sky and aloof but just like one, but though more advanced. And this is actually the case. If that advancement elevates them it also elevates one and this is a healthy way of understanding while not assigning undue fantastic attributes that are unnecessary and though they can inspire also can lead to delusions of admiration of the person and delusions of inferiority of oneself.
“Beware of falsehoods from misunderstood teachings.”-AEP
On your statement: “The readings up until this point along with the lectures have shown me that spiritual life is truly a different life, it is not an “addition” to a “normal” life.”
Here is certainly a major realization, for the high attainment of spiritual experience is certainly different from the ordinary waking human reality, like the difference between a dream and waking up. So this message was certainly received by you and very well. Oftentimes aspirants try to “add” the spiritual life to their egoistic life, like adding oil to water, not realizing that true advancement on the spiritual path means leaving the worldly ego and egoism behind and when the spiritual attainment is effective that ego is transformed into the identity of a divine entity: the true higher self you as opposed to the false lower ego you. Without this understanding and application of the teaching with this understanding, the spiritual evolution is stunted regardless of the number of scriptures that can be memorized quoted, regardless of the regalia or rituals or yoga practices and meditations that may be engaged.
HTP
